31To George Washington from Brigadier General Henry Knox, 19 October 1778 (Washington Papers)
I have considered the information which your Excellency on the 16th Instant was pleased to give to the Board of General Officers, and the propositions then given for their consideration and opinions. The first query or proposition, vizt “Whether it will be prudent and adviseable to make a Detatchment of the Main Army towards Boston, and if so of what force?” was so fully discussed at the time...
32To George Washington from Brigadier General Henry Knox, 30 December 1778 (Washington Papers)
I beg pardon for troubling your Excellency with the inclosd, which, if you think proper I request the favor of your sending to Congress. I am decided in my intentions of leaving so ineligible a situation as I have been in all the past Campaign. I wish to continue in the service of my Country untill the present contest is at an end. But I find it an indispensable duty owing to myself not to do...
33To George Washington from Brigadier General Henry Knox, 30 December 1778 (Washington Papers)
As there is much preparation to make, and many matters to arrange, in the Ordnance Department in order to take the field the next campaign with advantage, I take the liberty to lay before your Excellency the situation in which I am, and beg, if you think proper, that you would lay the same before the Honorable Congress for their consideration. Some time last May I did myself the honor to...
34To George Washington from Brigadier General Henry Knox, 28 January 1779 (Washington Papers)
The Corps of Artillery being raised in different States upon the same principles as the sixteen additional battalions, labor under great difficulty in obtaining of recruits for the Continental bounty of twenty dollars. The service demands the Battalions of Artillery to be complete, but under the present circumstances it is impracticable. There are four Battalions of Artillery consisting of...
35To George Washington from Brigadier General Henry Knox, 5 March 1779 (Washington Papers)
Agreable to your Excellencys request Genl Greene, The Adjutant General, and myself, met yesterday, on the subject of Amorers, the better keeping of cartridges &c. I shewed them the inclos’d proposals, which I drew up at Philadelphia and presented to the board of War who approved of the same. I likewise shewed them to General Steuben who in consequence wrote the Letter and regulations of Which...
36To George Washington from Brigadier General Henry Knox, 25 March 1779 (Washington Papers)
I have just received your Excellency’s directions concerning the Beacon dated 23d instant. I will have it executed immediately and inform your Excellency of the Spot. I have only one Copy of the late Arrangement of the ordnance department which I have lent to an officer who is gone out. I will get it from him and send it to head Quarters. The Corps of Artillery being so dispers’d it will take...
37To George Washington from Brigadier General Henry Knox, 6 April 1779 (Washington Papers)
I had the honor to deliver your Excellency a paper in Philadelphia, urging the necessity of recruiting the Corps of Artillery and completing its numbers to the establishment, which your Excellency gave to the Committee of Congress. I was in hopes the necessity was so apparent that the honorable Congress would have pointed out some effectual methods to supply the deficiencies before the opening...
38To George Washington from Brigadier General Henry Knox, 11 April 1779 (Washington Papers)
The Captain-Lieutenants of Artillery have desired me to forward the enclosed letter to your Excellency. It respects their pay, which, by a resolution of Congress last April or May, was reduced from 40 to 33 1/3 dollars per month, without any reason assigned for its being done. The Committee of Arrangement, when at White Plains in September last, assured them that they would lay their...
39To George Washington from Brigadier General Henry Knox, 6 May 1779 (Washington Papers)
I mention’d to your Excellency a few days ago that I suspected That the Enemy had some Agents among the Country people who enticed the soldiers to desert, and assisted them in getting to the Enemy. We had eight who deserted in a body, and altho the pursuit was quick, diligent & Extensive we could get no intelligence of them, in the first instance, altho’ by the hue & Cry rais’d, they were some...
40To George Washington from Brigadier General Henry Knox, 9 May 1779 (Washington Papers)
In my Letter to Colonel Hamilton yesterday, I forgot to desire him to mention to your Excellency, That, George Baker one of the deserters sentencd to suffer death by the Court Martial, is the only person among the prisoners who has shewn any Candor in their examinations. By his information the persons who conducted and secreted them were discover’d. It is true, he is a very great Villian,...
41To George Washington from Brigadier General Henry Knox, 13 May 1779 (Washington Papers)
In obedience to your Excellency’s request, I have fully considered the subjects of the respective letters which you enclosed to me yesterday. Colonel Flower’s exorbitant claim to be a Colonel of Artillery, or Artillery Artificers, with the rank of Colonel of Artillery from an early date in 1777, is, in my opinion, totally repugnant to every military principle and decisively inadmissible. In...
42To George Washington from Brigadier General Henry Knox, 27 July 1779 (Washington Papers)
Your Excellency yesterday, stated to your Council of General Officers, our Force and that of the Enemy, our and their situation, and requested the opinion of the Gentlemen seperately, on the position that it will be proper for us to take, on the question whether any and what offensive measures can with propriety be pursued at present? and of the line of Conduct necessary for us to pursue under...
43To George Washington from Brigadier General Henry Knox, 30 September 1779 (Washington Papers)
In obedience to your Excellency’s directions to us the subscribers we in Company with Brig. Genl Wayne reconnoitred the Enemy’s posts at Stoney and Verplanks points. We first took a general view of the two places from the Donderbergh. after which we took a more close view of Stoney point on the north side from a peice of Ground which we estimated at about 800 yards distance. it may be more or...
