George Washington Papers
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From George Washington to Major General Nathanael Greene, 16 October 1780

To Major General Nathanael Greene

Head Quarters Prekaness 16th Octobr 1780

Dear Sir

I am favd with yours of yesterday, accompanied by a letter from His Excellency Governor Clinton, who gives me an account of the incursion upon the Frontiers.1 I am happy that you detached Gansevoorts Regiment immediately—You will be pleased to order either Weisenfelds or Willets, as you may judge proper, to follow, and to take orders from the Governor or the commanding Officer.2 This is all the force I think we ought to detach from the posts untill the views of the enemy are more fully ascertained. They put off the long expected embarkation strangely. They had not sailed the 13th and it was then said the expedition was delayed for some purpose. The numbers under orders, by Estimate, are about two thousand or something upwards.3 If the Militia should not have been discharged when this reaches you, you will be pleased to detain about five hundred to make up for the detachment you have lately sent up the River.4

I have received yours of the 13th as I have done that inclosing the Estimates, for which I am much obliged.5

You will be pleased to carry into execution what you proposed respecting the posts at Stoney and Verplanks points. I am with the greatest Regard Dear Sir Your most obt Servt

Go: Washington

Be pleased to forward Govr Clintons letter immediately.6

LS, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, MHi: Heath Papers; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.

1. See George Clinton to GW, 14 Oct., and n.1.

2. Maj. Gen. William Heath ordered Lt. Col. Frederick Weissenfels’s regiment to Albany after he took command at West Point (see Heath to GW, 17 Oct., and Heath to Weissenfels, 18 Oct., in MHi: Heath Papers). New York governor George Clinton wrote Heath from Poughkeepsie, N.Y., on 30 Oct. that “Gansevoort’s & Weissenfels’ Regt. did not reach Albany until the Enemy were driven out of the Country” (Hastings and Holden, Clinton Papers description begins Hugh Hastings and J. A. Holden, eds. Public Papers of George Clinton, First Governor of New York, 1777–1795, 1801–1804. 10 vols. 1899–1914. Reprint. New York, 1973. description ends , 6:349–50).

3. For this British embarkation, see GW to Samuel Huntington, 17 Oct., n.2.

4. Greene had dismissed these militia on 9 Oct. (see GW’s second letter to Greene, 6 Oct., and n.3 to that document).

5. See Greene to GW, 13 and 14 October.

6. GW wrote Clinton on this date (see Clinton to GW, 14 Oct., n.4).

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    Washington Papers
    Title
    From George Washington to Major General Nathanael Greene, 16 October 1780
    Author
    Washington, George
    Recipient
    Greene, Nathanael
    Date
    16 October 1780

    Reference

    Cite as
    “From George Washington to Major General Nathanael Greene, 16 October 1780,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-28-02-0306. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 28, 28 August–27 October 1780, ed. William M. Ferraro and Jeffrey L. Zvengrowski. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2020, pp. 567–568.]

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