From George Washington to Major General Philip Schuyler, 15 April 1776
To Major General Philip Schuyler
Head Quarters New York April 15th 1776
Dear Sir
Previous to the Receipt of Your Favor of the 7th Instant I had been directed by the Honorable Congress to detach four Regiments to Quebec. If they could be spared from the Service here.1 I am very sensible of the Great Necessity of sending a reputable Body2 of Troops immediately into that Country, & have Accordingly Ordered four of the strongest Regiments to hold themselves in Readiness, & am providing Vessels to transport them to Albany.
You may depend they shall be forwarded with all possible Dispatch, In the Mean Time I beg You would make the Necessary Preparations for their Subsistance, there will be about 2000 Men Exclusive of Officers in the five Regiments.
I beg You will forward the enclosed Letter to General Thomas3 & am very respectfully, Dr Sir, Your most Obedt Humble servant
Go: Washington
LB, NN: Schuyler Papers; LB, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. The letter-book copy in DLC:GW has no punctuation after the word “Quebec.” For the Continental Congress’s directions regarding reinforcements for Canada, see Hancock to GW, 25 Mar. 1776.
2. The letter-book copy in DLC:GW reads “respectable body.”