To George Washington from the Board of War, 3 January 1780
From the Board of War
War Office [Philadelphia] January 3d 1780
Sir
We were duly honoured with your Excellency’s Letter on the Subject of Mr Loring’s request for a Quarter Master & a Serjeant or two to proceed to Philadelphia with Cloathing for the Prisoners at this Place.1 In Consequence we wrote to Congress the Letter a Copy whereof is enclosed.2 We are directed to take Order in the Bussiness3 & are of Opinion that the Cloathing should come on attended in such Way & by such Persons as your Excellency shall deem proper. About four hundred Prisoners are gone to Fort Frederick in Maryland all British. The rest both British & Hessians are either confined here or out at Work thro’ the Country. We were obliged to let out as many as possible (chiefly Germans) to save public Provisions & because we had not Guards to keep them safely. We have the Honour to be with the greatest Respect & Esteem Your very, obed. servants
Richard Peters
By order
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. See GW’s letter to the Board of War dated 29 Dec. 1779, in GW to John Beatty, 26 Dec. 1779, n.3.
2. The enclosed copy of the board’s letter to Samuel Huntington, dated 1 Jan. 1780 at the “War Office” in Philadelphia and signed by Richard Peters, reads: “Some difficulties having arisen on a former Occasion with respect to a number of British Officers attending Clothing for their Troops while the Enemy had possession of Philadelphia, we presume General Washington has from a Wish to avoid the like embarrassments wrote the enclosed Letter to us on the Subject of Mr Loring’s present Application for an Officer to proceed to philadelphia—with Clothing for the prisoners who are indeed very destitute. As Congress directed us, on the occasion referred to, not to permit the Officers to pass thro’ the Country we now trouble them for their sense of the Matter that we may be enabled to write the General on the Business. Most of the prisoners who are not out at work having been sent to Fort Frederick in Maryland it will be necessary for the Officer having charge of the Clothing to proceed to that post should Congress deem it expedient” (DLC:GW).
3. See 16:1.