26181To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 22 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
The last I had the honour of writing to you was dated the 19th. Your Excellency’s Letter of the 17th in which was inclosed Copy of a paper from Mr Zantzinger & a Return of deficiencies in Clothing for the Army came Since to hand & have been presented to Congress—& by their order Committed to the Board of War & Treasury from whence no Reports have yet come up, I am thereby left without...
26182To George Washington from William Livingston, 22 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
The Legislature of this State having passed a Law for impressing a thousand Blankets for the Use of the Jersey Battalions under your Command, & for authorizing Commissioners to Purchase as many others, with as many Articles of Cloathing for the said Troops as they can procure, we presume that all orders that may have been issued to military Officers to seize such Articles in this State will be...
26183To George Washington from Captain Allen McLane, 22 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
At, the request of Number, of able bodied, young men, that lives about the lines and is out of Imployment I take this liberty of Informing Yr Excellency that they express a desire of forming themselves in a Company and acting Under your Exclency direction for one Month if your Excellency thinks proper to Incourage this perposial, It might attend, to Cut of all Communication wh the Assistance...
26184From George Washington to Captain Allen McLane, 22 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
I have this moment received your Letter containing the Proposals of some of the Inhabitants near the Enemys Lines—I will undoubtedly accept their Offers of Service provided they give in a list of their names, and engage to be under the absolute command for the time specified of such Officer as I shall appoint—this precaution is necessary, for otherwise they may receive the Public Money without...
26185To George Washington from Colonel David Mason, 22 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
When I Last did myself the Honour of writing to you I had the Most Sanguine hopes of having all our New Regiments Compleat & the Old Ones Greatly increased, I cannot but Lament that I have been too Greatly Deceived and I fear it is owing to the Remissness of Many of our Militia Officers, who Regardless of the Duty they owe to their Country & themselves and Posterity Disregard all the Dutys of...
26186To George Washington from Captain Edward Vail, 22 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
To his Excellency Genl Washington Commander in Chief, of the American Continental Army. The Petetion of Capt. Edwd Vail Humbly Sheweth that your Peti[t]oner finds himself Aggriev’d by a Sentance of a Brigade Court Martial whereof Col. Hogun was President, & the whole of the Sd Court Consisted one member Excepted, of Officers below my rank, therefore beg the favour of being Try’d by the Line or...
26187From George Washington to Brigadier General James Mitchell Varnum, 22 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
I have received your favors of 20 & 21st Inst. by this Express I shall write to Majr Genl Greene from whom you will receive your Instructions respecting your Operations on that shore. I am at a loss to determine upon what Principle the Powder was strew’d over the fort at Red bank as I expected that if an Evacuation was found necessary it might be brought off & if that was impracticable I...
26188From George Washington to Brig. Gen. Anthony Wayne, 22 November 1777 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: to Brig. Gen. Anthony Wayne, 22 Nov. 1777. A two-page letter in the writing of GW’s aide-de-camp Tench Tilghman and signed by GW was sold in 1935. It reads in part: “Altho’ it is not probable that the Enemy would give us notice of their intentions, I do not think it will be amiss to be in readiness. I would therefore have you put your Division under Arms by day Break and I...
26189The American Commissioners: Memorandum for the French and Spanish Courts, 23 November 1777 (Franklin Papers)
DS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères, Archivo General de Simancas; DS (draft ): Princeton University Library; copy: Archivo Historico Nacional This memorandum had been in preparation for more than a fortnight. On the 8th Franklin had made the original draft, now lost, and Lee had suggested changes that his colleagues accepted; on the 9th the document was ready to be copied and...
26190The American Commissioners to Franco and Adrianus Dubbeldemuts, 23 November 1777 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Connecticut Historical Society We received yours of the 18th and observe the Contents. We shall this Week transmit to America the Papers relative to your Vessel taken and write on the Subject as we proposed in our last Letter; at the same Time as there is danger of the Packets being intercepted, it will be proper for you to send Duplicates to your Correspondent in St. Eustatia from...
