To George Washington from William Livingston, 3 April 1780
From William Livingston
Morris Town 3d April 1780
Dear Sir
The inclosed is from a Delegate of this State in Congress.1 Orders to the Effect which he mentions, should doubtless be given without delay. But as it is an affair wholly relating to the Army, it seems most proper that the pass port should come from Your Excellency. If however your Excellency thinks that any Concurrence of mine is necessary, I shall chearfully do every thing in my Power that may be thought necessary to facilitate the safe transportation of the Blankets—I have the Honour to be with the greatest Respect Dear Sir Your Excellency’s most humble & most Obedient Servant
Wil: Livingston
ALS, DLC:GW.
A partial reply to Livingston’s letter, apparently written on the same date but probably never completed or sent, reads: “I have been favoured with Your Excellency’s Letter of to day, with Mr Clarke’s to which it refers. I received a Letter Yesterday Evening from the Board of War on the same subject, which gave me the first information I had with respect to the Blankets at Squan. I very sincerely wish that they could have been transported from thence without the least interference on my part. From the necessity of the case I have forwarded the Board a permit and hope they will be safe. It is a painful consideration that the situation of our Supplies in this instance is such as it is, and it is the more so, as I fear we have neither money nor credit to procure them where we would of choice. Cloathing & Covering must be had even from the Enemy’s post if they are not to be obtained elsewhere and it would have been a lucky circumstance if the” (Df, in Robert Hanson Harrison’s writing, DLC:GW). For GW’s issuance of the desired passport, see his letter of this date to the Board of War; see also Board of War to GW, 30 March.
1. The enclosure was a letter New Jersey delegate Abraham Clark wrote to Livingston on 30 March: “There is now Stored at or near Squan a quantity of Blankets designed for the use of the Army; These with other Articles of Cloathing are under the direction of the board of War till put under the care of the Clothier general: How and from whence these blankets came to the Above place, I am not Able to inform your Excellency, but it appears they are of British Manufacture and on that Account liable to seisure, and it is said that a Number of the Inhabitants of New Jersey having knowledge of the said goods are determind to Avail themselves of the Law Authorizing Seizures in case of their removal, This embarrasses the board of War. The Law eluded to impowers the Commander in Chief of the Army or your Excellency to grant pass ports for the safe conveyance of any goods even in case they Actually come out of the Enemies Lines: As those blankets are the property of the United States, and at this Time much wanted, the granting a pass port for their safe removal appears a Necessary and Justifiable measure, for the obtaining which the Secretary of the board of War will wait upon your Excellency, which I presume your Excellency will not hesitate in granting, or Advising the Commander in Chief of the Army to do it, that the board may proceed in the business with Safety” (DLC:GW).