George Washington Papers
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https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-25-02-0243

From George Washington to Samuel Allinson, 10 April 1780

To Samuel Allinson

Head Quarters Morris Town April 10th 1780

Sir,

I have received your letter of the 31st of March representing the ill treatment you had experienced from Lt Carnes. I assure you I have the utmost abhorrence of any violence offered to the inhabitants, and shall be always ready to attend to their complaints and grant all the redress ⟨in my power.⟩

In the presen⟨t case it is at your option to⟩ obtain satisfaction eit⟨her from the civil or military⟩ law as you think be⟨st. If you prefer a civil prose⟩cution—the means ⟨are in your own hands, and all⟩ that I can do is to en⟨join the obedience of the officer⟩ to the civil Magistrate ⟨to prevent irregularity; if you⟩ would prefer a mil⟨itary trial, it will take place, as⟩ soon as the parties ⟨and the witnesses arrive. I have⟩ fixed upon the 20th1 instant for the purpo⟨se.⟩ You will perceive by the inclosed letter to the Commanding Officer of the Corps, the directions I have given in either case—that is of a civil or military prosecution, and it remains with you to determine which will be most agreeable to you.2 If you choose a military trial it will be indispensible that you and your witnesses should attend at this place at the time appointed. I am with esteem Sir Your Most Obet servant

Go: Washington

This letter was opened to alter the date after sealing.3

LS, in Richard Kidder Meade’s writing, PHC: Charles Roberts Autograph Letters Collection; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. Mutilated portions of the LS are supplied in angle brackets from the draft manuscript, which is in the writing of GW’s aide-de-camp Alexander Hamilton. GW signed the cover of the LS, which also includes a notation written by GW’s aide-de-camp Tench Tilghman: “opened at Head Quarters after first sealing.” Only the LS includes the postscript. Allinson noted in his reply of 19 April that he had received this letter on 17 April (see also Henry Lee, Jr., to GW, 21 April).

1Hamilton wrote “18th” on the draft, but that date was struck out on the LS before Tilghman inserted “20” above the line.

2A draft of the enclosed letter from GW to the officer commanding the corps of Maj. Henry Lee, Jr., written at Morristown on this date, reads: “Mr Samuel Allison of Burlington has complained to me of violences offered to him by Lt Carnes of the corps under your command. I have told him that it is at his option to have recours⟨e⟩ for redress either to the civil or military law. If he prefers the first, Lt Carnes must of course submit to the civil Magistrate⟨.⟩ If the last is chosen, you will arrest Lt Carnes and direct him to repair to Head Quarters by the 18th instant to take his trial. He will bring with him such witnesses as he thinks essential in his behalf, or it may be better that the depositions of the Witnesses on both sides should be taken before some Magistrate, in presence of both parties Lt Carnes and Mr Allison. This may save trouble & expence.

“This letter goes through Mr Allison who will inform you which of the alternatives he determines upon” (Df, in Alexander Hamilton’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW; obscured material on the right margin of the draft is supplied in angle brackets from the Varick transcript, which is addressed to Lee “or Officer commandg P[artisan] L[ight] D[ragoons]” at Burlington, N.J.).

3Tilghman wrote the postscript.

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