31From George Washington to Elias Dayton, 4 April 1781 (Washington Papers)
Annexed is a duplicate of what I had written to you on the 27th ulto the original I fear miscarried last Week as the post is missing and supposed to be carried into New York. The intelligence contained in yours of the 30th ulto "that the fleet was laying at the Hook the 28th" must have been ill founded, as I see by a York paper that they had been spoken with the 21st to the southward of the...
32From George Washington to Elias Dayton, 11 April 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have recd yours of the 10th: I prefer permitting an escape to giving up—because doing the last would imply that we think we have no right to seize upon a deserter in all cases whatever and wherever we can find him, a point which I would always insist upon, more especially as it may one day be brought in question where a Gentleman of high rank, who formerly belonged to us, may be the object....
33From George Washington to Elias Dayton, 1 May 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have received the Communications, which you did me the favor to make, in Your Letter of the 20th Ultimo. The knowledge of the present state of the Enemy in New York & its dependencies with regard to the total strength, and the particular disposition of the Corps, is of so great and interesting importance, that I must request you will have the goodness to turn your earliest & strictest...
34From George Washington to Elias Dayton, 11 May 1781 (Washington Papers)
I last night recd your favr of the 9th. The intelligence you communicate is interesting and what you will be pleased either to confirm or contradict as speedily as possible and with as much precision as you can as to the number of ships of War—Troops and destination—The number of ships of the line mentioned by your informant must be false except the enemy have received a reinforcement. I have...
35From George Washington to Elias Dayton, 28 May 1781 (Washington Papers)
The late accounts from New York are mysterious and perplexing, but they at any rate demand that we should be in readiness to move. You will therefore concentre, as much as possible, your Brigade and put them under marching orders. The parties at the Clove are not to be immediately called in, but the Officers commanding them warned to be in readiness. Should an evacuation of New York take...
36From George Washington to Elias Dayton, 14 June 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have been favd with yours of the 2d instant. It is very unaccountable that so many Indications of an evacuation of New York should be reported to You and that they should come from no other quarter—I have a very good channel of intelligence by the way of Long Island and no movement is mentioned but that of a fleet bound to Europe—I cannot help suspecting that there may be some design in...
37From George Washington to Elias Dayton, 28 June 1781 (Washington Papers)
I was Yesterday favored with your Letter without Date. Had not the Enemy made the Movement which you mention, I should, by that Time, have given you Directions to have drawn your Brigade towards this River in present Circumstances, you will be pleased to draw together as much as possibly you can, the whole Brigade (except the Parties in the Clover) to one Point, at Morris Town, where you will...
38From George Washington to Elias Dayton, 30 June 1781 (Washington Papers)
Imediately on the Receipt of this you will be pleased to collect all the Troops of your Brigade (except the Compy at Wyoming) & put up them in motion on their March towards Kingsbridge. As the Operations of the Campaign are on the Point of Comencing, you will use your utmost Diligence that the Troops come on with Dispatch. It will be v ery inconvenient (to say no more) to be loaded with...
39From George Washington to Elias Dayton, 7 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have recd your favor of the 30th ulto. I take if for granted that this letter will meet you upon your march from Morris Town. Should you not have advancd too far towards Kingsferry to turn off towards Dobb’s without much Disadvantage, you will be pleased to do it, & inform me of your Arrival upon the West Side, where you will remain till further Orders. I believe I before mentioned my Desire...
40From George Washington to Elias Dayton, 12 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have recd your favr of this date. You will remain where you are ’till further orders, but you will make me an exact Return in the morning of the force which you have brought with you. However desirable a supply of Cloathing may be, I have no authority to allow it to be procured in the manner which Mr Caldwell mentions. I am Dear Sir yr most obt Servt CSmH .
41From George Washington to Elias Dayton, 21 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
You will this evening detach a party of 100 men to take post upon the Heights at Fort Lee and those above it opposite to Spiten Devil and wherever any shipping may lay. I would wish the Officers to be intelligent and capable of observation—and to make remarks upon the seeming strength of the enemy if they turn out upon an Alarm and how they in such cases dispose of their troops—The Business of...
42From George Washington to Elias Dayton, 21 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
The inclosed for General Forman is of so much importance that I do not care to trust it to a common hand. If there should be an Officer in the Jersey Brigade who has any business in Monmouth he may be sent with it. If there is none under such circumstances, I must request you to send one on purpose. I am &c. DLC : Papers of George Washington.
43From George Washington to Elias Dayton, 25 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have rec’d your’s of the 23d, you must consider your present post of importance and the nearer you are to the point to be defended the greater will be its security it would therefore be more proper should the ground be eligable to pitch your Camp as near as possible to the Block than to occupy a position one or two miles either to the right or left. The sending your horses to pasture even at...
44From George Washington to Elias Dayton, 17 August 1781 (Washington Papers)
You will be pleased to detach from the Brigade under your command upon the receipt of this, a Capt. & 50, with orders to patrole the Country between Closter and the New Bridge, the Officer must not consider either of these places as his post, but continue to range the intermediate space untill he receives further Orders. I wish you to be particular in your orders to the officer, that he may...
45From George Washington to Elias Dayton, 18 August 1781 (Washington Papers)
You will be pleased to give the Officer commanding the Artillery upon the West side of the River such assistance as he want in embarking the heavy Cannon. I am Sir Yr most obt Servt P.S. You will prepare for a March to morrow Morning, with the Jersey Continental Troops under your Command—You will receive further Orders this Evening—Baggage & every thing else which appertains to the Troops is...
