1To George Washington from William Livingston, 6 December 1783 (Washington Papers)
We should think ourselves highly inexcusable, did we neglect this opportunity, of congratulating your Excellency on your Arrival in this Town, the present residence of the Legislature of this State; & a Town which you Sir, have render’d famous to the latest posterity, by the most unexampled efforts of military genius; & your signal Victory over an Enemy till then, through the great superiority...
2To George Washington from William Livingston, 18 April 1783 (Washington Papers)
I have received your Excellencys letter inclosing the Queries. I doubt not a matter of so great importance will attract the first attention of the Legislature—After closing the war so gloriously, I hope we shall not be deficient either in Justice or Gratitude to those who have been so particularly instrumental in obtaining an honorable peace, as the American Army—with the greatest esteem I...
3To George Washington from William Livingston, 28 December 1782 (Washington Papers)
I have been favoured with your Excellency’s Letter of the 17th instant. I am greatly obliged to your Excellency for offering to write to General Haldeman respecting the release of Mr Roading tho’ you have no correspondence with him; or to forward a Letter from me to him on that subject. The first I can’t prevail upon myself to desire, considering that General Haldeman has not thought proper to...
4To George Washington from William Livingston, 7 December 1782 (Washington Papers)
It is represented to me by some very respectable Inhabitants of this state that in or about the month of June 1781 a descent was made by the Indians upon the Settlement called Kantucky, at which place a number of the Inhabitants, having thrown themselves into a fort for their defense, were obliged to surrender themselves prisoners to the savages. Among those was a certain Thomas Mullar Reading...
5To George Washington from William Livingston, 29 October 1782 (Washington Papers)
I am honoured with your Excellencys Letter of the 29th instant; & cannot but flatter myself that the Legislature of this State, will, without hesitation, adopt the measure therein recommended—I am with the greatest esteem your Excellencys most obedient & very humble Servant DLC : Papers of George Washington.
6To George Washington from William Livingston, 4 October 1782 (Washington Papers)
The Chevalier de la Lucerne desires me to give the bearer—Mr Barbé a passport to bring from New-York some effects belonging to the Chevalier, & taken in the Frigate L’Aigle, which he intends Mr Barbé shall purchase for him in New York. I would not only most chearfully comply with his request from the reasonableness of it, but should take a particular pleasure in obliging the Minister of France...
7To George Washington from William Livingston, 29 July 1782 (Washington Papers)
Application is made to me for a passport for one Major Tapping to go to Staten Island to procure a sum of money upon loan which he wants to borrow for the purpose of building a slitting mill in this State. The man is recommended to me as a good Whig, & it is rendered probable to me that by the means of a brother of his, on that Island, who has always been esteemed a friend to our cause, he...
8To George Washington from William Livingston, 24 June 1782 (Washington Papers)
I have been honoured with your Excellency’s Letter of the 16th instant apologizing for your opening a Letter to me from Sir Guy Carleton which was put into your hands with other Letters. The like has several times happened to me since the war respecting the letters of other Gentlemen, & I have made the like apology. I only wish that your Excellency had not discovered the mistake till you had...
9To George Washington from William Livingston, 18 June 1782 (Washington Papers)
This morning two American captains of Vessels who had been captured by the Enemy & carried into New York came to this Town in the Stage waggon. They shewed me their paroles and informed me that they landed at Elizabeth Town & were suffered to pass on by Captain Dayton. They arrived on the Jersey shore not in a flagg but in a private boat. As I do not know what private orders Capt. Dayton may...
10To George Washington from William Livingston, 10 June 1782 (Washington Papers)
Mr Lot informs me by Letter that he had applied to your Excellency for a pass for himself and his son in Law Collo. Livingston to go into the Enemy’s lines. “That your Excellency wish’d & was willing to grant it had it rested with you, but that he found by your information that it rested with me.” He farther adds that he was informed by your Excellency, “that the mode of applying for such...
