61To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 26 November 1776 (Washington Papers)
I have to acknowledge the Honor of the receipt of yours of the 24th Instant[.] I do not recollect to have Sent any Letters by the Fridays Post who lost his Mail in an Infamous manner. I have Also received from Colo. Harrison, the Resolves of the Honble Continental Congress of the 19th Instant, with a Signification of your Excellencys Pleasure that they should be Published in orders, which...
62To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 2 December 1776 (Washington Papers)
I have to acknowledge the Receipt of yours of the 29th Ultimo—and am glad to hear of your Excellency’s safe Arrival at Brunswick, without the least interruption from the Enemy. I am happy to find my honest Endeavours to do my Duty crowned with your Excellency’s Approbation—In addition to the Stores which I before mention’d to have been secured & bro’t off, a Quantity of Pearl-Ash, Bees-Wax,...
63To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 6 December 1776 (Washington Papers)
I have Just received Intelligence that on the 4th Instant about Sun sit Seventy Sail of ships of war and Transport with Troops on Board Sailed with a fair Wind Down the Sound towards New England, Probably to Rhode Island. I have Sent an Express to Governor Trumbull, and to Massachusetts Bay, and have Desired Governor Trumbull to Send an Express to Rhode Island, I have at this Post, Three...
64To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 8 December 1776 (Washington Papers)
yesterday afternoon Lieut. Colonel Vose arrived Here from Albany, with Greatons, Bonds, & Porters Regiments, making in the whole between 5 & 600 men, on their way to Joyn your Excellency, I am Furnishing them with Tents Provisions &c. and not a moments Time shall be lost in facilitateing, their march—They do not disembarke here but fall Down to Haverstraw and will begin their march this Day....
65To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 10 December 1776 (Washington Papers)
The last Evening about 8 O’Clock I received the honor of your’s of the 7th Instt, & immediately gave Orders for the Regiments of General Parsons’s Brigade which are on this Side of Hudson’s River, to pass over which they will do this day —I shall also order Huntington’s & Tyler’s to join them, & pursue the effecting the purposes, which your Excellency has been pleased to point out. This post...
66To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 11 December 1776 (Washington Papers)
I received your Orders the night before last for the march of General Parsons’s Brigade, and yesterday noon the Three Regiments at Peeks-Kill began their march, making about 500 men which are now here—I have ordered Huntingtons and Tylers to Joyn me they may make about three Hundred men, after leaving a Captain & 50 men as a Guard at the Pass in the mountains Colonel Vose with Greatons Bonds &...
67To George Washington from Maj. Gen. William Heath, 13 December 1776 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from Maj. Gen. William Heath, 13 Dec. 1776. On 21 Dec. GW wrote to Heath : “I have been favoured with yours of the 13th Instt.”
68To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 15 December 1776 (Washington Papers)
On the 12th Instant I reached Tapan, and Yesterday made a Forced march to this Place, with so much Secrecy and Dispatch that the Inhabitants had no Knowledge of my Coming, The Enemy had left the Town Some Days Since Except five whom we took, Two of them sick, we have taken about 50 of the Disaffected, and about 50 or 60 Muskets the greater part of which had been taken from the Whigs as is...
69To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 21 December 1776 (Washington Papers)
I have received the Honor of yours of the 16th & 18th Instant. I have the Pleasure to acquaint your Excellency that on the 19th Instant a Detachment of our Troops Consisting Partly of Continental Troops and Partly of the Militia of Orange and Ulster Counties, having marched Down to the English Neighbourhood in the night Deceived the Sentinel and Surprised the Out Guard of Colonel Buskirks...
70To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 26 December 1776 (Washington Papers)
yesterday General Wadsworths Brigade went Home leaving the Stores without a Guard Untill I sent one Down. The Militia of this State are Coming in—None have as yet arrived from the Eastward, Brigadier General Warner was at Danbury the Last night with 4 Companies Only—more are Hourly Expected—General Lincoln is on the Road, I have Sent your Excellency’s Letter by Express to meet him. I have...
