To George Washington from Brigadier General Peter Muhlenberg, 29 September 1780
From Brigadier General Peter Muhlenberg
Richmond Septr 29th 1780
Sir
Lieut. Colo. Richd Campbell who has been two Campaigns with the 9th Regt at Fort Pitt requests me to make application to Your Excellency for permission to exchange with Lt Colo. Richard Taylor, who is at present arrangd to the 11th Regt but wishes to exchange it for the 9th. as Your Excellency is perfectly acquainted with the Character of both the Gentlemen, I will only beg leave to say, that by the exchange, the different Genius of both would be suited & the Service benefitted—The New Levies of the lower Counties are nearly collected, and are forming into Battallions but we are as yet totally destitute of every Article necessary to equipp them for the Field—The Levies from the upper Counties, are by order of The Governor & Council to March by the nearest rout to Hillsborough1—there are about 300 old draughts remaining, who were formerly draughted for twelve Months, but never calld into the Service as these have not been arrangd by Your Excellency, The Governor wishes they may be allotted to Colo. Harrisons Regt of Artillery; and orders have been accordingly sent to the Officers appointed to collect them, to march them to Chesterfield Court House for that purpose.2 I have the Honor to be with great Respect Your Excellencys Most Obedt hble Servt
P. Muhlenberg
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. See Thomas Jefferson to Horatio Gates, 23 Sept., in , 3:658–59; see also Jefferson to GW, 2 July, n.4.
2. GW replied to Muhlenberg from headquarters near Passaic Falls on 17 Oct.: “I have recd your favor of the 29th ulto. The proposed exchange of stations between Lt Colonels Campbell and Taylor will be perfectly agreeable to me—While I hear with pleasure of the forwardness of the collection of the Levies, I cannot but regret the small prospect we have of procuring an adequate supply of Arms Cloathing and other necessaries. We have been hitherto disappointed in the arrival of those Articles expected from France, and even should they arrive after this, it will be very long before they can be got to you, from the difficulties which we experience in transportation, and more especially, should they come to the Eastward, which is the most probable.
“His Excellency the Governor informed me that three hundred of the old Draughts had been ordered to join Harrison’s Regt of Artillery, which was a very proper measure” (Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW; see also Thomas Jefferson to GW, 23 Sept., and n.5).