11To George Washington from William Livingston, 14 May 1782 (Washington Papers)
I now do myself the honour of particularly addressing myself to answer your Excellency’s Letter of the 6th instant. While the whole world must applaud your Excellency’s resolution of retaliating for the barbarous murder committed upon Capt. Huddy, which is in favour of humanity by its tendancy to prevent the like cruelties; this State, of which he was a good Citizen & a brave Soldier is...
12To George Washington from William Livingston, 13 May 1782 (Washington Papers)
I have just received your Excellencys Letter of the 10th instant respecting your having established the Post at Dobb’s Ferry as the only one in this State for flags to pass from, & be received at. Of the necessity of this measure I am so fully convinced, that I shall immediately notify it to the officers of our Militia, & use every mean in my power to carry it into execution. your Excellency...
13To George Washington from William Livingston, 8 March 1782 (Washington Papers)
I have received your Excellency’s Favour of yesterday, and in consequence of it I forwarded to General Forman by the same Express the passports requested. My reason for not granting them on General Forman’s application, was the great abuse which I am informed is made of sending people into the Enemy’s lines under pretense of obtaining intelligence, especially at Newark & Elizabeth Town, where...
14To George Washington from William Livingston, 26 January 1782 (Washington Papers)
I have been honoured with your Excellency’s Letter of the 12th instant, relative to the affair of Egg harbour: As the facts upon farther enquiry appeared to be very different from the information I had at first received, it could not be expected that your Excellency should pursue such measures as I had hoped from your constant readiness to serve the public, you would have pursued, had the...
15To George Washington from William Livingston, 11 January 1782 (Washington Papers)
I think I have very authentic intelligence from New York that General Clinton (and such kind of enterprizes are the ne plus ultra of some Generals) has contracted with a party to take the mail from the Post who rides from Philadelphia to Morristown; & that they purpose to execute their design in the mountains between Pluckhimin & Basken–ridge. I have recommended Coll Lawrence who is a member...
16To George Washington from William Livingston, 1 January 1782 (Washington Papers)
By recent Advice from Eggharbour, several armed boats, with a number of men, are fortifying on Osburn’s Island near Eggharbour with a view, as is supposed, to receive Deserters from the American army, & deserting prisoners taken from General Burgoyne & Lord Cornwallis, as well as for the greater convenience of conveying provisions to New York, which already go from that neighbourhood in...
17To George Washington from William Livingston, 20 October 1781 (Washington Papers)
By Intelligence from Staten Island which I think may be depended upon, the Enemy have prepared a number of fire ships (it is said 24) & their supposd destination is Cheesapeak. This perhaps may be proper to communicate to the French Admiral, that measures may be taken accordingly. It is not in my power Sir, to answer your Excellency’s Letter on the Subject of Supplies, because I can devise no...
18To George Washington from William Livingston, 6 August 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have just received your Excellency’s Favour of the 2d instant, and feel exceedingly for your Embarrassment. I am not only mortified as a Citizen of the Union at large at every obstacle against your Excellency’s operations, but greatly chagrin’d that this State in particular, considering my intimate connection with it, should, by contributing to such embarrassment, lose any part of the...
19To George Washington from William Livingston, 20 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have received your Excellency’s Favour of the 13th instant, & shall acquaint the horsemen with your Excellency’s Sentiments concerning their offer. Respecting the progress that is made under our late Law for filling up our continental Battalions, I not able to give your Excellency any information, as no returns of the Levies are made to me; but I have reason to believe from the Enquiries I...
20To George Washington from William Livingston, 8 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
Part of Capt. Carle’s Troop of our Hunterdon light horse to the amount of about 25 have just now sent me an offer to turn out as voluntiers to proffer your Excellency their Service during the operations in contemplation, either as horse or Infantry as your Excellency shall chuse proposing in case you might prefer the latter to carry a waggon with their firelocks &c. All that discourages them...
