To George Washington from James Caldwell, 18 May 1780
From James Caldwell
Connecticut Farms [N.J.] May 18 1780.
Sir,
At the request of Capt. McLeod I transmit you his Petition for a pass to New York.1 And have only to say with respect to it, That it is in my opinion wrong that such men shd be alowed to live on the lines—But since he is indulged in this, by the civil Department, I would wish your excellency to grant his request. By going over he can do us no harm—and by being denied the indulgence he may be so sowered as to do us some mischief if the enemy shoud in a future day come into the Town.
I have this Day given the Engineer & Officers an opportunity of viewing the ground near Eliza. Town on which the Troops may encamp with conveniency.2 The Engineer will give your excellency an Acct of their conveniencys & inconveniencys respectively. It woud be vanity in me to obtrude my opinion. But I will suggest in favour of their encamping in the Town upon Kellys Hill,3 what probably has4 not been observed by the others, That we can probably procure the Teams which are imployed by Day to bring the supplies, to lodge in the Camp at Night, without any considerable addition to the expence or diminishing of their duty, that in case of an Alarm the Tents & Baggage may be removed. This may answer a better end than a fortification—at less expence & fatague, & perhaps less risk. I cant say I fear a surprise. With sincerest esteem, Your excellencys most obedt and very huml. sert
James Caldwell
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. Caldwell enclosed a letter from William McLeod to GW written at Elizabeth, N.J., on this date: “In consequence of your Excelley’s answer to my application for a passport to go into New york, I have requested that permission of governor Livingston, who has been pleasd to say I must apply unto his Excelleny the general in whose department as a pr[i]soner on parole I undoubtedly am—it being out of my power to negotiat my bills and Setle my bussiness without being personaly at new york and being in want of some Articles necessary for myself and family I have presum’d to Trouble your Excellency a gain on this Subject and to request that I may be indulged with a passport for that purpose” (ALS, DLC:GW). No reply from GW to McLeod has been found. For McLeod’s earlier correspondence related to obtaining a pass into New York, see his letter to GW of 10 Sept. 1779, and the source note to that document.
2. Caldwell is referring to the search for a fortification and encampment site for the New Jersey Brigade (see William Maxwell to GW, 15 May).
3. For the farm of William Kelly, see Maxwell to GW, 17 May, and n.5. For the site selected for the encampment and fortifications, see GW to Maxwell, 28 May, and n.2 to that document.
4. Caldwell inadvertently wrote “his” for this word.