1From George Washington to Horatio Gates, 3 July 1772 (Washington Papers)
Your favour of the 10th of May came to my hand Pretty soon after Mr Cars Return from Wmsburg, but having Mislaid it for a time, you are kept out of an Answer till now. And even now, the information I am able to give in respect to your Enquiries, will prove Very Unsatisfactory. That there will be something (tho. nothing Considerable) left for the Residuary Legatees, after the Debts & Legacies...
2From George Washington to Brigadier General Horatio Gates, 17 June 1775 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: to Brigadier General Horatio Gates, 17 June 1775. On 22 June Gates wrote to GW : “Last night I was Honourd by the receipt of your Obliging Letter of 17th Instant.”
3Orders and Instructions to Major General Horatio Gates, 24 June 1776 (Washington Papers)
The Honorable Continental Congress reposing the greatest Confidence in your Wisdom & Experience have directed me to appoint you to the very important Command of the Troops of the United Colonies in Canada: with a Power to appoint a Deputy Adjutant General, a Deputy Quarter Master General[,] a Deputy Muster Master General & such other Officers as you shall find necessary for the Good of the...
4From George Washington to Major General Horatio Gates, 19 July 1776 (Washington Papers)
I expected ’ere this to have heard from you; as I have not, I will open the corrispondance by expressing my exceeding great concern on acct of the determination of your board of General Officers, to retreat from Crown Point to Ticonderago; assigning (contrary to the opinion of all your Field Officers) for reason, that the former place is not tenable with your present force, or the Force...
5From George Washington to Major General Horatio Gates, 14 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
I yesterday morning received your Letter of the 29 Ulto by Bennet the Express and am extremely sorry to find the Army is still in a sickly and melancholy State—The precaution taken to Halt the Reinforcements at Skenesborough, which are destined for your Succour, is certainly prudent—they should not be exposed or made liable to the Calamities already too prevailing, Unless in cases of extreme...
6From George Washington to Major General Horatio Gates, 14 December 1776 (Washington Papers)
Before this comes to hand, you will have heard of the melancholy situation of our Affairs. I do not mean at this time to detail our misfortunes. With a handfull of men, compared to the Enemys Force, we have been pushed through the Jerseys without being able to make the smallest opposition & to pass the Delaware. Genl Howe is now on the other side, and beyond all question, means if possible to...
7From George Washington to Major General Horatio Gates, 23 December 1776 (Washington Papers)
I shall not object to yr going to Philadelphia on Acct of your Health, but wish it would have permitted you to have gone to Bristol rather, in order to have conducted matters there in cooperation with what I hinted to you as having in view here. I fear their may be some little uneasiness about Command there, as some of the Continental Colonels have gone down with the Brigade that Marchd last....
8From George Washington to Major General Horatio Gates, 28 January 1777 (Washington Papers)
I am very much afraid that all the Troops on their march from the Southward will be infected with the small pox, and that instead of having an Army here, we shall have an Hospital. I know of no other way to prevent this, than not to suffer any more of the Southern Troops to come in to Philada they may be marched into German town and remain there while their Arms and Accoutrements are...
9From George Washington to Major General Horatio Gates, 5–6 February 1777 (Washington Papers)
The slowness and irregularity with which the Militia leave Philada renders the presence of some Genl Officer in that City indispensably necessary; And as You have been there & no doubt are better acquainted with the best Mode of equiping & dispatching them than any new one, I request your Continuance there ’till You hear farther from me. In the mean time I must call your utmost Attention to...
10From George Washington to Major General Horatio Gates, 12 February 1777 (Washington Papers)
This will be delivered you by the Officers who came with Colo. Hawsecker and under whose care he returns again. His arrival here was what I did not expect, as I had no particular, specific charge against him, nor has any thing more been alleged than General suspicions. All I meant or wished to be done respecting him, was that you should by inquiry trace if you could the causes of complaint and...
