101From George Washington to Brigadier General Anthony Wayne, 3 December 1779 (Washington Papers)
Your favr of yesterday reached me in the Evening. I only arrived here the day before, and have not yet had leisure to look about me, or finally determine upon the arrangement and disposition of the troops this Winter, and consequently must defer the decision of the question you make concerning the light Infantry. All the Officers of the Corps, except those of Massachusets, may safely send for...
102From George Washington to Brigadier General Anthony Wayne, 15 December 1779 (Washington Papers)
Yours of yesterday came to hand late last night. I had received an account by some Gentlemen from Newark that the fleet had certainly sailed, which I find by yours was premature. The same account mentioned that a great number of flat Boats and some Horse were on board. I would wish you to endeavour to ascertain the truth of these circumstances. It is probable they are waiting untill they are...
103From George Washington to Brigadier General Anthony Wayne, 20 December 1779 (Washington Papers)
I have been favored with your letter of the 18th. Of the objects that claim the enemy’s attention it is difficult to determine which is their choice. Should circumstances prevent them making detatchments, or from the prosecution of any remote enterprise, which they may have designed, and their whole force be thereby detained in this quarter, such an attempt as you have suggested is by no means...
104From George Washington to Brigadier General Anthony Wayne, 28 December 1779 (Washington Papers)
I have received your favour of the 26th—mentioning the sailing of the second Fleet—General Parsons sends me intelligence by which it appears that this Fleet contained the long talked of Embarkation. As there is now hardly any probability that any thing will be attempted here in the course of the Winter it is unnecessary to keep the men under your command any longer in their present...
105From George Washington to Brigadier General Anthony Wayne, 18 May 1780 (Washington Papers)
I yesterday received your obliging favour of the 10th Instt. From the great importance of the subject I confess I am infinitely anxious my self about the issue of the operations against Charles Town—and wish most cordially that we had it more in our power to pursue means which would certainly relieve it. The unhappy state of our finance is opposed to this—and lays us under every embarrassment...
106VIII. From George Washington to Brigadier General Anthony Wayne, 23 June 1780 (Washington Papers)
Some time before the recpt of yr favor I was informed that the Enemy had returned to their Station, at E. T. point—It is certainly difficult if not impossible to ascertain their views. I however all things considered wish to keep our force as compact as possible, & therefore wish you if you find in the morning that the Enemy are quiet or gone over to Staten Island to return by the same route...
107From George Washington to Brigadier General Anthony Wayne, 20 July 1780 (Washington Papers)
You will proceed with the 1st and 2d Pennsylvania Brigades and Colo. Moylans Regt of Dragoons upon the execution of the Business planned in yours of yesterday. I do not at present think of any necessary alterations in plan submitted to me, except that of detaching a few Horse this Afternoon to patrol all night, and see that the Enemy do not, in the course of the Night, throw over any troops to...
108From George Washington to Brigadier Generals Anthony Wayne and William Irvine, 11 August 1780 (Washington Papers)
I cannot but premise my answer to your letter of yesterday, by observing that the refusal of the Colonels & Lt Colonels of your line to comply with my request for stating in writing their motives to the part they have taken in the affair of Majr McPherson, is to me as extraordinary as unexpected—I assure you I had not the least idea there could have been any difficulty in the matter and had no...
109From George Washington to Brigadier General Anthony Wayne, 26 September 1780 (Washington Papers)
Instead of coming to The Ferry you will march your brigade by Storms and Clement’s to West Point sending your baggage by water. You will, for this purpose, send forward your Qr Mr to Kings ferry to prepare boats, with directions, if there are not a sufficiency there, to come on to West Point for them. I am Sir Your most Obedt & huml. ser. If there should be two brigades on their march the...
110VIII. George Washington to Brigadier General Anthony Wayne, 21 November 1780 (Washington Papers)
On Friday —morning, at Sun rising you will march the division under your command to a mile below Acquaquenack Bridge, advancing a Regiment a Mile or two in your front towards New Ark, and remain in this position ’till Retreat beating. You will then renew your march, slowly, a Mile or two forward and till it is quite dark and there halt till further orders. These will reach you in all...
111From George Washington to Brigadier General Anthony Wayne, 14 November 1780 (Washington Papers)
The Officer who is to command the detachment from your line, agreeably to yesterday’s orders will be refered to you for instructions. The inclosed contains the heads of such as have occurred to me—you may possibly think of others. If your old Hutts are too much injured. or if the Wood (for firing) about them is insufficient —there are two places (if my memory serves me) either of which, in...
112From George Washington to Brigadier General Anthony Wayne, 27 November 1780 (Washington Papers)
You will march with the division under your command to the ground in the neighbourhood of Morris Town, which Colo. Craig has pitched upon for the Winter Cantonment of the Line, and on which he has been preparing Huts—You will as soon as possible get both Officers and Men compleatly and comfortably covered —As soon as the timber necessary for building is drawn together, you will deliver over to...