26191The American Commissioners to J. Rocquette, T. A. Elsevier, & P. Th. Rocquette, 23 November 1777 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Connecticut Historical Society Yours of the 18th. under Cover of Messrs. F & A Dubbledemuts We received, are obliged to you for your offers of Correspondence and for Accots. of the Price of Sundry Articles of American Produce at your Port. Please to inform us if the Indigo you mention at 50 to 70 Stuyvers per lb. is Carolina growth or other, and what the Difference if any between that...
26192Silas Deane to John Philip Merckle, 23 November 1777 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Connecticut Historical Society Since my last Sir GG has arrived and on consulting with him the Commissioners are of opinion that they can go no farther than to compleat the agreement made between you and him when my Brother was at Amsterdam. This I conclude has been by this Time executed. It is unnecessary to repeat what I have before said and wrote to you on this Subject, as you are...
26193General Orders, 23 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
The Court of enquiry held the 18th inst: of which Col. Humpton was president, to inquire into the conduct of Col. Price of the 2nd Maryland regiment report as follows—“The Court after considering the evidences that appeared, are of opinion, that the reports circulating to the prejudice of Col. Thomas Price are without the least foundation.” The General Court Martial of the line ordered to sit...
26194To George Washington from the Continental Navy Board, 23 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
It is with the greatest Concern we inform you of the total Destruction of the Continental Fleet at Red Bank; having been burned by our own Officers in Consequence of a Determination of a Council of War. We have not yet had an Opportunity of making a regular Enquiry into the Reasons of so desperate a Measure. As far as we can collect from the Officers and Crews here, it was occasioned by the...
26195To George Washington from Major General Horatio Gates, 23 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
I am just now honour’d with the receipt of Your Excellency’s Letter of the 14th Instant, from White Marsh. I have never entertained the smallest Idea, that General Burgoyne should be permitted to Change the port of Embarkation, or that the least variation of the Spirit, and Letter of the Convention, would be indulged to the Troops under his Command. There is no doubt, but the British Regiments...
26196To George Washington from Captain Caleb Gibbs, 23 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
I wrote Colo. Harrison on the 21st Ulto from Morristown informing him of the disagreable peice of intelligence which I had that day received, of the Illness of Colo. Hamilton, and of my intention to set out immediately for Peeks Kill with all possible dispatch. I accordingly arrived here yesterday morning about 9 oClock, w[h]ere I found Colo. Hamilton much worse than I expected, labouring...
26197To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 23 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
I am now to acknowledge the honor of the receipt of yours of the 22d Ulto and 5th Instant. In consequence of the former I directed Major Barber to purchase up what Lead he could find in this Town or its Vicinity. He soon informed me that he had purchased Ten Tons, Six of which were forwarded, some days since, to Springfield. the remainder will follow immediately. Mr Jervis, Agent to the...
26198From George Washington to General William Howe, 23 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
I am compelled by repeated Complaints of the Inhuman treatment still shewn to the Unhappy prisoners in your hands, to call upon you for a clear & explicit Answer to my Letter of the 14th Instant. This I shall expect to receive by Monday Evening next. Their sufferings demand immediate redress; And unless I obtain the most satisfactory assurances on this Head, duty will constrain me to retaliate...
26199From George Washington to Henry Laurens, 23 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
I have been duly honored with your Favors of the 13 & 19 Instant with their Inclosures. I am well assured Congress have not been inattentive to the Necessities of the Army, and that the deficiency in our Supplies, particularly in the Article of cloathing has arisen from the difficulty of importing, on account of the Numerous Fleet, which line our Coast. However, I am persuaded that...
26200To George Washington from Captain Henry Lee, Jr., 23 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
Yesterday the enemy abandoned Provence island. We have reason to believe that Gen. Clinton with the late reinforcement, & Lord Cornwallis with his body of troops landed on Carpenters island yesterdy, & passed on to the city. The navy have mostly moved up from Chester, & lay off Billingsport. With profound respect Your Excellys most Obt Hum. servt ALS , DLC:GW . The cover indicates that Lee...
