To George Washington from Brigadier General William Maxwell, 1 July 1778
From Brigadier General William Maxwell
English Town [N.J.] 1st July 1778 ½ after 7 oclock
Sir
I have the pleasure to Inform your Excellency that the Letter which accompanys this was delivered a little way below this place a few minutes ago, by a Capt. Murray one of General Clintons Ade D. Camps,1 I was surprised that he was not stoped sooner but the Militia did not know Your Excellencys former Orders I suppose and I suppose they purposely eluded Coll Morgan. He delivered General Clintons Compliments to the Generals of our Armey and to the officers in General for their polite behaviour to the Prisoners that fell into our hands. I am sorry they got up so far without being stop’d.
I leave a guard here and set off to morrow Morning between 2 and 3 oclock⟨.⟩ I am Your Excellencys Most obedient Humble Servant.
Wm Maxwell
N.B. A number of Applications is made to me by the distressed Inhabitants for leave to go in to the Enemy to endeavour to get their Horses or cattle, but thir horses in particular. I cannot give them leave without your Excellencys approbation. I hope you will favour me with an answer to morrow respecting it.
This is all the Horse man I have which is one of the 9 months men.2
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. Thomas Murray was probably carrying Gen. Henry Clinton’s letter to GW of this date, which reads: “I had the honour of receiving Your Excellency’s dispatch of the 20th of last Month Yesterday afternoon, with the several inclosures therein. that address’d to their Excellencies the King’s Commissioners I shall forward by the earliest opportunity” (P.R.O., 30/55, Carleton Papers). Murray (c.1749–1816) served as a junior officer of the 55th Regiment of Foot from 1765 until he was promoted to captain of the 48th Regiment of Foot in October 1773. Clinton’s general orders of 20 June 1778 had directed that he be obeyed as an aide-de-camp (, 1:596). Murray, who transferred to the 16th Regiment of Foot in February 1780, became major of the 84th Regiment of Foot in February 1781 and was placed on the half-pay establishment when that regiment was disbanded in 1783. While on half pay, Murray was promoted within the army line to lieutenant colonel in 1790, colonel in 1795, and major general in 1798. He was appointed colonel of the 7th Royal Garrison Battalion in December 1802.
2. This sentence was written on the back of the page containing the other text. An address to GW was also on that side of the page.