From George Washington to Brigadier General William Woodford, 16 August 1779
To Brigadier General William Woodford
Head Quarters West-point 16th Augt 1779.
Dr Sir
I inclose you an extract of a letter from Col. Febeger.1 You will observe that he imagines some of his old sergeants were worthy of a preference in the nomination for commissions and that he proposed two of the 2d Regiment for appointments. Should these men be deserving of promotion and they can be with propriety promoted agreeably to his recommendation, I would wish you to take the necessary measures on the occassion.2 I am &.
G.W.
P.S. I inclose you some papers which I recd from a member of Congress from Virginia to be distributed among the V. officers.3
Df, in James McHenry’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. The enclosed extract has not been found. Col. Christian Febiger’s letter to GW of 31 July has not been found. On 31 July, GW’s aide-de-camp Richard Kidder Meade informed Febiger that GW had received his letter “setting forth the neglect of your serjts whom you think deserving & intitled to promotion” and that its contents would be “communicated to Genl Woodford” (DLC:GW).
2. The officers of the Virginia regiments had recently nominated a group of sergeants for ensigns’ commissions (see GW to Stirling, 8 July, and General Orders, 22 July). Woodford soon submitted a list of eleven more nominees, but GW limited this “second nomination” to five (see GW to Woodford, 31 Aug.).
3. These enclosures have not been identified.