46From George Washington to Elias Dayton, 19 August 1781 (Washington Papers)
You will march immediately with the Jersey Line and Hazens Regt to the Heights between Chatham and Springfeild—You will take the most eligible position and encamp there. You will give Colo. Seely orders to remain at Dobbs’s Ferry untill Wednesday when he is to march and join you. You will order him, in a very particular manner, to keep scouts and Patroles towards Bergen, and to take every...
47From George Washington to Elias Dayton, 24 August 1781 (Washington Papers)
Be so good as to use your best endeavours to obtain intelligence from York and Staten Island, that we may know what effect our late movements have produced. ascertain the strength of the Enemy on Staten Island, & whether any Troops have arrived from Virginia—What Boats could, on an emergency, be procured between Newark &and Amboy for transporting Troops if they should be required. and hold...
48From George Washington to Elias Dayton, 20 December 1781 (Washington Papers)
Altho’ it seems probable that matters will remain tolerably quiet in New York for the remainder of the season; yet it may not be amiss to keep a Channel of intelligence open, that if any thing material should occur we may have the earliest information—You will therefore be pleased to take measures for the purpose. The principal thing to attend to, will be any movement of Troops and their...
49From George Washington to Elias Dayton, 3 January 1782 (Washington Papers)
I have received yours of the 27th Ulto. It appears by accounts from General Forman that the Fleet with the detachment supposed to be for Charles-Town had Sailed. I will leave the entire management of McMichals affair to you—There are reasons why I cannot with propriety interfere. I am Dr Sir Your most Obedt Humble Servt CSmH .
50From George Washington to Elias Dayton, 12 January 1782 (Washington Papers)
You will be pleased to furnish a Subalterns Guard upon the order of the Secretary of War, who will give directions to the Officer. They are intended to collect the prisoners of War in Jersey and conduct them to this place. I am Sir Yr most obt Servt NjMoNP .
51From George Washington to Elias Dayton, 28 January 1782 (Washington Papers)
I have received your favor of the 12th and am glad to find you have got rid of the person who imbarrassed you. Inclosed you have my acceptance of Colo. D’Harts resignation, which be pleased to deliver to him. I cannot grant that of Major Hollingshead before he himself signifies a desire of leaving the service—When he does that, let him mention the time he looked upon himself as out of the...
52From George Washington to Elias Dayton, 1 February 1782 (Washington Papers)
Mr Skinner th Commissary of Prisoners has informed me, that the communication between our Posts & those of the Enemy is stop’d, by the Sheriff’s having confined two persons who came in the last Flag. I should not be sorry for this circumstance, was it not of some consequence that the business Mr Skinner has in hand should be completed. I will thank you to make the necessary inquiry into this...
53From George Washington to Elias Dayton, 19 February 1782 (Washington Papers)
I received your favor of the 9th instant in due time, accompanied by a very particular Return of the Cantonment and strength of the enemy, for which I am obliged. I directed the releif of the whole Garrison of Wyoming upon a supposition, from the tenor of your former letter, that the Men as well as Officers were anxious to be releived, but if you think that making a change of Officers only...
54From George Washington to Elias Dayton, 26 February 1782 (Washington Papers)
At the request of Sir Henry Clinton I have promised an escort to a sum of Money which he is to send out for the use of the prisoners of War at Philada and other places—The Officers having charge of it will apply to you upon their arrival at Elizabeth Town, upon which you will furnish a Guard commanded by a sensible spirited Subaltern, who is to accompany them to Philada. Upon his arrival there...
55From George Washington to Elias Dayton, 1 March 1782 (Washington Papers)
I have received your Letter of the 22nd of Febry enclosing the Proceedings of a Court Martial on James Fury a Soldier of the 2nd Regt of Jersey who is sentenced to death for desertion—I have approved the Sentence, without appointing the time for his Execution—Should it, upon farther consideration, be deemed necessary that an example of this kind should be made at the present time, and that the...
56From George Washington to Elias Dayton, 21 March 1782 (Washington Papers)
I propose setting out for the North River in a short time, & wish you to detach a Capt. & 40 Men from the Jersey Brigade so as that the party may be at Somerset Court House by Monday night next without fail; it will be expedient for them to be furnished with three or four days provision, to provide against any contingency of bad weather or unforseen delay—I am Sir. DLC : Papers of George...
57From George Washington to Elias Dayton, 28 March 1782 (Washington Papers)
It is long since I have been extremely solicitous to cut off all communication with the Enemy as much as is practicable, and to regulate the affair of sending & receiving Flags so as to prevent all improper intercourse thro that channel—but not having yet been able fully to digest a plan for the purpose (the Matter being now before the Commissioners) I can only repeat, that it is my earnest...
58From George Washington to Elias Dayton, 7 May 1782 (Washington Papers)
I have received your Letter of the 6th and am obliged to you for the Papers & Intelligence contained therein—Altho I can by no Means imagine the Enemy will give over an Offensive Naval War, or that all the Reports respecting their granting Independence, have any other design or tendency than to lull us into a state of more profound security & inactivity, if possible. Some time ago the...
59From George Washington to Elias Dayton, 10 May 1782 (Washington Papers)
I have given the most peremptory Orders, that no Flag from the Enemy shall be received at any other place or post but Dobbs Ferry, on any business or pretext whatsoever—and that no Flag from us to them shall, (for any reason however pressing) be permitted to pass to the Enemies Lines, except from the same place. You will take measures for carrying this Order effectually into execution, so far...
60From George Washington to Elias Dayton, 18 May 1782 (Washington Papers)
Yours of the 14th Inst. I have received, and am obliged to Observe that the proceedings of the Court Martial of which Lt Colo. Cummings is President, are executed in such a manner as to carry the strongest Marks of Hurry & Inattention. The opinion of the Court is noted in a most singular Manner; viz. "The Court are of opinion after the most mature Deliberation that three of the Prisoners are...