George Washington Papers
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https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-17-02-0531

To George Washington from Brigadier General James Clinton, 22 October 1778

From Brigadier General James Clinton

Continental Village [N.Y.] Octobr 22d 1778.

Sir

Enclosed I send your Excellency the Proceedings of a Brigade Court martial, held by Order of Coll V. Scoick, by which the Prisoner is condemned to die—and wait your Confirmation of the Sentence to have it put in Execution.1

It may not be improper also to inform your Excellency, that as Col. V. Scoick’s Regiment is now under marching Orders to the Northward,2 he wou’d wish to proceed as soon as possible, the advanced Season of the Year rendering Dispatch absolutely necessary.

I have sent on to Head Quarters an Officer from each Regiment with the Returns, for the purpose of receiving & furthering the Cloaths to Camp, as soon as they may arive.3

If Col. V. Scoick’s regiment shou’d be necessarily detained, the Colonel wou’d wish to proceed to Albany to settle his private Business, if there is no impropriety in it. I am your Excellency’s humbe servt

James Clinton B. Genl

LS, DLC:GW.

1The enclosed proceedings of this court-martial of 20 Oct., which tried Pvt. John Yeomans of the 5th New York Regiment on charges of desertion and robbery and sentenced him to death for desertion, have not been identified. Lt. Col. Pierre Regnier de Roussi of the 4th New York Regiment was president of the court-martial (see Lauber, Orderly Books of the Fourth and Second New York Regiments description begins Almon W. Lauber, ed. Orderly Books of the Fourth New York Regiment, 1778-1780, the Second New York Regiment, 1780-1783, by Samuel Tallmadge and Others, with Diaries of Samuel Tallmadge, 1780-1782, and John Barr, 1779-1782. Albany, 1932. description ends , 37). For GW’s decision to remit Yeomans’s punishment, see GW to Goose Van Schaick, 27 Oct., and General Orders, 28 October. For Yeomans’s apparent execution on 2 Nov. in spite of GW’s remission of his punishment, see note 3 to the latter document.

2For GW’s decision to send Col. Goose Van Schaick’s 1st New York Regiment to Fort Schuyler, N.Y., see his letter to James Clinton of 17 October.

3These returns have not been identified.

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