113From George Washington to Brigadier General Anthony Wayne, 28 December 1780 (Washington Papers)
I have recd your favr of the 25th as I did that of the 10th. I think your precautions for the security of your Camp very good—Tho’ I hope, if the Enemy have made a detachment equal to report, which say 2000 to 2500, you will be quiet in your Quarters. You are more in the way of gaining intelligence from New York than I am, and I shall be obliged to you for procuring as much as you can, and...
114From George Washington to Brigadier General Anthony Wayne, 3-4 January 1781 (Washington Papers)
I this day, at Noon, recd yours of the 2d in the Morning, by Major Fishbourn, who has given me a full account of the unhappy and alarming defection of the Pennsylvania line. The Officers have given convincing proofs that every thing possible was done by them to check the Mutiny upon its first appearance, and it is to be regretted that some of them have fallen sacrifices to their Zeal. I very...
115From George Washington to Brigadier General Anthony Wayne, 8 January 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have received your favor of the 4th with the enclosures, by the Express, the Evening before last —I had been deliberating in my own mind, whether to continue at this place, or set out for Princeton, but am advised by the Governor of this State, and the General Officers with me (and which seems to be consonant to your opinion also) to remain here. As the ultimate measures might probably be...
116From George Washington to Brigadier General Anthony Wayne, 16 January 1781 (Washington Papers)
The receipt of your favor of the 11th Instant afforded great satisfaction, by informing me that the unhappy affair, which had given you so much trouble and anxiety, was likely, speedily to be settled. You will be informed by Major Genl St Clair, why I did not think it expedient (as matters were circumstanced) to give an answer to your last by the usual Route. I thank you for the hint given in...
117From George Washington to Brigadier General Anthony Wayne, 27 January 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have just received your letter of the 21st—The affair of your line has been singularly mortifying and disagreeable in all its progress. Its influence threatens the whole army. You will have heard of the revolt of part of the Jersey line. Last night we marched a body of troops to their huts to compel an unconditional submission and make examples of some of the leader⟨s—⟩The execution of this...
118From George Washington to Brigadier General Anthony Wayne, 2 February 1781 (Washington Papers)
In mine of the 29th of January I partly answered yours of the 21st —Yours of the 17th had been duly received, and I am since favored with that of the 28th. I am satisfied, that every thing was done on your part to produce the least possible evil from the unfortunate disturbance in your line, and that your influence has had a great share in preventing worse extremities—I felt for your...
119From George Washington to Brigadier General Anthony Wayne, 26 February 1781 (Washington Papers)
Congress, as you will have been informed, have determined that the Pennsylvania line shall compose part of the southern Army, and have ordered it to proceed to Virginia, in detachments, as they may be in readiness to march. I have given General St Clair directions to carry the Resolve into execution as speedily as possible —I think it essential that one of the Brigadiers should proceed with...
120From George Washington to Anthony Wayne, 8 April 1781 (Washington Papers)
I was duly favored with Yours of the 19th ulto, by Colonel Harrison—at the same time, that I commend the laudable efforts you made to have a Corps of the Troops of Pennsylvania in readiness to march with the Detachment under the Command of the Marquis De la Fayette, I deplore with you the causes which have occasioned this delay, and hitherto frustrated your endeavours. The critical situation...
121From George Washington to Anthony Wayne, 9 June 1781 (Washington Papers)
It gave me great Pleasure to learn by yours of the 26th ulto. that You had marched from York Town, tho’ I was somewhat disappointed as to your numbers, as I had been made to expect they would be considerably larger. Sudden and exemplary Punishments were certainly necessary upon the new Appearance of that daring and mutinous Spirit which convulsed the Line last Winter, and nothing will make me...
122From George Washington to Anthony Wayne, 30 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
I with the greatest Pleasure received your Acco. of the Action at Green Spring—as I had just before seen it thro’ the Channel of Mr Rivingston and you may therefore suppose in the most unfavorable Light—The Marquis de la Fayette speaks in the hansomest Manner of your own Behaviour & that of the Troops under your Comand in the Action. I think the Account which Lord Cornwallis will be obliged to...
123From George Washington to Anthony Wayne, 4 November 1781 (Washington Papers)
Your Application is not a little distressing to me; and if comply’d with must have an unhappy influence on the Minds of the detachment which is going to the Southward—Colo. Stewart is already gone—and Colo. Butler on account of his Health is going. three of the first officers then in rank and consequence in the Pensylvania Line, to be away from their Troops when an important & interesting...
124From George Washington to Anthony Wayne, 4 November 1781 (Washington Papers)
As you know that an enterprise against Wilmington is the first object in view for the detachment which is to March to the Southward, and that it is not more than half the distance of, and in the Rout to General Greene’s Army, I shall add no more on the subject, but leave you to act as you have requested—or, if it is more agreeable to you to be absent from the Army for a while, to consent to...