From George Washington to Major General Nathanael Greene, 2 March 1779
To Major General Nathanael Greene
[Middlebrook] March 2d 1779
Sir
The forgoing list being submitted to me by you, for consideration,1 I shall observe that if the articles therein contained, are intended as an extra provision for the ensuing campaign and wholly designed for such troops as may proceed by the way of Wyoming, I think the quantity too great, and that the following deduction may be made; as an expedition of this kind, should be as little encumbered as possible.
500 Felling Axes
200 Spades
200 Shovels
1,000 Knapsacks ) It is to be presumed
1,000 Haversacks ) the troops will be
2,000 Canteens ) provided with those
600 Camp Kettles ) Articles
200 Fascine Knives
500 Horse bells
200 Hopples—Perhaps the whole 500, as
every wood’s Man knows how to make
them equally good of hiccory witches.
If on the other hand these things are to be considered as part of the genl Provision for the use of the army next campaign and can be procured on tolerable good terms in the Towns bordering on the susquehannah they may as well be purchased there, as else where, especially as it may be a magazine from whence the troops at fort Pitt may be supplied, the wants of which should be immediately ascertained and supplied, and a proper enquiry made into the state of these articles at Albany that there may be no want of them at [that] place.
Go: Washington
Copy, PPAmP: Nathanael Greene Papers; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. The enclosed copy of Greene’s list of “Articles to be provided & deposited at Estherton for the ensuing Campaign,” dated 2 March at Middlebrook, reads:
150 Batteaus of abt two Tons burthen to be immediately built
10 Boats to carry from 8 to 10 Tons
2 Travelling [F]orges
1500 good felling Axes ground & helved, & boxed up
20 Broad Axes do. do.
500 Spades )
500 Shovels ) Helved
100 Picks )
300 Tents
2000 Knapsacks
2000 Haversacks
3000 Canteens
1000 Camp Kettles
2000 Fascine Hatchets
200 Fascine Knives
2000 lb. Nails consistg of 10d. 12d. 20d. & a few small.
6 Setts Carpenters Tools—supposg 10 Men in a Sett
2 Setts Smiths Tools
50 Grass Scythes, with Sneeds, whet-stones &c.
20 Setts Shoeing Tools
6000 Setts Horse Shoes with Nails pointed–the ends of the Shoes turned up fit to set
500 Pack Saddles
2000 [F]athom Rope suitable for packing & Slinging Kegs, &c. &c.
1000 Horse Slips
1000 Horse Bells–with straps to buckle on
500 Horse Hopples of strong Leather
50 Setts Harness compleat including Chains &c.
50 Cross Cut Saws—with files suitable
6 Saw mill Saws
1000 Ax Slings with Straps to Buckle
50 Ream Paper
20 lb. Sealing wax
10 lb. Wafers
3,000 Quills
10 Doz. Ink Powder
200 Orderly Books
50 Ink Stands
100 flat bottom Iron Candle Sticks
100 Portmanteaus
N.B. All the Articles that will admit of being packed to be Boxed up, with Two Hoops round Each Box & every Box to weigh to as near 100 lb. as possible & all marked & Numbered
(copy, in James McHenry’s writing, PPAmP: Nathanael Greene Papers; copy, in McHenry’s writing, DLC:GW; copy, PPAmP: Nathanael Greene Papers. GW’s deductions are written in another hand in the left margin of McHenry’s copy at PPAmP).