From George Washington to Brigadier General Casimir Pulaski, 8 February 1779
To Brigadier General Casimir Pulaski
H. Qrs Middlebrook 8 Feby 1779
Sir
I recd your favor of the 5th Inst.1
In consequence of the resolution of Congress of the 2d Inst. directing your legion to South Carolina “to act under the command of Major Genl Lincoln, or the commanding officer of the Southern department” I have ordered the Infantry of your corps which were stationed at the Minisink to march immediately to Lancaster in Pennsylvania.2 You will be pleased to inform yourself of the nearest route to your place of destination, and put the troops in motion as soon as possible—I make no doubt but that you will give such orders as may seem best calculated to facilitate the march without over fatiguing the men or rendering the horse unfit for service, as well as do every thing in your power to keep the men together and prevent the destruction of property.
Congress by a resolve of the 4th Inst. direct the recruiting of your corps of infantry to its full compliment. But For powers and money for this purpose I must refer you to that honble body When you have obtained these you will proceed in the execution of the business—The present established bounty is 200 Dollars to every man enlisting for the war and passing muster besides the usual allowance of land & Cloathing—and 20 Dollars to the officer for every man recruited under this description—To this is added three dollars per day to the officer on the Service as compensation for extra expences.3
The detached corps under Captn Schott cannot be spared at this time.4 You will be pleased to give orders to the horse of your legion to proceed with your Infantry. I am Sir &.
G.W.
P.S. you will disencumber the troops of all baggage which you can spare5 and carry only such as cannot be dispensed with.
Df, in James McHenry’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. This letter has not been found.
2. For this resolution of 2 Feb., see John Jay to GW, 3 Feb., n.1; see also , 13:132. For GW’s orders to Pulaski’s infantry, see GW to Edward Hand, 7 February.
3. For Congress’s resolution of 4 Feb. regarding the recruiting of the infantry components of Pulaski’s Legion and Armand’s partisan corps, see John Jay to GW, 5 Feb., n.1; see also , 13:180–81. For Congress’s resolutions of 23 Jan. on recruiting bounties and rewards for recruiting officers, see GW to John Jay, 27 Jan., and n.1 to that document (see also , 13:108–9). On 13 Feb., Congress resolved that “Brigadier General Pulaski be authorized, as casualties happen, to recruit men to keep up the infantry in his corps to its original establishment, and that a warrant for 50,000 dollars be drawn in favor of the pay-master of the Board of War, to be paid to Brigadier General Pulaski, or his order, from time to time, for the purpose before mentioned, and to re-inlist during the war the men of his corps, whose times are about expiring; he to be accountable for the sums he shall, from time to time, receive”(, 13:181; see also GW to Armand, 8 Feb., n.2).
4. For this decision regarding Capt. John Paul Schott’s independent corps, see GW to Edward Hand, 7 February.
5. At this place on the draft manuscript, McHenry initially wrote “which can be spared.” He then inserted the word “you,” struck out “be,” and inadvertently neglected to strike out the “d” in “spared.” The Varick transcript reads “you can spare.”