George Washington Papers
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https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-09-02-0272

To George Washington from Major General Benjamin Lincoln, 27 April 1777

From Major General Benjamin Lincoln

Bound brook [N.J.] April 27th 1777.

Dear General

Colonel Spotswood marchd in this morning with a detachment from the 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, & 12th Virgn. regiments, 533 privates, fourth Maryland Regt, 99, the 2d 3d 4, 9, 10, 11 & part of Colo. Pattens regiment from Pennselvania, 357, privates, The detachment from the 3d, 4th 5 6 & 9th Virgna amo: to 67 privates are to march and join their respective regiments toward Chatham. We had here yesterday a deserter from Brunswick he brings us, no intelligence materially different from what we daily receive saving that the number at Brunswick & the Landg amt to 10,000 & that the enemy will not march in less then 9 days & he finally said he had been informed that their march would be delaied for a month.

ADf, MHi: Lincoln Papers.

GW’s aide-de-camp Alexander Hamilton replied to this letter on 28 April: “It appears by your letter to his Excellency that the detachment of Marylanders under Col Spotswood, have marched to your post, with the other troops. His intention and directions were, that they should remain at Princeton, as he wishes to keep the Corps united, but since the matter has fallen out differently, he desires that detachment may immediately return to Princeton” (Syrett, Hamilton Papers description begins Harold C. Syrett et al., eds. The Papers of Alexander Hamilton. 27 vols. New York, 1961–87. description ends , 1:241–42). The text in the Hamilton Papers description begins Harold C. Syrett et al., eds. The Papers of Alexander Hamilton. 27 vols. New York, 1961–87. description ends is taken from the extract of Hamilton’s ALS that was printed in the Anderson Galleries catalog, 28–29 Nov. 1927, lot 421. The retained copy of this letter in DLC:GW, which is in Hamilton’s writing, was written in the first person for GW’s signature apparently before Hamilton wrote and signed the letter that was sent to Lincoln (see ibid., 242, nn. 1 and 2, and Fitzpatrick, Writings description begins John C. Fitzpatrick, ed. The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745–1799. 39 vols. Washington, D.C., 1931–44. description ends , 7:486–87).

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