1To George Washington from Brigadier General William Irvine, 28 May 1779 (Washington Papers)
I am honoured with your letter of this day, and however incapable of so Great a Task, Shall in Obedience to Your Excellencys Command give Such opinion as my Ideas for the Present moment furnishes me with. I am at some loss with respect to our Numbers But Shall suppose the whole Strength including those at Rhode Island & Exclusive of those to the Westward, to be About Eleven Thousand—then we...
2To George Washington from Brigadier General William Irvine, 27 July 1779 (Washington Papers)
On considering the business your Excellency laid before the Board yesterday —so many Matters of Moment occur that it is with the greatest difidence I venture on giving an opinion; As the Enemy are so superior to us Collectively—and a probability of their being soon more so—And no prospect of any addition to Our strength—my Opinion is that we should not loose any opportunity—(where there is a...
3To George Washington from Brigadier General William Irvine, 11 November 1779 (Washington Papers)
The bearer Lieutenant Mcfarlin waits on your Excellency to state an affair respecting a Man he Inlisted some time ago—who called himself a Subject of Spain, but has since been claimed and carried off as a Negro, & Slave—by a certain Wm Irwin—Mr Mcfarlin belongs to one of the Regiments in my Brigade; he is a Man of Veracity and will not advance any thing but what he can support—I should not...
4To George Washington from Brigadier General William Irvine, 1 January 1780 (Washington Papers)
My reasons for taking Post here; in preferrence to Westfield, were, not only on account of a better neighborhood for Cantoning the Troops, but also that it is more convenient both to Elizabethtown & Raway—about five miles from each of these places and ten from Woodbridge—The inclosed is from Lt Colonel Olney who Commands at Elizabethtown —the person he alludes to lives in that Town, & has I am...
5To George Washington from Brigadier General William Irvine, 4 January 1780 (Washington Papers)
When I wrote your Excellency the 1st instant I had hoped that I should not be under the necessity of troubling about Provision, but I was mistaken; for Notwithstandg repeated promises from the Commissarys here, I have not been able to get more than one days Bread, since I came here—except some Buckwheat, & a little Corn—this I borrowed from the Inhabitants; and was obliged to promise to pay...
6To George Washington from Brigadier General William Irvine, 9 January 1780 (Washington Papers)
I received your Excellencys favour of this date, with One inclosed for Colonel Ogden, which I sent him, I will immediately; & with all possible assiduity attend to the business you direct —I can now only in general inform, that the Sound appears to have a solid Bridge over it—from Amboy, to Deharts Point —However as I had in view, previous to your directions, not only the safety of my...
7To George Washington from Brigadier General William Irvine, 12 January 1780 (Washington Papers)
I received your Excellencys favour of this date, I have given out that the Detachment coming down is for my relief, and when I do Order in my out Guards—shall inform them that the relief will take other Routs but that they are not to wait for them—as I mean to assem[b]le the whole in order to March to Camp next morning—Captain S[t]evenson went over yesterday with a Flag & returned this day...
8To George Washington from Brigadier General William Irvine, 12 January 1780 (Washington Papers)
I beg leave to mention to your Excellency that there are no Surgeons with the Detachment—I have always been of opinion that every considerable Detachment ought at all times be supplied—There are enough of them to spare, if any regular mode was addopted for this purpose—I think there must be some deficiency in that Department in not having an established rule for this purpose long ago I Am Sir...
9To George Washington from Brigadier General William Irvine, 3 July 1780 (Washington Papers)
Notwithstanding several changes, have taken place since your Excellency laid the situation of our affairs before the Board at Morristown; I apprehend our operations must be nearly the same. I am pretty clearly of opinion, that before our levies can be got together, and Stores collected to a proper point, it will be too late to think of Caneda, unless provision is amply made for remaining there...
10To George Washington from Brigadier Generals Anthony Wayne and William Irvine, 10 August 1780 (Washington Papers)
It was not until some time after your Excellency was made acquainted with the very great dissatisfaction which the Majors of the Pennsa line experienced, on the appointment of Major McPherson to a Command in the Corps of Light troops drawn from that State, that we were Informed of the address they presented to you. the moment we discovered the effect that appointment had upon them—every means...