To George Washington from Clement Biddle, 28 May 1780
From Clement Biddle
Morristown May 28. 1780
Sir
The Opinion you are pleased to entertain of my past Service and my Capacity to be of further use, in Case of active Operations, does me the highest honour.1
I should not have proposed to retire if the Situation of my Accounts had not required my Attention to settling them, but the prospect of such a happy Event as the receiving powerful Aid from France to Co operate with us, will make it necessary for those Officers who have acquired a knowledge of the resources of the Country to continue their services on this important Occasion and both duty and inclination prompt me to offer to continue in the Office which I filled, during such part of the Campaign as your Excellency may think it necessary.
I will set off for Philadelphia on tuesday Morning to attend the Orders of the Honle the board of Treasury & shall deliver the Letter you are pleased to write to them and so soon as they think my Services there can be dispensed with I shall immediately return to my Duty in the Army.2 I am with the greatest respect Your Excellencys Most Obedt & very hle ser⟨vt⟩
Clement Biddle
ALS, DLC:GW; ADfS, PWacD: Sol Feinstone Collection, on deposit at PPAmP. GW’s secretary Robert Hanson Harrison docketed the ALS: “ansd by Letter to Bd Treasury—29 May” (see GW to the Board of Treasury, 29 May).
1. See GW to Biddle, 27 May.
2. The following Tuesday was 30 May. Biddle needed to settle his accounts with the Board of Treasury (see his letter to GW of 16 May, and n.3).