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To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 29 May 1778

From Henry Laurens

York Town [Pa.] 29th May 1778.

Sir.

I had the honor of writing to Your Excellency the 21st Instant, by the hand of Doctor Scudder, since which I have received & presented to Congress Your Excellency’s favour of the 24th. this was Committed & has not yet been returned for consideration.

Your Excellency will be pleased to receive Inclosed—two Acts of Congress of yesterday’s date.

1—for a new arrangement of Major Lee’s Corps of partizan light Dragoons.

2—for appointing Major John Beatty Commissary of prisoners.1 I have the honor to be With the highest Esteem & Respect Sir Your Excellency’s Obedient humble servant.

Henry Laurens,
President of Congress.

P.S. Capt. Robert Smith was yesterday appointed by Congress Secretary to the Board of War. I now transmit him the necessary intelligence.2

ALS, DLC:GW; LB, DNA:PCC, item 13.

1. For these resolutions, see JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends , 11:545–46; copies are in DLC:GW. John Beatty (1749–1826), who had been promoted from captain of the 5th Pennsylvania Regiment to major of the 6th Pennsylvania Regiment ranking from October 1776, taken prisoner at Fort Washington in November 1776, and exchanged in May 1778, resigned his post as commissary general of prisoners in March 1780.

2. Laurens’s letter of this date to Capt. Robert Smith is in DNA:PCC, item 13; see also JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends , 11:546. Smith declined the appointment (see General Orders, 16 Aug. 1776, n.2).

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    Washington Papers
    Title
    To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 29 May 1778
    Author
    Laurens, Henry
    Recipient
    Washington, George
    Date
    29 May 1778

    Reference

    Cite as
    “To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 29 May 1778,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-15-02-0265. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 15, May–June 1778, ed. Edward G. Lengel. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2006, pp. 257–258.]

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