To George Washington from Colonel Benjamin Tupper, 23 December 1780
From Colonel Benjamin Tupper
Springfield [Mass.] Decr the 23rd A.D. 1780
Sir
Your Excellency may recolect that I have been Severel weeks absent from camp for the purpose of forwarding Cloathing for the Army,1 and as a fiew days will compleat all I Shall be able to do in that way would wish for leave to repair to my famiely for a while to araing my affairs, and leave them more comfortable than what they have been of late.
I abhor long furloughs as much as a man can do, but as I left my house unfinished which I had begun when the war comminced, and my family has Suffered much on that Account, and Majr Knap will be with the Regt constantly, and the Spring Season is the best for finishing buildings would beg the favour if not Inconsistant with the good of Service I might have leave to be absent untill the first of June for the above mentiond purpose, but as I know many requests of the like nature will be given in will rest Satisfied in your Excellencys appointment of the time of my return to camp whether it be long or shorte.2 while I have the honour to remaint Your Excellencys most obedent humble Servan⟨t⟩
Benj. Tupper Colo.
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. See Timothy Pickering’s first letter to GW, 19 Nov., and n.2 to that document; see also GW to Pickering, same date.
2. GW replied to Tupper from headquarters at New Windsor on 1 Jan. 1781: “I have recd yours of the 23d Decemr from Springfield, I have no objection to your visiting your family after you have compleated the Business upon which you were sent, but circumstances will not admit of you staying from your Regiment to the time you mention I cannot with any consistency extend your Furlough beyond the 1st of April. The Levies will be coming early into the Feild and every attention of the Officers commanding Regiments will be wanting to prepare them for service, more especially, as we may expect to open the Campaign in conjunction with the troops of our Ally” (Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW).