11To Thomas Jefferson from Horatio Gates, 9 September 1780 (Jefferson Papers)
Intelligence of a very particular sort is Just arrived from Camden, by a person in whom we can confide; and no doubt remains, but that he may have been imposed upon by a Finesse of the Enemy. Since then, Two Deserters from the Enemys 23 Regiment, came in, in a manner confirm the Intelligence. It is as Follows. That Lord Cornwallis is going immediately to Embarque his Main Force at George Town...
12From Thomas Jefferson to Horatio Gates, 11 September 1780 (Jefferson Papers)
Your bill for £54,712 in favor of Mallett has been duly honoured. That for £95,288 we shall also discharge. Another bill (which being delivered back to be presented at the end of the ten days, I cannot recollect either the name of the holder or the sum) has been accepted. We are now without one shilling in the treasury or a possibility of having it recruited till the meeting of the Assembly...
13To Thomas Jefferson from Horatio Gates, 14 September 1780 (Jefferson Papers)
I am Honored with the receipt of Your Excellencys Letter Dated the 3d: Inst: and pleased to find from thence that Virginia is so Zealous, and Spirited, in Her Exertions against the Common Enemy. In my Letter to Congress of the 20th: Ult: I acquainted them with the necessity of sending a very Considerable Supply of Arms to this Department, as all the Militia had been Furnished with were thrown...
14To Thomas Jefferson from Horatio Gates, 20 September 1780 (Jefferson Papers)
The inclosed Examination of one of Your Militia , who was wounded, and Taken, in the Action of the 16th. Ulto.; and the Copy of a Letter from Colonel Marian, of So. Carolina, also under Cover of this Letter, will partly certainly acquaint Your Excellency, with the Circumstances of the Enemys Force in and about Camden. Had I now Fifteen Hundred Continental Troops, with Shoes, Blankets, and...
15From Thomas Jefferson to Horatio Gates, 23 September 1780 (Jefferson Papers)
I have empowered Colo. Carrington to have twelve Boats, Scows or Batteaux built at Taylors Ferry and to draw on me for the cost. I recommended the constructing them so as to answer the transportation of Provisions along that river, as a change of position of the two Armies may render them unnecessary at Taylors Ferry, and I am thoroughly persuaded that unless we can find out some Channel of...
16To Thomas Jefferson from Horatio Gates, 24 September 1780 (Jefferson Papers)
The receipt of my Four last Letters to Your Excellency remains unacknowledged. I believe the Station’d Expresses purposely avoid each other. The Accounts I receive from the Westward and Southward, Vary in Nothing from that which I last sent Your Excellency, in the Examination of William Allmond : but the moment Lord Cornwallis has his Instructions from Sir Harry Clinton, I expect the Campaign...
17To Thomas Jefferson from Horatio Gates, 27 September 1780 (Jefferson Papers)
Inclosed is a Copy of a Letter I received Yesterday Afternoon by Colonel Senf, it deserves immediate Notice, and Attention, for unless the Troops, when they are assembled and Equip’d are enabled to march forward, it will cause a most injurious Delay to the Public Service. If Bills at Sixty Days sight, upon the Treasuries of Virga. and Maryland will supply the necessary and unavoidable Expences...
18To Thomas Jefferson from Horatio Gates, 3 October 1780 (Jefferson Papers)
I have the honor to inclose to Your Excellency Three Letters from Generals Sumner and Davidson, Commanding the No. Carolina Militia to the Westward. Contrary to my Express Orders Colo. Polk Commissary at Charlotte, collected 1500 or 2000 Bushels of Grain to his Mill there—a Bait I knew the Enemy would catch at, and repeatedly cautioned him against it, directing him never to have more than two...
19From Thomas Jefferson to Horatio Gates, 4 October 1780 (Jefferson Papers)
My Letter of Sept. 23d. answered your favours received before that date, and the present serves to acknowledge the receipt of those of Sept. 24th and 27th. I retain in mind and recur almost daily to your Requisitions of August; We have as yet no prospect of more than one hundred Tents. Flour is ordered to be manufactured as soon as the Season will render it safe, out of which I trust we can...
20To Thomas Jefferson from Horatio Gates, 5 October 1780 (Jefferson Papers)
Since writing my last Letter to your Excellency I have received the inclosed from Genl. Sumner , whose Camp is at Macgoens Creek one Mile from the ford of the Yadkin. I send my Letter to the President of Congress under a flying Seal that you may peruse it. I beg that with all the Letters and papers, I now send your Excellency may be as soon as possible dispatched to Congress. I am Sir your...
