1. The order, addressed “To [  ] of Colo. Hazens Regt,” reads: “You will proceed with the party under your command to Danbury, and, upon your arrival there, deliver the inclosed to Mr Berrien. Should he refuse to deliver the public Hospital Stores in his possession, you are to take them by force, and deliver them to the charge of the person whom Doctor Cochran the Director Genl will order to attend you—You will apply to the Dy Qr Mr Genl at Danbury for Waggons or Carriages to transport the Stores to Fishkill and you will escort them safe thither.

“Should you be obliged to use military force to obtain these stores, which I hope will not be the case—you will proceed with prudence in the execution of your duty. Given at Head Quarters New Windsor the 25th day of Feby 1781” (Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW).

Hazen, or the officer commanding his regiment, assigned Lt. William Torrey to the mission.

On this date, GW wrote John Berrien, hospital storekeeper at Danbury, Conn., from headquarters at New Windsor: “It has been reported to me that you have in your hands a quantity of hospital stores purchased for public use which you refuse to deliver, alleging that they were procured on private credit. Whenever a public officer purchases articles for the public, it is taken for granted that it is on public credit, and a detention of them to the injury of the service cannot be justifiable. I persuade myself that there has been misapprehension on the part of those who have reported to me and cannot doubt that you will immediately deliver to the bearer all articles in your hands procured for hospital uses” (Df, in Alexander Hamilton’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW). Berrien replied to GW on 5 March.

Also on this date, GW wrote to Horace and James Hooker from New Windsor: “I am informed that Doctor Foster late purveyor to the hospitals in the Eastern district has deposited in your hands sundry articles procured by him for hospital uses with directions not to deliver them to the public officers on the plea of their having been procured on private credit. All purchases made by public officers for the public use are necessarily presumed to be on public credit, and a detention of them on the plea I have mentioned cannot be justifiable. If admitted it would sanction the worst abuses—The service at present too would be particularly injured by a compliance with Doctor Forsters directions to you as the hospitals are in great distress for want of stores; and I must therefore request and require you will immediately deliver them to the order of the Director General for which this will be your justification” (Df, in Alexander Hamilton’s writing, DLC:GW; LB, NNNAM: John Cochran Medical Journal; Varick transcript, DLC:GW; the draft is addressed to the Hookers at Windsor, Conn.).

On 26 Feb., John Cochran, director general of military hospitals, wrote Isaac Ledyard, assistant purveyor of the hospital department, regarding these letters from GW and ordered Ledyard to “send a careful Person with” Hazen’s men and have him “take a list of such articles as may be received, and take Charge of them” (Saffron, Cochran description begins Morris H. Saffron. Surgeon to Washington: Dr. John Cochran, 1730-1807. New York, 1977. description ends , 94). Cochran wrote the Hookers on the same date directing that they turn the hospital stores over to Ledyard (see Saffron, Cochran description begins Morris H. Saffron. Surgeon to Washington: Dr. John Cochran, 1730-1807. New York, 1977. description ends , 95). For other letters from Cochran relating to this issue and the Hookers’ failure to fully comply, see Saffron, Cochran description begins Morris H. Saffron. Surgeon to Washington: Dr. John Cochran, 1730-1807. New York, 1977. description ends , 98–99, 133, and 148–50.