To George Washington from Major General Stirling, 7 January 1781
From Major General Stirling
Trentown Jan. 7th: 1781.
Dear Sir
Yesterday evening the Legislature of this State finished the Bill for Setling the depreciation of the pay of their Brigade, and Leiut. Col. DeHart Major Cummins and Doctr Hunter the Committee sent from the Brigade at the request of the Assembly now take an authenticated Copy with them to the Brigade[.]1 this busyness I thought of so much Consequence at this Critical Juncture that I did not Care to leave this place ’till it was finished, and I hope it will tend to keep that body of Men in such good humour as will be of Use in Quelling the Mutineers of the pensilvania line.2 The legislature of this State have also at last finished the Bill for Compleating the two Regiments which are to stand, (deducting the men of their State in other Corps) which is to be done by Volunteers at 60 dollars of the New Money Bounty; I despair of the Success of it. a Number of the printed Copies of this law Govr Livingston sends to your Excellency3 and a Number of them also goes to the Commanding of the Corps by these Gentlemen. I would have set out this Morning for the Eastern part of the State, but the Committee Just arrived from Congress have desired me to stay ’till some measures are determined on with regard to the Enemy as well as the Mutineers.4 I am obliged to Conclude this & am your Excys M. obt H. Servant
Stirling,
ALS, DLC:GW. GW’s aide-de-camp David Humphreys wrote on the docket: “not Ansd.”
1. On 6 Jan., the New Jersey general assembly passed “An ACT for making Compensation to the Troops of this State, in the Service of the United States, for the Depreciation of their Pay,” which named commissioners to proceed to the camp of the New Jersey brigade and settle the depreciation pay owed to the officers and soldiers in accordance with a scale laid out in the act (, 32–36).
2. The New Jersey line soon mutinied (see Israel Shreve to GW, 20 Jan., and the source note to that document).
4. For this committee, see Continental Congress Committee on the Pennsylvania Line to GW, this date, and n.1 to that document.