21To George Washington from William Livingston, 27 June 1781 (Washington Papers)
It gives me great pain that I have not been able to answer your Excellency’s several Letters of the 27th of May & 15th June till this moment having ever since waited with great impatience for the passing of the Bill respecting your requisition of the 750 militia to co-operate with the regular Troops for 3 months, which did not pass till this day. I have issued the necessary orders, & directed...
22To George Washington from William Livingston, 1 June 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have the Honour to inclose to your Excellency a Resolution of our Legislature desiring me to apply to you for some Ammunition. Lead is not to be purchased in Philadelphia; & tho’ we have employed a person to procure it in Boston, his journey thither & back again will necessarily keep us too long without that essential Article. I have the honour to be with the greatest esteem Dear Sir your...
23To George Washington from William Livingston, 14 April 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have to acknowledge your Excellency’s favour of the 8th instant, & thank you for the intelligence it contains. The account is so similar to that which I had by a man direct from New york, & who had it from a person in their confidence, that I cannot doubt the truth. The only variation is, that of the four persons intended to be taken or assassinated the three which he remembred, were your...
24To George Washington from William Livingston, 1 March 1781 (Washington Papers)
Your Excellency will perceive that the inclosed Letters request of me a favour entirely out of my department. How far good policy may require the discharge of the young man, those who have authority to order that measure are doubtless proper Judges. Mr Foster, the writer of one of the L[e]tters, is a gentleman of considereble distinction amongst us. Perhaps the preserving the good humour of...
25To George Washington from William Livingston, 24 February 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have received your Excellency’s Letter of the 13th feby. The present mode of exchanging prisoners therein described appears to me just & reasonable; & I doubt not that in the farther settlement of any plan in contemplation, your Excellency will do full & impartial justice to this State. I heartily congratulate you Sir, on our late Successes in the Southern States; & I wish with many others,...
26To George Washington from William Livingston, 5 January 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have the Honour to transmit to your Excellency 13 Copies of our Act for completing & keeping up the Quota of Troops belonging to this State in the service of the United States, & am with the highest Esteem and respect your Excellency’s most humble Servant ALS , DLC:GW . GW acknowledged this letter when he wrote Livingston on 12 January . Two copies of the printed act, titled “STATE OF...
27To George Washington from William Livingston, 28 December 1780 (Washington Papers)
The Act of Congress of the 4th of November mentioned in your Excellency’s Letter of the 10th Instant was laid before our Assembly before the Receipt of your Letter, & orders have been given to our Superintendent of Purchases in Consequence of it. But the Supplies, for want of money go on very slowly. Mr Dunham our Superintendant; is, by the Act appointing him, to follow your Excellency’s...
28To George Washington from William Livingston, 15 December 1780 (Washington Papers)
Since the repeal of our Act appointing a State Commissary of Prisoners, to which the Legislature was induced by the recommendation of Congress, we are frequently embarrassed about the exchange of our Citizens captivated by the Enemy, whether on duty as Militia, or unarmed in their Habitations; Some complain of Partiality, and others think it hard that they cannot reap the benefit of the...
29To George Washington from William Livingston, 15 November 1780 (Washington Papers)
By a Resolution of both Branches of ⟨ou⟩r Legislature, I am requested to write to your Excellenc⟨y⟩ to assure you that the Legislature of this State are mo⟨st⟩ sincerely disposed to exert their utmost Efforts for drawing forth all the Supplies this State can furnish for the Army under your Command, but at the same time to inform you⟨r⟩ Excellency that from the Drought of the last Summer, & the...
30To George Washington from William Livingston, 7 October 1780 (Washington Papers)
I most heartily congratulate your Excellency on the timely Discovery of General Arnold’s treasonable Plot to captivate your Person, & deliver up West Point to the Enemy; of which the Loss of the former, had his infernal Machinations succeeded, would have been more regretted by America, than of the latter. The remarkable Interposition of Providence to frustrate the diabolical Conspiracy will...