To George Washington from William Brown, 3 July 1780
From William Brown
Baskinridge [N.J.] July 3d 1780
Sir
Finding it not in my power to make the monthly returns your Excellency has been accustomed to receive, of all the Sick and Wounded belonging to the Army, on account of difficulties that have arisen with respect to my obtaining returns thereof from certain parts of the hospital department; I thought it would not be undesirable to your Excellency, to receive an exact return of these hospitals that are contiguous to the main army under your Excellency’s immediate command, and are filled entirely from thence—I accordingly beg leave to enclose a return of these for the month just past, after the usual form by which I have had them made to me.1
If I could add the return of the Sick in Camp, that is, of such as are retained under the care of their respective regimental Surgeons, or on their passage from thence to the general hospital, my return would be complete with respect to the Sick & Wounded of this army; but for these I must refer to Doctor Cochran, who for two months past having given no account thereof to me, I presume, has thought it best to make his returns immediately to your Excellency.2
The best account I can give your Excellency of the State of the other parts of the hospital department, is, that in the beginning of June there were in Virginia only eighteen Sick, remaining under the care of Dr Rickman at Chesterfield Courthouse (whither at the requisition of the Governor they had been removed, instead of to Rocky-ridge, as I had proposed)3—at the Yellow Springs, which is now the only hospital in Pennsylvania, there were fifty-one under Chronic Affections—at Fishkill about the same number, and at Albany only thirty-five—Farther Eastward I am uncertain whether there are at present any hospitals, at least have not received Accounts of any on that quarter. I remain, with the highest respect, Your Excellency’s most obedient humble Servant
W. Brown Phys. Gen. of the hospl Mid. Distt
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. Brown signed and enclosed “A RETURN of the GENERAL HOSPITAL at Basken ridge, Pluckemin, & the Pennsylvania Hutts, from the first day of June, to the first day of July 1780.” The report enumerated soldiers and other men in these hospitals: 1 from the 8th Virginia Regiment; 5 from the Maryland troops; 1 from the Delaware Regiment; 112 from Pennsylvania regiments; 61 from the New Jersey Brigade, including 34 wounded; 14 from Connecticut regiments; 7 from the New York brigade; 4 from artillery regiments; 30 from the 2d Rhode Island Regiment, including 23 wounded; 8 from Col. Henry Jackson’s Additional Continental Regiment; 9 from the 2d Canadian Regiment; 1 from the 1st New Hampshire Regiment; 2 from GW’s guard, both wounded; 1 wounded man from Capt. Henry Bedkin’s independent cavalry troop; 7 French seamen; and 2 British prisoners. The report also included 2 Pennsylvania soldiers and 1 British prisoner who had died in hospital. Of those on the report, 194 had been admitted in the last month, chiefly from the Pennsylvania regiments, the New Jersey brigade, and the 2d Rhode Island Regiment (DLC:GW).
2. No returns from surgeon general John Cochran to GW on the sick in camp for the first half of 1780 have been found, but he reported on medical stores (see Cochran to GW, 13 April, and n.1 to that document).
3. For the change of hospital locations in Virginia, and William Rickman’s report, see Peter Muhlenberg to GW, 23 May, n.1.