26201To George Washington from Brigadier General Casimir Pulaski, 23 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
The desire which I have of fulfilling my Duty, leads me to make frequent representations to Your Excellency of matters which regard the Service of the Cavalry. What follows is my opinion, and if I am so happy as to find it agreeable to Your Excellencys Views, it will be necessary to carry my Plan into execution as soon as possible. As in all appearance it will be late before we retire to...
26202To George Washington from Major General John Sullivan and Brigadier Generals William Maxwell and Anthony Wayne, 23 … (Washington Papers)
May it please your Excellency, We the Subscribers, General Officers in the American Army, beg leave to represent, That we have severally been accus’d of unsoldierly Conduct, dangerous Neglect, and other Crimes, which, had they been prov’d, must have blacken’d our Characters as Officers, and sunk us beneath the Reproaches of our Country. In Consequence of these malicious Accusations, Courts...
26203General Orders, 24 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
Information having been given that divers of the late sutlers, and some of the inhabitants have opened tippling houses within and adjacent to the encampment of the army, by which the design of banishing the Sutlers from the army is in a great measure frustrated. The Deputy Quarter Master General is required forthwith, to make diligent inquiry, and examination, for discovering such houses, and...
26204Brigadier General John Cadwalader’s Plan for Attacking Philadelphia, 24 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
As the Enemy have made very considerable Detachments from their main Body to New Jersey under the Command of Lord Cornwallis; and a considerable number of men being necessary to defend the several Posts on the Islands which are at least 7 miles from the Lines it may be very proper to consider whether a successfull attack cannot be made on the City. The following plan of an attack is offered...
26205To George Washington from Major John Clark, Jr., 24 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
I am this moment returned [from] Mr Philip Prices near the lower Ferry, at which place I thought to have taken a view of the River, but was prevented by the thickness of the Air occasioned by a Smoak on Province Island, I immagine the Enemy are about to evacuate it, by a Person of distinction from Philadelphia (a Friend) this Evening, I am informed, the Enemy are exceedingly alarmed, Orders...
26206To George Washington from Robert Erskine, 24 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
The twenty Ovens ordered last Summer, concerning which I have your favour of the 14th Inst., were delivered as follows; four to Coll Mifflin, as the army passed Pompton; fourteen were sent after it to Morristown, by seven Waggons impressed for that purpose; & two large and ten small ones remained here, when I was at Wilmington, which I mentioned to Coll Mifflin; who ordered me to send four,...
26207From George Washington to Col. David Forman, 24 November 1777 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: to Col. David Forman, c.24 Nov. 1777. In his letter to William Livingston of 24 Nov. , GW writes: “I have given orders to have all the Officers ... except Colo. Forman, for whom you have a letter.”
26208From George Washington to Major General Nathanael Greene, 24 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
If you have not moved from Mount Holley when this comes to hand, I wish you to wait there till you see Colo. Meade, who will set off immediately charged with some important matters which I thought it improper to commit to paper. This However you are to understand under this restriction—That I do not mean to prevent you a moment from prosecuting any Object you have immediately in view that...
26209To George Washington from Major General Nathanael Greene, 24 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
I have nothing new to communicate to your Excellency with Respect to the Motions of the Enemy—they remain or did last night at Woodbury, with a Guard at Timber Creek, consisting of about six hundred men. The Boats that went up, mentioned in my former Letter, I conjecture had on Board the Baggage of the Army; the Soldiers seen on board, were the regimental Guards to the Baggage. The Militia of...
26210To George Washington from Major General Nathanael Greene, 24 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
I receivd your favor by Col. Mead who has communicated to me the design of an attack upo[n] Philadelphia, the consequences if successful are so desireable that I wish it appeard to me more practicable—In war there must be always some thing left to chance and I would always recommend to trust some consequences to the Spirit and bravery of the troops—An excess of caution which councils of War...