To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 21 January 1780
From Major General William Heath
Highlands [N.Y.] January 21. 1780.
Dear General,
The bearer Lieutenant Williams of the first Massachusetts Regiment waits on your Excellency to receive and forward to this place Such monies as you may think proper to deliver him for the purpose of paying the continental Bounty to the reinlisted Soldiers agreable to your Excellencys Letter of the 31 Ultimo.1
Two deserters belonging to the 3d Battn of Brittish Artillery came here the day before yesterday. One of them left the city the 15 Inst. and the other left Fort washington the same day: they both relate the distress’d State of the Troops and inhabitants for the want of fuel, and that they are cutting up the Wharves. That they are very anxious for the arrival of a fleet of victuallers, which have been for Some time expected, & without their arrival the Garrison will be Short of provisions. The one from Fort Washington corrects the intelligence brought out by the Hessian deserters respecting the Grenadiers and light Infantry, which I mentioned in a former Letter.2 The 1 & 2d Regiments of Guards,3 with their own Grenadiers and Light Infantry, (instead of the corps of Grenadiers and light Infantry) are at Fort Washington with 2 Regiments of Germans & part of Colo. Wormbs Yaagers.
For the recovery of my health, much impaired by my late indisposition and which is not yet eradicated, and on account of my domestic affairs, I wish for a short leave of absence to visit my family during the winter if possible. If a relaxation from business and change of air Should not have the happy effect which I hope for and expect, I may be reduced to the disagreable necessity of asking leave to retire from the Service. If your Excellency Should be pleased to grant this indulgence I wish to have it the beginning of the month of February, and hope by that time, Major General Howe will be at liberty to return to this place.4 I have the honor to be with the greatest respect Your Excellencys Most obedt Servt
W. Heath
P.S. Major Bauman is importuning leave to try Some experiments in Gunnery, which, he Says, will be of public utility, & that he has before proposed them to your Excellency.5 I request to be informed whether your Excellency thinks it proper to have the experiments made—and at this time, which the Major represents as peculiarly advantageous on account of the River being frozen.
I am just informed that Major Allen of Colo. Putnam’s Regiment, who Some time Since went home, on Furlough, was lately Killed by an accidental Shott at North Hampton on a party of pleasure Hunting Deer.6
W.H.
LS, DLC:GW; ADfS, MHi: Heath Papers.
1. See GW to Heath, 31 Dec. 1779.
Ebenezer Williams (1749–1847) of Richmont (now Richmond), Mass., served as a corporal in the Lexington Alarm of April 1775, and in the same month he enlisted in Col. John Paterson’s Massachusetts regiment at the same rank. He became a sergeant in the 15th Continental Infantry Regiment in January 1776 and was promoted to ensign the following September. In January 1777, Williams transferred to the 1st Massachusetts Regiment as a lieutenant. He left the army in November 1783. He later moved to Onondaga County, N.Y., and died in Schoharie County, New York.
2. See Heath to GW, 30 Dec. 1779.
3. The three British foot guards regiments remained in Great Britain during the Revolutionary War. Contingents from each company of the regiments were posted to a composite guards regiment of two battalions that served in America.
4. Maj. Gen. Robert Howe was in Morristown presiding at the court-martial of Maj. Gen. Benedict Arnold. GW ordered Howe to West Point soon after the conclusion of the trial (see General Orders, 29 Jan., and GW to Howe, 5 Feb.).
5. Sebastian Bauman was major of the 2d Continental Artillery Regiment. No letter from Bauman to GW on this subject has been found. For more detail on his proposed experiments, see James Jay to GW, this date.
6. The 27 Jan. edition of the Continental Journal, and Weekly Advertiser (Boston) reported the circumstances of Maj. Jonathan Allen’s death: “We hear that Major Allen, (of Col Putnam’s Regiment) and several other gentlemen in Northampton, a few days ago went into the woods to hunt a deer; the gentlemen went different ways: not long after one of them heard a rushing among the bushes, and supposed the deer to be lodged there, immediately fired, and killed the Major, who unfortunately was passing that way, and occasioned the noise in the bushes.”