201To George Washington from Major General Horatio Gates, 7 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
After sending upwards of Five Thousand Men to the Succour of the Southern Army, I hoped a further Draught from this Department would have been unnecessary; but Colonel Hamilton acquaints me, it was the Unanimous Opinion of a Council of War, that the whole of the Eastern Regiments should March from hence, & that Troops were only to be stationed at peeks Kill, And in the Highlands, for the...
202To Thomas Jefferson from Horatio Gates, 1 November 1780 (Jefferson Papers)
I recd Your Excellency[’s] Favour of the 20th : Ult. Just as I was upon the Point of Marching to the Westward. Upon communicating the Contents to Generals Huger and Stevens, and the principal Officers here, they Unanimously gave it as their Opinion, that I should not march from hence, until I received further intelligence of the Enemys movements, as well South Eastward, as Westward. I...
203To Thomas Jefferson from Horatio Gates, 23 October 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
Wednesday Noon Our Whigg Printer sent me your Message to Congress; he delivered it to The public in a seperate publication; I read it Greedily; It has fix’d your Fame upon an everlasting Foundation.—I am not surprized I did not receive an Answer to my two last Letters ; for however you might be disposed to listen to my Recomendations, you could say nothing conclusive until the Louisiana...
204To George Washington from Major General Horatio Gates, 4 March 1779 (Washington Papers)
Yesterday I had the Honour to receive your Excellency’s Letter of the 14th Ulto from Middle-Brook. I am sorry to find Your Excellency seems to have given over all thoughts of penetrating into Canada by the Route of Co’os, after the preparations made for that purpose, at an incredible Expence. I am satisfied you could not have advised with Two men, upon this Continent, better acquainted with...
205To George Washington from Major General Horatio Gates, 6 July 1778 (Washington Papers)
This moment I had the Honour to receive Your Letter, dated Brunswick the 3rd Instant; and do most heartily Congratulate Your Excellency, upon the glorious News it Contains. I shall Order Colonel Hay to have every thing in readiness, for passing Your Army Cross the River at Kings Ferry. Inclosed I have the Satisfaction to send Your Excellency, the latest, and best Intelligence from New York. I...
206To Benjamin Franklin from Horatio Gates, 5 December 1775 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society For this Week past Fortune has Smiled upon Us from All Quarters, and last Night, word was brought out of Boston by some Inhabitants who left it Yesterday, that a Vessel was Just arrived there from Quebeck. The Master of which Declared that Our Troops, Assisted by near 6000 Canadians, took Possession of that Capital a day or Two After the Middle of November;...
207To Thomas Jefferson from Horatio Gates, 14 March 1794 (Jefferson Papers)
I had the satisfaction to receive your very Obliging Letter of the 3d. of Feb: from Monte Cello; it came to hand when I was Ill of a Fever, I am now thank God, quite recover’d; and have the pleasure to be able to acknowledge your kindness. I have never had the Smallest doubt, that if my letter book was in your hands but that it was as safe as in my Own; being satisfied of that, I am perfectly...
208To Thomas Jefferson from Horatio Gates, 19 October 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
I am charm’d with your instituting Gunn Boats; for I believe them to be the properest Defence for large Harbours that has hitherto been imagin’d; these, Cooperating with small Batteries of Heavy Guns, upon the projecting Heights near the Water, are much better, & infinitely less expensive than Fix’d, and large Fortifications; the French, who are the best Judges, of Artillery and Engineering of...
209To George Washington from Major General Horatio Gates, 25 May 1779 (Washington Papers)
At Eight O’Clock last Night, I had the Honour to receive Your Excellency’s Letter of (Blank) day of May 1779, by Fredrick Deitz, who says he left Middle Brook Saturday Sen’night. The Letters from the President of the Congress, to the Councils of Massachusetts, & New Hampshire, were immediately forwarded. The Effect of all my former Applications to the three Neighbouring States is as Follows;...
210To George Washington from Major General Horatio Gates, 30 August 1780 (Washington Papers)
My public Letter to Congress, has surely been transmitted to Your Excellency. Since then, I have been able to collect authentic Returns of the Kill’d Wounded and Missing of the Officers of the Maryland Line, Delawar Regt Artillerists, and those of the Legion under Colo. Armand, they are inclosed —The Militia broke so early in the Day, and scattered in so many Directions, upon their Retreat;...
211To George Washington from Major General Horatio Gates, 25 September 1779 (Washington Papers)
Your Excellency will find in this Packet, the Proceedings of a General Court-Martial held at Providence, upon the Trial of John Millimon, a Soldier in Colonel Angell’s Regiment, sentenced to be shot for Mutiny. I have hitherto suspended the Execution, for the undermentioned Reasons, and upon sundry Petitions and Applications, particularly upon one from his Excellency the Governor, and a...