71To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 28 December 1776 (Washington Papers)
I have just received the honor of yours of the 21st Inst., & am much distressed to hear of the disagreable Situation that your Excellency is like soon to be in. None of the Eastern Militia have as yet arrived that I know of except those mention’d in my Letter of Yesterday —When they come in I shall endeavor strictly to observe your Excellency’s Directions. It is truly surprising that whilst...
72To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 2 January 1777 (Washington Papers)
The Day before yesterday I received the Honor of yours of the 27th Decr and most Heartily Congratulate your Excellency on your Signal victory over the Enemy at Trenton, This will be Productive of the Best Consequences, and has already given New Life to Our affairs. The last night I had the Honor of yours of the 28th Containing the agreable News of the Retreat of Count Donnop—I am Extremely...
73To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 4 January 1777 (Washington Papers)
I have the pleasure to acquaint your Excellency, that Major General Lincoln has just arrived at this Post, but his Troops have not as yet got in, except about Two Regiments. That no time should be lost I have been sending over a Quantity of provisions to Haverstraw, and as soon as the Militia arrive in sufficient numbers shall pass over with them—A Body of the Militia belonging to this State,...
74To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 9 January 1777 (Washington Papers)
I have received the honor of your’s of the 31st of December, & 5th & 7th of Jany. In my last I mentioned to your Excellency the taking of one Strang & the Appointment of a General Court martial for his Tryall—The Court gave in their Judgment on the 5th Inst. Copy of which I take the Liberty in inclose —I have not as yet approved or disapproved the Sentence, as this is the first Tryal of the...
75To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 10 January 1777 (Washington Papers)
In your Excellency’s Letter of the 7th Inst. you are pleased to leave the Settlement of the Arms that have been lost, to me—Observing that Justice should be done to the Public & to Individuals—I have been endeavoring to Settle with some of the Regiments, but I find the matter so embarrass’d, that I cannot compleat it without again applying to your Excellency for Direction. Some Regiments, in...
76To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 14 January 1777 (Washington Papers)
I have Just received the Honor of yours of the 9th Instant, and have the Pleasure to acquaint your Excellency that I am moving towards New York with all Possible Expedition our Numbers are between Two and Three Thousand, And Hope Soon to give your Excellency Some Particulars which I dare not write at this Time, least the Letter should fall into the Hands of the Enemy—your Excellency may be...
77To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 19 January 1777 (Washington Papers)
I have just received the honor of yours of the 14th & 17th Inst. Yesterday morning about Sunrise our Troops in Three Divisions arrived in the Neighbourhood of Fort Independence—the Right Division by the Albany Road, the Centre by Stephen Ward’s, & the left by East Chester—Upon our Approach the Enemy fled to Fort Independence; leaving 15 Muskets at one place & Ten at another, besides Blankets...
78To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 24 January 1777 (Washington Papers)
I have received the honor of your’s of the 19th Instant. In my last I informed your Excellency of our Arrival in the Neighbourhood of Fort Independence, and of our taking a number of Arms —In stead of 15 at one place, we took upwards of 40, & about as many Blankets. I also mention’d in my last our Intention of Attacking the Hessians at the Bridge, the next day—Every praparation was made & the...
79To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 30 January 1777 (Washington Papers)
I have just received the honor of yours of the 27th Instant. The last Evening we moved back from the Neighbourhood of Kingsbridge—General Lincoln’s Troops to Dobbs’s Ferry, & Tarry Town—the Connecticut Militia to N. Rochell; and the York Militia towards White Plains—This remove was for the following reasons. We could not reduce the Fort by Cannonade, being destitute of proper Artillery—As to...
80To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 30 January 1777 (Washington Papers)
I am this moment Informed by a Letter from General Wooster who is at New Rochell, That fourteen Ships, Three Schooners and Two Sloops have Just Come too between Heart and City Islands so that another Peice of Intelligence given us by our late Informant may be true to wit that Lord Piercy with the Troops from Rhode Island was to land in our Rear and Surround us—so that most Probably our remove...