11From George Washington to Major General Horatio Gates, 19 February 1777 (Washington Papers)
Your favour of the 15th Inst. reached me this Morning. This going express, I have not time to determine on the Sentence of the Court Martial—You shall hear from me Tomorrow, on that Subject. The Enemy being certainly reinforced at Brunswic, & the corresponding Intelligence from every Quarter, induce me to believe that They will no longer suffer themselves to be cooped up within such narrow,...
12From George Washington to Major General Horatio Gates, 20 February 1777 (Washington Papers)
This Letter will accompany one of last Nights date, to which it is intended as an addition—I have a thousand corrisponding circumstances to convince me, that Genl Howe intends to move from Brunswick in a very short time—it is said to this place, but that may be a cover only, to his designs upon Philadelphia—He & Lord Percy you will find by the Inclosed Copies of Letters have, or were abt to...
13From George Washington to Major General Horatio Gates, 23 February 1777 (Washington Papers)
I have inclosed the Warrant for executing the Deserter—The blanks you will fill up, and direct the Ceremony as You please. Will it not be adviseable to arrange & equip the Troops under Innoculation in Philada? That, on an Emergency, they may be of some service. Another skirmish happened Yesterday between Genl Maxwell & about 2000 from Amboy, they came to forage—The Genl writes me that he has...
14George Washington to Major General Horatio Gates, 1 March 1777 (Hamilton Papers)
Morristown [ New Jersey ] March 1, 1777. Orders investigation of fraudulent recruiting returns. Requests inoculation of two Virginia regiments. Df , in writing of H, George Washington Papers, Library of Congress.
15From George Washington to Major General Horatio Gates, 1 March 1777 (Washington Papers)
Your Favor of 23d Ulto came to hand Yesterday with the inclos’d returns which I think are very extraordinary ones, particularly Colo. Penrose’s as I well remember having asked him early in December how his Regiment fill’d, & his answer as well as I can recollect was, that he then had got 300 Men—The returns of Desertion given in to you appear to be utterly impossible, should therefore be glad...
16From George Washington to Major General Horatio Gates, 3 March 1777 (Washington Papers)
A Letter just come to hand from Congress contains a resolve in the Words following “That the President write to Genl Gates, and inform him, it is the earnest desire of Congress he should resume the Office of Adjutant General, and that his present Rank and pay shall be continued to him” to this resolve of Congress, Mr Hancock in his Letter, adds—“I have wrote to Genl Gates requesting him to...
17From George Washington to Major General Horatio Gates, 4 March 1777 (Washington Papers)
Since my Letter of yesterdays date I have had so many different Accts of the Militias term of Service expiring, or being upon the point of doing so, that I am obliged, in the most pressing manner to desire, that you will order all the Continental Troops on to this place, except those who have never had the small pox, and are detain’d for Inoculation (which I earnestly beg may be hastened as...
18From George Washington to Major General Horatio Gates, 10 March 1777 (Washington Papers)
I have the pleasure of yours of the 7th instant and am sorry to find that Genl Cadwalader has declined a Commission in the continental Service. Altho’ I often wished in secret, that you could be brought to resume the Office of Adjutant General, I never even hinted it, because I thought it might be disagreeable to you for the Reasons which you yourself mention, “that you commanded last Campaign...
19From George Washington to Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates, 5 April 1777 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: to Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates, 5 April 1777. Gates wrote GW on 19 April : “I had the Honour to receive your Excellency’s Letter of the 5th Instant from Morris Town.”
20From George Washington to Major General Horatio Gates, 28 April 1777 (Washington Papers)
I am favd with yours of the 19th Inst. at Albany. As most of the Massachusets Troops intended for Peekskills had began their march before the order for the rout through the Green Woods reach’d them, and there were not proper supplies of provision laid u⟨p⟩ upon the road, I fancy but few of them will come that way, I will give the Commissary Genl the part of your letter respecting purchasing...
