61To George Washington from Brigadier General William Smallwood, 30 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
I have just been favor’d with yours of yesterdays Date, & the Requisitions therein shall be stricktly complied with—I wrote some Days ago by Colo. Gist (who informed he had your Permission to retire to settle his Regimental Accts) to Governor Johnson, to forward the Cloathing to this Place, & have taken Measures to comply with the Resolution of Congress respecting the Stock. I have no...
62To George Washington from Brigadier General William Smallwood, 28 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
The march of the troops down here through the frosty roads, has cut out their shoes, & by being barefoot they are rendered unfit for duty, to remedy which, I have contracted with a gentleman here, for 200 sides of sole, & 200 sides of upper leather, for which he is to receive raw hides in exchange at the same rate on which the commissary of hides exchanges raw hides for dressed leather. I have...
63To George Washington from Brigadier General William Smallwood, 27 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
A Fleet of 59 Ships, inclusive of a Frigate of 28, & a Sloop of 16 Guns came down the River Yesterday, & Anchor’d of[f] the Mouth of Christiana Creek in the Evening, & from the Number of Boats attending them, & stopping short of the Admirals Ship, when both Wind & Tide favored, I was induced to think the Enemy had in View an Attack on this Post last Night, but the Weather proved too...
64To George Washington from Brigadier General William Smallwood, 25 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
I have not yet been joined by one Militia Man, I inclose you Genl Pattersons Ltr, which is not very promising of any considerable Aid from them, tho he is now endeavoring to draw them out. Our Fortifications go on slower than I cou’d wish, as I am not able to procure more Tools than for 150 Men to work wth at once, but every Effort shall be exerted to render the Place tenable. The Eagle & 25...
65To George Washington from Brigadier General William Smallwood, 22 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
Our March being retarded on the 19th Inst. by the Commissarys not furnishing Provision till the Eveng, prevented our seting off, ’till 4 Oclock in the Morning of the 20th, & after a fatiguing & rapid March, arrived here at 9 Oclock in the Morning of the 21st, with all the Troops Artillery and Ordnance Stores &c. safe; we have compleated one Battery mounting two Guns at the Bridge; and are now...
66To George Washington from Brigadier General William Smallwood, 4 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
It will be unnecessary to point out the sufferings of the Continental Troops, from their various hard Duty, & distresses for want of Cloathing, particularly in the Articles of Blankets, Shoes, Stokings, the most essential part to enable them to encounter the severity of a Winter Campaign, and the improbability of procuring those necessary Supplies, without which our prospect of success in an...
67To George Washington from Brigadier General William Smallwood, 1 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
The Distresses of the Army, the Inclemency of the weather, & the approaching Season, combine to point out the Expediency of fixing on Winter Quarters; and in doing this, all local Attatchment ought to be sacrificed to the Public Good, to reduce the Enemy, & free ourselves, I wou’d chearfully resign myself to a Den the ensuing & many other Seasons if found necessary—Three Positions have been...
68To George Washington from Brigadier General William Smallwood, 25 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
I have revolved in my Mind the Subject of your Requisition last Night, and placed it in every Point of View, and must confess I am much embarrassed, I see the Propriety and Necessity of an Attack, I view with Pain the pressing Expectations of the Public, the Reputation of the Army at Stake, the depression of our Money, the difficulty & hazard of the proposed Attact, and the Misfortunes & I may...
69To George Washington from Brigadier General William Smallwood, 19 September 1777 (Washington Papers)
Last Night Colonel Gist joined me he has * Troops—our united Force amounts to §. I am now on my march and rest assured every Effort shall be exerted to §§—as expeditiously as possible which I hope to effect Tomorrow—the Shameful neglect in the Commissarys Department throws many Obstacles in my way and retards my March—I am reduced to the Necessity of sending Officers forward to provide for the...
70To George Washington from Brigadier General William Smallwood, 15 September 1777 (Washington Papers)
It is four Days since I wrote concerning the Situa[tio]n of the Troops under my Command, & am afraid the Express has fallen into the Enemys hands; ever since I have been detained in this Neighbourhood for want of Cartridge[s], wch I wrote to you for, and also sometime before that Period sent two Expresses to Governor Johnson to that Effect; I have collected some Public Powder, and am...
71To George Washington from Brigadier General William Smallwood, 13 September 1777 (Washington Papers)
After meeting with many impediments in the Commissary’s & Quarter masters departments, which have delayed considerably the march of the Militia under my command I arrived here yesterday evening with about 700 effectives and expect to be joined in a day or two by 600 more exclusive of the body under Colo. Gist, who was yesterday at Christeen & will pursue the rout you have chalked out for him:...
72To George Washington from Brig. Gen. William Smallwood, 4 September 1777 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from Brig. Gen. William Smallwood, 4 Sept. 1777. GW wrote Smallwood on 9 Sept. : “I received your favor of the 4th Inst.”
73To George Washington from Brigadier General William Smallwood, 15 August 1777 (Washington Papers)
On my arrival here I found Genl Sullivan at the Head of his Division, and that he had just inform’d you of the Situation of the Troops under his Command & communicated such Intelligence respecting the Enemy as he had received, together with his Opinion of their Intention to Land in New Hampshire, which I judged rendered it unnecessary for me to write as you required—however I cannot coincide...
74To George Washington from Brigadier General William Smallwood, 28 July 1777 (Washington Papers)
I have just received your Favor of the 18th Instt, at a Time I was preparing to set out. Allow me to assure your Excellency I shall use the utmost dispatch, in repairing to the Army; and that my particular Situation has been such, that it wou’d not admit of my waiting on you as I expected when I last wrote for your Directions, which have ever had, and ever shall have the greatest weight, and...
75To George Washington from Brigadier General William Smallwood, 24 April 1777 (Washington Papers)
On my arrival here at Christmas I found the Regular & flying Camp Officers in general much disgusted by the Appointments of the Commissioners, in which indeed there were irregula[ri]ties and Improprieties which no established Mode cou’d justify, many being below, others promoted above their Rank, & many more not appointed at all; which induced me, as the Appointments were incompleat, to make...