151To George Washington from Major General Robert Howe, 22 May 1780 (Washington Papers)
It is impossible to express to your Excellency the Difficulties I have met with to supply this Army with Provision, or the Anxiety of my Mind consequent thereto—the Recollection of it is as painful to myself as the Recital would be to you. The inclos’d Copies of Letters & Proceedings will give you Information ⟨on⟩ the Methods I have been compel’d to adopt—extraordinary perhaps in their Nature,...
152To George Washington from Major General Robert Howe, 11 May 1780 (Washington Papers)
I have this Day a Letter from —— He writes me that He was in New York on the 3d of this Instant—on that Day a Frigate of short Passage arrived from England Express, immediately upon which a Council of War was held—that a Frigate was ordered to prepare for sailing on the Instant to South Carolina, that she sail’d with Dispatches immediately after the Council rise—that the next Day another...
153To George Washington from Major General Robert Howe, 4 March 1780 (Washington Papers)
I have this moment heard from —— an Extract of whose letter I send you, and also a Copy of one written to him sign’d as you will find by perusing it, the original of which I have receiv’d but must return to —— as he desires to have it again. I Earnestly wish the news respecting the British Fleet may be true, nor do I wholly discredit it, as I have had the Same intelligence from several hands....
154To George Washington from Major General Robert Howe, 28 July 1780 (Washington Papers)
I received last Night a Letter from a faithful & intelligent Agent dated the 26th Inst:—of which the following is an Extract—“I think I can now give you a distinct Account of the Ships under Admiral Graves—one ninety, one Eighty, four seventy fours arrived with him—He has since been joined by two of sixty four two of fifty, three of forty Guns & three Frigates making in all sixteen Sail. With...
155To George Washington from Major General Robert Howe, 22 May 1780 (Washington Papers)
The season for taking the Field my Dear General is now arriving, and as I have had my Tour of Duty at this Garrison in a situation as perplexing as anxious, may I venture to hope that when Field Operations do take place, I may not be kept at this Garrison unless Actual service at it should happen. If I know my self at all, and if as a soldier I have any merit, it lies rather in Field service...
156To George Washington from Major General Robert Howe, 26 September 1780 (Washington Papers)
How poignant is my Anxiety my Dear General that a Man of a Character so exalted, to whom by all Accounts his Country owes so much, & from whom so much more might have been expected (as of Arnold) should to the Ruin of his own Glory, the Disgrace of the Army, & the Disbasement of Human Nature, sink into a Degree of Treachery so black that Expression has not Colouring to paint it properly. I...
157To George Washington from Major General Robert Howe, 28 February 1780 (Washington Papers)
Col. Udney Hay having represented to me that it was impossible for him to go thro’ the Duty of his Department without more Expresses than he was authoriz’d to appoint, & as at this Juncture the very Existance of the Troops in this Department depended on the Information he was to give, & receive, to & from those who were employ’d to procure, & those who had in Possession, Provision, & Forage, &...
158To George Washington from Major General Robert Howe, 17 July 1779 (Washington Papers)
I am now very near Verplank’s point, which I have been reconnoitring, and shall still more fully inspect. What I discern of the Works appears to be properly constructed, & seems capable of considerable Defence, if the Numbers and Spirit of the Garrison are adequate to the Task. The Troops, except such as I have fixed at particular Passes, are with me: The heavy Cannon are by this time, I hope,...
159To George Washington from Major General Robert Howe, 9 September 1780 (Washington Papers)
Inform’d as I was, that our generous Allies intended to aid us with a Number of Troops, & a Fleet superior to that of the Enemy, I suppos’d We should be able to act offensively, & thought it my Duty to meditate what Objects ought to excite our Attention—Those which presented themselves as the most capital, were—Quebec, Hallifax, New-York, & the Recovery of South Carolina & Georgia—but against...
160To George Washington from Major General Robert Howe, 2 November 1780 (Washington Papers)
By the Informations your Excellency did the Board of General Officers the Honor to give them the Day before Yesterday, it appears that the Detachments made by the Enemy to the South’ard are not much superior in Numbers to the Reinforcements recently received, & that consequently their Strength in this Quarter can have sustain’d no very sensible Diminution —Added to this, when I reflect that a...