From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 26 March 1779
To Timothy Pickering
Head Quarters Middle Brook 26 March 1779
Sir
I must request the Board to give orders to have a considerable number of Cartridges made up with Buck Shott and Ball, indeed it might not be amiss to have all from this time made up in that manner.1
I wish to be informed what number of Hunting Shirts are on hand and where they are lodged—There are none among the Cloathing in Camp—and but 500 in the Store at Fishkill. If there are any more, they must be either at Boston, Philada or Springfeild, from which places I have seen no late general Return.2 I am &.
Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. The Board of War replied to GW in a letter of 9 April, which reads: “All the Muskett Cartridges made up for a long time past including the whole now on Hand have been made up with Buck Shott agreeably to your Excellency’s Ideas” (DLC:GW).
2. In the same letter to GW of 9 April, the Board of War reported “but five hundred Hunting Shirts in the Clothier Generals Store & no Materials for making more.” The board then asserted: “We will order Materials to be purchased for Hunting Shirts of which a large Supply should have been provided long ago” (DLC:GW; see also GW to the Board of War, 8 April, and the Board of War to GW, 13 April, both DLC:GW).