212To George Washington from Brigadier General Horatio Gates, 22 June 1775 (Washington Papers)
Last night I was Honourd by the receipt of your Obliging Letter of 17th Instant, I shall Obey your Commands with all possible Expedition, & hope to be in philadelphia Thursday next, & wish earnestly to find you there. I must take the Liberty to entreat it of you, not to leave the Congress, until you are provided not only with all the Powers, but all the Means, their Power can bestow, if it is...
213To George Washington from Major General Horatio Gates, 23 February 1777 (Washington Papers)
I had the Honour to receive your Letters of the 19th & 20th on Fryday Night, The principal parts thereof have been fully answer’d by the Honble The Committee of Congss, their Letter will also be deliverd to Your Excellency by Colonel Fitzgerald; Colonel De Haas left this City the day after I sett out for Morris Town, & is not yet returnd, I understand his Son was extreamly Ill, which...
214To George Washington from Major General Horatio Gates, 2 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
Inclosed I have the Honor to send Your Excellency a Letter I received last Night from General George Clinton, with my Answer thereto; The Regiment of Rifle Men, under Colonel Morgan, Marched from Saratoga the day After the Convention was signed; they will very soon be in the Neighbourhood of Your Excellency’s Camp. Congress having been requested, immediately to transmit Copies of all my...
215To George Washington from Major General Horatio Gates, 24 May 1777 (Washington Papers)
Your Excellency’s Letter of the 15th Inst. from Morris Town is now before me. The Barracks at Ticonderoga, and Mount Independence, will not Contain more than One Thousand Officers and Men; the Hutts that were built last Campaign, might for ought I know, contain One Thousand more; but these being made of Earth, and flimsily put together, are mostly in Ruins. But Neither the Huts, or Barracks,...
216To George Washington from Major General Horatio Gates, 7 July 1779 (Washington Papers)
I had the Honour to receive Your Excellency’s Letters of the 27th & 30th Ulto, by One and the same Express. In Obedience to Your Commands contained in the Letter of the 30th, I immediately Ordered General Glover with his Brigade to March for Fish-Kill. They left Providence this Morning Early. Inclosed are the Directions I have given General Glover, with the Route by which he is to March...
217To Thomas Jefferson from Horatio Gates, 2 February 1781 (Jefferson Papers)
This Letter will be presented to Your Excellency by Lieut. Col: Darke, who is lately returned from a Tedious Captivity in New York; he is an excellent Officer to Command Rifle Men, in which Service, he is particularly, and I may add very superiorly Instructed. His tried Courage, and Strong Natural understanding, Join’d to his experience in the Back Wood, and Indian Wars, render him completely...
218To John Jay from Horatio Gates, 15 March 1779 (Jay Papers)
Persuaded that your Excellency punctually attends to every Thing which may respect the Eastern Department, as you declared in the first Letter I have been honoured with from you, since you are in the Chair; I hope all my Letters, since my Arrival in Boston, will be answered as far as it may be necessary for my Conduct. I do not yet know what Congress intend to do towards fortifying this City...
219To George Washington from Major General Horatio Gates, 24 January 1778 (Washington Papers)
By the enclosed Papers your Excellency will see the Designs of Congress in forming the Plan of an Irruption into Canada. Their political Motives for appointing the Officers to conduct the Expedition need not be mentioned, as your Excellency must be struck with the Propriety of the Measure. The Board have carefully avoided weakning the Army under your immediate Command, as they well know the...
220To George Washington from Major General Horatio Gates, 7 May 1779 (Washington Papers)
I am sorry to be Obliged to acquaint Your Excellency with the great Distress of the public Af⟨fairs⟩ in this Department; First for want of Bread, & next for want of Money to pay the Troops, who have now more than Six Months Arrears due to them. The Arrival of some Flour lately has relieved us in a degree from the Complaints occasion’d by the total want of that article, but not before three...
221To George Washington from Major General Horatio Gates, 18 July 1779 (Washington Papers)
I have within this Half Hour received the inclosed papers, and Letters, from Colonel Cheever, Colonel Mason, and the Officer Guarding the Arsenal at Springfield. Since my being Commanded to This Department, I have not given any Orders with Regard to the post at Springfield, lest my directions should Clash with those given by Your Excellency, or General Knox; I well know Ordnance Affairs are...
222To George Washington from Major General Horatio Gates, 7 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
Inclosed I have the Honour to Transmit to Your Excellency, a General Return of the Troops immediately under my Command. it is as perfect as the Circumstances will Admit, but the Numbers at the General Hospital at Lake George, & upon both Communications, where Correctness is not attended to, with that Diligence required by good Discipline, obliges me to send it somewhat imperfect to Your...
223To George Washington from Major General Horatio Gates, 6 September 1779 (Washington Papers)
I have the Honour to acknowledge the Receipt of your Excellency’s Letters of the 17th and 24th of last Month. It is not in my power to give Your Excellency any Official Information respecting the penobscot Expedition, having never been Concern’d in, nor even consulted upon, that Unfortunate Undertaking—I hear from persons who were there, and have returned to this Town, one of whom was an...