21To Thomas Jefferson from Horatio Gates, 6 October 1780 (Jefferson Papers)
Forty of your 18 Months Men from Bottetourt County Arrived in this Camp Yesterday, they are intirely unequiped, and unprovided, with every thing that is necessary for the Service they are intended to perform, and for the Term they are engaged to serve. I must beg Sir this may be Seriously consider’d by the Executive, whom I must request, will not send any Men into the Field, or even to this...
22To Thomas Jefferson from Horatio Gates, 9 October 1780 (Jefferson Papers)
As we are much Distress’d for Carriages to Transport Provisions and Stores for this Army; I must beg Leave to request, Your Excellency, will prevail upon the Executive of Virginia to Order a Brigade of Ten Waggons from each of the Neighbouring Counties of this State from Mecklinbourg < Hallifax, Pittsylvania, & Henry > North Westward to Transport Stores, and provisions < from Taylors Ferry to...
23To Thomas Jefferson from Horatio Gates, 12 October 1780 (Jefferson Papers)
This Instant I received The Great and Glorious News, contained in the inclosed Letter from Brig: Gen: Davidson to Gen: Sumner, who directly dispatched it me by Express. We are now more than even with the Enemy. The moment the Shoes &c. for the Troops here, arrives from Taylors Ferry, I shall proceed with the Whole to the Yadkin. General Smallwood, and Col. Morgan, are on their way to that...
24To Thomas Jefferson from Horatio Gates, 14 October 1780 (Jefferson Papers)
I have read and attentively considered Your Excellencys Letters of the 23d Ult:, and 4th. Instant and Lest Congress, or the Board of War, should conceive Greater Supplies for the Southern Army, can be furnished by your State than it is in their Power, or Abillity, to give, I have sent The President by this conveyance, Exact Copies of Your Excellencys Two letters to me, that no Plea of not...
25From Thomas Jefferson to Horatio Gates, 15 October 1780 (Jefferson Papers)
I am rendered not a little anxious by the Paragraph of yours of the 7th. Inst: wherein you say ‘it is near a Month since I received any Letter from your Excellency; indeed the receipt of most that I have wrote to you remain unacknowledged.’ You ought within that time to have received my Letter of September 3d. written immediately on my return to this place after a fortnights Absence; That of...
26To Thomas Jefferson from Horatio Gates, 18 October 1780 (Jefferson Papers)
Inclosed I send Your Excellency my dispatch of this [Date?] to the President of Congress under a flying Seal for your Persual. I must entreat you to forward it with all its contents, directly by Express to Philadelphia. If the News from General Fleming is Confirmed I think A Speedy recovery of South Carolina and Georgia must be the Consequence, but we are so often disappointed in Reports that...
27To Thomas Jefferson from Horatio Gates, 20 October 1780 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote Your Excellency the 18th. which was sent from hence By Express, on the Evening of that Day, and would proceed to Taylor’s Ferry, as Mr. Cooper the Stationed Express at Harrisbourg, was, at the Same Time on his Way to this place; the Latter arrived here Yesterday about One oClock A.M. and brought me Your Excellency’s Letter of the 15th. Inst. This Letter, came in Time, which was not the...
28To Thomas Jefferson from Horatio Gates, 21 October 1780 (Jefferson Papers)
Hillsborough, 21 Oct. 1780. The bearer, Mr. Thompson, has a bill from Col. Polk on TJ for £100,000 in lieu of the bill Mr. Ochiltree had with him when he stayed in Charlotte with the enemy. Ochiltree’s bill will be canceled. Thompson is anxious for payment. Dft ( NHi ); 1 p. Tr ( DLC ) of Dft .
29From Thomas Jefferson to Horatio Gates, 22 October 1780 (Jefferson Papers)
The Letters which accompany this will inform you of the Arrival of a large fleet of the Enemy within our Capes, and that they have begun their Debarkation. We are taking Measures to collect a Body to oppose them; for which purpose it seems necessary to retain such Regulars Volunteers and Militia as have not yet gone on to you. We have left the Counties of Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Halifax, and...
30From Thomas Jefferson to Horatio Gates, 28 October 1780 (Jefferson Papers)
Your Letters of the 14th, 20th, and 21st are come to hand, and your dispatches to Congress have been regularly forwarded. I shall attend to the caveat against Mr. Ochiltree’s bill. Your Letter to Colo. Senf remains still in my hand as it did not come till the enemy had taken possession of the ground on which I know him to have been, and I have since no certain information where a Letter might...