21George Washington to Major General Horatio Gates, 7 May 1777 (Hamilton Papers)
Morristown [ New Jersey ] May 7, 1777. Encloses letter to Brigadier General Anthony Wayne, who is needed at Headquarters. LS , in writing of H, New-York Historical Society, New York City. Gates was in command of the Northern Department.
22From George Washington to Major General Horatio Gates, 7 May 1777 (Washington Papers)
The inclosed, to General Wayne, requires him to hasten to me as speedily as he can, after the receipt of my letter. His presence in this quarter cannot be dispensed with. The Pensylvania troops, daily coming in, are without any General officer of their own state, to command them; and my intention is, as far as circumstances will permit, to arrange the different troops, under the respective...
23From George Washington to Major General Horatio Gates, 11 May 1777 (Washington Papers)
I am informed, that the Cloathing for Col: Shepherd’s Regiment of Massachusetts, in pursuance of the Original Plan, has been sent on to Tionderoga, but as the Destination of this Regiment, among Others has been altered, You will send back the Cloathing for It, as expeditiously as possible to Albany; giving Directions to have it immediately transported thence to Peeks Kill, where the Regiment...
24From George Washington to Major General Horatio Gates, 15 May 1777 (Washington Papers)
The great loss of Tents at Danbury is like to make us rather scant in that Article, especially as the whole Army in this quarter will be moving and must consequently lay in the Feild. I am informed that the Barracks, already built at Ticonderoga and Mount Independance, will contain between three and four thousand Men, and as your Garrison will be stationary, I would recommend the covering the...
25From George Washington to Major General Horatio Gates, 19 May 1777 (Washington Papers)
I have just recd yours of the 13th which is in a great measure answered by one which I wrote to you on the 15th But I cannot help taking notice of some expressions in your letter, which appear to me like an imputation of partiality in favr of this Army, to the disadvantage and inconvenience of the Northern. Can you suppose, if there had been an ample supply of Tents for the whole Army, that I...
26From George Washington to Major General Horatio Gates, 28 July 1777 (Washington Papers)
Yours of the 23d from Philada and that of the 27th from Coryells Ferry both met me yesterday on the Road. If there are not very clear proofs of the Hessian Paymaster’s having endeavoured to establish an illicit correspondence, I think he had better be suffered to go back immediately, for two Reasons. One, that a person under the sanction of a Flag should not be detained upon any but the most...
27From George Washington to Major General Horatio Gates, 29 July 1777 (Washington Papers)
The Bearer Monsr Portail is appointed by Congress Colonel of Engineers, and is recommended as a Man of Abilities in his profession. As there is no occasion for him here at present, I have desired him and the Gentleman who accompanies him, who is also of the Corps of Engineers, to return to Philada. They may assist you and Genl Mifflin in viewing the Grounds upon the West Side of Delaware and...
28From George Washington to Major General Horatio Gates, 30 July 1777 (Washington Papers)
As we are yet uncertain as to the real destination of the Enemy, tho’ Delaware seems most probable, I have thought it prudent to halt the Army at this place, Howells Ferry and Trenton, at least, till the Fleet actually enter the Bay and put the matter beyond a doubt. From hence, we can be upon the proper Grounds to oppose them before they can possibly make their arrangements and dispositions...
29From George Washington to Major General Horatio Gates, 31 July 1777 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of this morning is just come to hand. I have immediately, in consequence of the intelligence contained in it, put all the Troops in motion; and expect they will be with you, or in the neighborhood by tomorrow evening, and in full time to give opposition to the Enemy, as I cannot imagine their operations will be so sudden, as you seem to apprehend. you will send forward some proper...
30George Washington to Major General Horatio Gates, 4 August 1777 (Hamilton Papers)
[ Philadelphia ] August 4, 1777. Forwards Congress’ appointment of Gates to the command of Northern Department. LS , in writing of H, New-York Historical Society, New York City.