George Washington Papers
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https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-27-02-0479

To George Washington from the Board of War, 14 August 1780

From the Board of War

War Office [Philadelphia] Augt 14. 1780

Sir

The Board do themselves the Honor to inclose you some papers relative to the annexing Porters, Jones, Lees and the Company late Corens to the regiment of Col. Procter.1 The Board would be glad Your Excellency would be pleased to arrange them in such manner as you think proper, under the powers delegated to you by Congress.2 If however you should think proper to decline it from any reasons which the Board are unacquainted with, they will be obliged to you for your Ideas on the Subject to enable them to report to Congress.

The Board beg leave to inform you that they have furnished the Delaware Regiment of new levies, with Arms and Accoutrements at this place3—As they understand they are inlisted for a short Period they beg leave to submit to your Excellency the propriety of calling upon them for those Arms and Accoutrements before they leave Camp on their Return.

Your Excellency will be pleased to return the Papers when you have no longer Occasion for them. I have the honor to be with the highest respect Yr Most Obedt Servt

By order.
Willm Grayson.

LS, DLC:GW.

The Board of War wrote GW again on 25 Aug.: “The enclosed commissions of Cols. Moylans & Webbs regt were prepared & enclosed to be forwarded a month ago. but by some unaccountable accident they were delayed being sent till this time” (ALS, DLC:GW). Benjamin Stoddert signed the letter “by ord[er]” of the board.

1The board enclosed a letter of 22 Jan. from Brig. Gen. Henry Knox to Joseph Reed, president of the Pennsylvania Supreme Executive Council, that covered three documents: a return of Col. Thomas Proctor’s 4th Artillery Regiment, a return of these four companies of artillery, and a document expressing the objections of the officers of Proctor’s regiment to the incorporation of these four companies into the regiment (document and first two enclosures, DLC:GW; the last enclosure has not been identified).

The board also enclosed a letter of 7 Aug. from Reed to Samuel Huntington, president of Congress, covering a document with proceedings of the Supreme Executive Council recommending to Congress that the companies be incorporated into Proctor’s regiment (letter and enclosure, DLC:GW; see also Pa. Col. Records description begins Colonial Records of Pennsylvania. 16 vols. Harrisburg, 1840–53. description ends , 12:438–39).

2On 12 Nov. 1779, Capt. James Lees’s company had been redesignated as Capt. Jonas Simonds’s company, and on 16 April 1780, Capt. Gibbs Jones’s company had been redesignated as Capt. Jeremiah Freeman’s company (see Wright, Continental Army description begins Robert K. Wright, Jr. The Continental Army. Washington, D.C., 1983. description ends , 339–41). On 1 Jan. 1781, GW merged Capt. Isaac Coren’s former company into Capt. Andrew Porter’s company and merged Freeman’s company into Simonds’s company. He then added Porter’s and Simonds’s companies to Proctor’s 4th Artillery Regiment (see the general orders of that date).

3The board enclosed “A return of Military Stores furnished the 2d Delaware Regiment out of Continental Store in Philadelphia,” dated this date, which listed the stores furnished as: 225 muskets and bayonets, 225 cartouche boxes, 225 bayonet belts, 6 pairs of drumsticks, 6 drums, 6 drum slings, 6 fifes, 225 brushes and wires, and 12 screwdrivers (DLC:GW).

For the call for this regiment, see Circular to the States, 2 June. For the direction for it to equip at Philadelphia, see Caesar Rodney to GW, 9 Aug., found at GW to Rodney, 27 July, n.2.

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