81To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 2 February 1777 (Washington Papers)
Since I wrote you last 12 more Ships have come down the Sound—4 of which were supposed to be of 40 Guns. We are informed from Long Island that General How is arming the Militia for the Defence of the Island—and that such as refuse to take arms are imprison’d. I have formed our Line on this Side from Tarry Town to Maroneck, with our Guards as far down as Stephen Wards, from which we scout &...
82To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 3 February 1777 (Washington Papers)
The Bearer hereof Capt. Goodrich was Taken at Quebeck on the 31st of Decemr 1775 When General Montgomery made his Unfortunate attempt upon that City—Capt. Goodrich is a Brave and Good officer, He was not Exchanged Untill Since Christmass—And has as yet no Appointment in Our Army—His Zeal for the Publick Service is Such that upon Hearing the Army stood in need of a Reinforcment He Immediately...
83To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 5 February 1777 (Washington Papers)
I have just received the Honor of your’s of the 2nd Instant. Nothing material hath happened since my last —We have been busily engaged in foraging, and have collected considerable Quantities—To morrow morning we are to make a grand forage in N. Rochell and East Chester—Our Chain of Troops for covering the foragers, is to form a little East of Williams’s Tavern—The Loss of the forage to the...
84To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 6 February 1777 (Washington Papers)
The last evening I received the honor of yours of the 3d & 4th Instant, which has given me great Pain—Perhaps I may venture to say that no Officer is more attentive to Orders or more anxious to carry them into Execution than I am—When I received your Excellency’s Orders to march towards Kingsbridge, nothing could be more agreable than the Manoeuvre; but I cannot say the taking the Command of a...
85To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 7 February 1777 (Washington Papers)
Inclosed is the Opinion of Mr Duer & other Gentlemen of the Committee of Convention of the State of New York —Since I wrote mine of Yesterday, I have seen General Lincoln & Mr Duer, both of whom are in sentiment with me that there is but little prospect of Advantage from an attempt to surprise Fort Independence, as the Enemy appear very alert—I have ordered the Troops to be in readiness to...
86To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 11 February 1777 (Washington Papers)
The last Evening I arrived at this Place, and Tomorrow morning shall Set out for Boston, The Spread of the Small Pox at and near Stanford in the State of Connecticut, is alarming I am Informed that Some of the Inhabitants are Secretly Inoculating their Families, I yesterday wrote to Governor Trumbull on the Subject—Some of our Prisoners have been Sent out of New York Undoubtedly Infected with...
87To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 16 March 1777 (Washington Papers)
On the 14th Instant being on my Journey back to the Army, I received the Honor of yours of the 3rd Instant, and Immediately turned back. Since my first arrival in this Quarter, I have in Obedience to your Excellency’s Orders of the 9th Ultimo been Endeavouring to forward the Troops to Tyconderoga, part of four Regiments vizt Colo. Marshalls, Brewers, Bradfords, and Francis’s have marched, and...
88To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 25 March 1777 (Washington Papers)
I most Heartily Congratulate your Excellency on the arrival of the French Storeship at Portsmouth Intelligence of which together with the Invoice of the Stores I suppose you Received Some Days Since ⅌ the Express, I hope this to be but the foretaste of a Plentifull Harvest from the Same Quarter, and Indeed this arrival is very Seasonable for without Some of the Arms, I Cannot at present See...
89To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 28 March 1777 (Washington Papers)
yesterday I received the Honor of yours of the 13th Instant and immediately gave Orders Accordingly. Brigadiers General Nixon, and Glover with Colonels Greaton, Sheppard, Nixon, Putnam, Wigglesworth, Alding, Bigelow, and late Pattersons, Regiments I have Ordered to Peeks-Kill, Brigadier General Patterson, with Colonels Marshall, Brewer, Bradford, Frances, Bailey, Wesson & Jacksons Regiments to...
90To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 1 April 1777 (Washington Papers)
This will be handed to your Excellency by Monsieur Mauduit de Plesis, who lately arrived here with the French General De Borre—He has represented to the Council of this State, that he is charged with Dispatches to the Honble Congress—The Council have desired me to assist & forward him. I take the Liberty to enclose Copy of a Letter from Col. Wayne dated at Ticonderoga the 25th of March 1777,...