224To John Adams from Horatio Gates, 17 July 1776 (Adams Papers)
The Bearer, and my Letter to Mr. Hancock will acquaint you that I am no Dictator here, and consequently have it not in my power to serve Mr. Rice. I desire if Chase is return’d to Congress, he may know, how much I have been Deceived, and Disappointed in being removed from a place where I might have done the Publick Service, and Fix’d in a Scituation where it is exceeding Doubtfull, if it will...
225To George Washington from Major General Horatio Gates, 8 October 1779 (Washington Papers)
At Eight last Night I had the Honour to receive Your Excellency’s Letters of the Second, and Third Instant—From the moment I First immagined The Fleet of France to be upon Our Coast, I anticipated every Wish of Your Excellency in my preparations to be in the utmost readyness to Act with The Troops in This Department as Your Orders might require—Boats, I have enough, to Transport Our whole...
226To George Washington from Major General Horatio Gates, 21 June 1779 (Washington Papers)
Fryday Evening I had the Honour to receive Your Excellency’s Letters of the 11th, & 13th of this Month. When I took the Liberty to Suggest that a Glorious Opportunity presented itself for Attacking New York, I conceived the Detachments The Enemys General had made from thence, during his Winter Quarters, was much Greater than from Your Excellencys better information I was well warranted to...
227To Thomas Jefferson from Horatio Gates, [19 July 1780] (Jefferson Papers)
When I had the honor of seeing your Excellency at Richmond I was taught to look forward to much difficulty and a perplexed department, yet I cannot but profess that, in the course of a long and often critical service, it has hitherto never fallen to my lot to witness a scene of such multiplied and increasing wants, as my present command exhibits. Of the Militia voted by your State only 1438...
228To Thomas Jefferson from Horatio Gates, 9 September 1780 (Jefferson Papers)
Intelligence of a very particular sort is Just arrived from Camden, by a person in whom we can confide; and no doubt remains, but that he may have been imposed upon by a Finesse of the Enemy. Since then, Two Deserters from the Enemys 23 Regiment, came in, in a manner confirm the Intelligence. It is as Follows. That Lord Cornwallis is going immediately to Embarque his Main Force at George Town...
229To John Jay from Horatio Gates, 29 January 1779 (Jay Papers)
Since I had the Honour to write to Your Excellency upon the Instant, I have received the inclosed intelligence from General Bayley, and Colonel Bedel, Copies of which are also transmitted to General Washington. I am confident the Enemy’s Magazines of Provisions are exhausting very fast. Admiral Gambier, sent from New-York, to New London, in Three Vessels with Flags of Truce, 367 Prisoners;...
230To Thomas Jefferson from Horatio Gates, 7 January 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
Feeling an irresistable impulse for the Glory of your Administration; & convinced your Friendship will Pardon the Intrusion; I cannot forbear addressing you upon the present Political Crisis.—The Governour, & the Intendant of New Orleans, in shutting that Port, & refusing a depot for our Produce down the River; Strikes me as a preconcerted Measure between the Ministers of France & Spain; but...
231Plan for Attacking Boston, 18–25 February 1776 (Washington Papers)
In Obedience to Your Excellency’s Orders, we have considered the Matters referred to Us, & beg leave to recommend the following Signals to be given from Roxbury, in Case of any Movement of The Enemy to Distress our People at Dorchester Hill: Signal in Case the Enemy begin to Embarque, a Flagg on Roxbury meeting House; If they Actually Land at Dorchester Two Flaggs, One, over the Other; In case...
232Instructions to Reuben Colburn, 3 September 1775 (Washington Papers)
You are to go with all Expedition to Gardnerstone upon the River Kenebeck, and without Delay proceed to The Constructing of Two Hundred Batteaus, to row with Four Oars each; Two Paddles and Two setting Poles to be also provided for each Batteau. You are to Engage a Company of Twenty Men consisting of Artificers, Carpenters, and Guides to go under your Command to Assist in such Services as you,...
233Supplies Required for Gates’ Army, August 1780 (Jefferson Papers)
State of North Carolina August 1780. 500 Tents Compleat Intrenching Tools 2000 Barrels Flour *500 Spades 4000 do. Corn *200 Grubbing Hoes 250 do. Rice *100 Common Hoes 50 Hogsheads Rum *200
234From George Washington to Denis-Jean-Florimond Langlois de Montheville, marquis Du Bouchet, 8 December 1782 (Washington Papers)
From the annexed Certificate from Major General Gates under whose command Major Debouchet principally served while in the American Army, and from my own observations while under my immediate command, I have every reason to recommend him as an Officer of Zeal—Intelligence and Bravery. Given at Head Quarters at Newburg the 8th of December 1782. DLC . These Certify that The Bearer, Major...