31To Thomas Jefferson from Horatio Gates, 1 November 1780 (Jefferson Papers)
I recd Your Excellency[’s] Favour of the 20th : Ult. Just as I was upon the Point of Marching to the Westward. Upon communicating the Contents to Generals Huger and Stevens, and the principal Officers here, they Unanimously gave it as their Opinion, that I should not march from hence, until I received further intelligence of the Enemys movements, as well South Eastward, as Westward. I...
32To Thomas Jefferson from Horatio Gates, 3 November 1780 (Jefferson Papers)
Yesterday afternoon I had the Honour to receive your Excellencys Letter of the 28 Ult. from Richmond, and a few Minutes after the inclosed from Colo: Preston. I send it to Your Excellency that the Executive may determine, as they think proper upon the Subject. I had no conception that the Setting Up Two hundred Yards of Picketing, could Cost 100,000£, as to the Log Huts within side, the...
33From Thomas Jefferson to Horatio Gates, 4 November 1780 (Jefferson Papers)
Richmond, 4 Nov. 1780. This letter is almost identical with TJ’s letter to Samuel Huntington of 3 Nov. , q.v., except that it lacks postscript. RC ( DLC ); in a clerk’s hand, signed by TJ; endorsed (in part): “Recd 11 Novr. 80.”
34To Thomas Jefferson from Horatio Gates, 8 November 1780 (Jefferson Papers)
My Letter of the 3d. Inst. to Your Excellency, Own’d the Receipt of yours of the 28th. Ult. I marched the 6th. Inst. with all the Cavalry that were fit to move from Hillsborough; and that day received the enclosed Letter of the 31st Ult: from General Smallwood. I apprehend the Tardiness of Col. Polk in supplying Provisions, must be occasion’d by the Delay of payment my Bills in his favour have...
35From Thomas Jefferson to Horatio Gates, 10 November 1780 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favour of the third instant Enclosing Colo. Preston’s Letter, came to hand on the eighth. The proposals mentioned in the colonel’s Letter for sending volunteers to you were accepted and put as was necessary into such precise form as that all parties might know what they had right to expect. In doing this two circumstances happened to interfere with what had been expected. 1. We required...
36From Thomas Jefferson to Horatio Gates, 19 November 1780 (Jefferson Papers)
The vessel which had been sent by Genl. Leslie, to Charles town as we supposed, returned about the 12th. inst. The enemy began to embark soon after from Portsmouth, and in the night of the 15th. compleated the embarkation of their whole force. In the morning of the 16th. some of our people entered Portsmouth. They had left their works unfinished and undestroyed. Great numbers of negroes who...
37[From Thomas Jefferson to Horatio Gates, 14 December 1780] (Jefferson Papers)
[ 14 Dec. 1780. Epistolary Record: “Th: J. to Gl. Gates. merely friendly & private.” Not located. Probably this letter expressed TJ’s cordial feelings toward Gates at the time of the latter’s quitting his command in the South.]
38To Thomas Jefferson from Horatio Gates, 2 February 1781 (Jefferson Papers)
This Letter will be presented to Your Excellency by Lieut. Col: Darke, who is lately returned from a Tedious Captivity in New York; he is an excellent Officer to Command Rifle Men, in which Service, he is particularly, and I may add very superiorly Instructed. His tried Courage, and Strong Natural understanding, Join’d to his experience in the Back Wood, and Indian Wars, render him completely...
39To Thomas Jefferson from Horatio Gates, 8 February 1781 (Jefferson Papers)
Berkeley County, 8 Feb. 1781. Letter introducing James McAlister, county commissioner and issuing commissary in “this Districkt,” who waits on TJ for “Directions in regard to His Future Conduct.” Gates recommends him as “a good and Faithfull Servant of The Public.” RC ( NHi ); addressed and endorsed.
40From Thomas Jefferson to Horatio Gates, 17 February 1781 (Jefferson Papers)
The situation of affairs here and in Caroline is such as must shortly turn up important events one way or the other. By letter from Genl. Greene dated Guilford C. house Feb. 10. Ld. Cornwallis rendered furious by the affair at the Cowpens and surprise of George town had burnt his own waggons to enable himself to move with facility, had pressed on to the vicinities of the Moravian towns and was...