44To George Washington from Brigadier General Henry Knox, 26 December 1779 (Washington Papers)
I have the honor to return the letter from Governor Johnson of the State of Maryland to Your Excellency of the 27th October last. The proposal of making the companies of artillery from that State one corps would, if complied with, totally derange the system of promotion in the line of artillery, and introduce every bad consequence that can follow the supersceding a great number of Captains of...
45To George Washington from Brigadier General Henry Knox, 19 February 1780 (Washington Papers)
I have the honor to enclose to your Excellency duplicates of returns which this day I have sent to the board of War—altho your Excellency has not requir’d them, I think it proper they should be in your possession. I have the honor to be with the greatest respect Your Excellency’s Obedient Servant ALS , MeAgMSA . Knox most likely enclosed four returns, all signed by Knox, addressed to GW, and...
46To George Washington from Brigadier General Henry Knox, 29 March 1780 (Washington Papers)
I have endevour’d to consider, in every point of view, the important information, which your Excellency gave your General Officers yesterday, and the question arising from it, Vizt whether any troops shall be detach’d from this army, to the southward, with a view of forming a force, to cover the country, supposing the events at Charlestown, to prove unfortunate? An addition of continental...
47To George Washington from Brigadier General Henry Knox, 14 April 1780 (Washington Papers)
I do myself the honour to enclose to your Excellency, a representation made by Lt Col: Carrington, stating the principles of promotion which operate in the Corps of Artillery under my Command, and the inconveniencies which will arise, if the Regiment of artillery, in South Carolina under the Command of Col: Beekman (which is said to be a continental Regiment) shall not be obliged, to conform...
48To George Washington from Brigadier General Henry Knox, 23 May 1780 (Washington Papers)
To digest a perfect plan of operations, of the magnitude of those proposed by Your Excellency, demands a much greater extent of abilities and military experience than I can pretend to have. It requires a mind, able to comprehend and provide for every possible exigence, so that, in case of success, we might be ready to urge it to the utmost, or, of misfortune, to render it as little distressing...
49To George Washington from Brigadier General Henry Knox, 22 June 1780 (Washington Papers)
I arrived here early this morning, and immediately set myself to execute the matters I had in charge. Governor Livingston has been gone from here two days, and the Legislature adjourned. Col. Furman is here and has exerted himself much. There are here nearly 3000 barrells of flour, some rum and salt. About 250 bbls flour went off by the back route yesterday and to day; and Col. Furman expects...
50To George Washington from Brigadier General Henry Knox, 25 June 1780 (Washington Papers)
I have just returnd here from Trenton which place I left last evening, at which time there had gone towards new Windsor by the back route 2213 barrells flour, and I believe that by this evening all will be in motion that was at Trenton amounting to about 3500 barrells including 445 which had arriv’d there from the Gentlemen directors of the bank form’d at Philadelphia. The teams which have...
51To George Washington from Brigadier General Henry Knox, 3 July 1780 (Washington Papers)
Return of Shells, Shot and Powder, in possession of the Continent, and the places where they are deposited; compared with an estimate of stores presented to the Committee of Congress with the Army, 27 June 1780, and the deficiencies pointed out. In addition to the remarks already presented on the estimate made last October, it is to be observed, that 50 shells and sixty shot were then,...
52To George Washington from Brigadier General Henry Knox, 12 July 1780 (Washington Papers)
I take the liberty to transmit to Your Excellency the enclosed return, by which you may be enabled to see the number of artillery men wanting from each State, at one view. The service of the artillery, in case of a siege, will be so evidently extensive, that it would be unnecessary to say any thing to Your Excellency on the importance of having the corps filled up from the recruits that are...
53To George Washington from Brigadier General Henry Knox, 16 July 1780 (Washington Papers)
Yesterday I received Your Excellency’s directions, not to lose a moments time in bringing forward all the cannon and stores in our possession proper for a siege, and necessary for the service of the campaign; to the North river, New York being the object. As I am now writing to the board of war on the subject, I should be obliged to Your Excellency to direct whether the stores shall be...
54To George Washington from Brigadier General Henry Knox, 17 July 1780 (Washington Papers)
In consequence of your Excellency’s directions to me of the 15th instant, To have the cannon and stores for the intended siege collected to the North river, I applied to the Quarter Master General for assistance to move the heavy park from Easton, and about two hundred tons of shot and shells from Hibernia, Mount Hope and Pompton furnaces. Enclosed are copies of my letter to him, and his...
55To George Washington from Brigadier General Henry Knox, 20 July 1780 (Washington Papers)
Mr Faesh is so deeply impres’d, with a beleif, that the disafected, will set fire to his furnace, if he shall cast shot, or shells, that he declines to cast those articles, unless the continent, will indemnity for any loss he may incur in consequence, or provide him with a guard. I have endevor’d to convince him to the contrary, but without effect. I humbly submit to Your Excellency, the...
56To George Washington from Brigadier General Henry Knox, 28 July 1780 (Washington Papers)
The great demand we probably shall have for musket cartridges the present campaign must induce every exertion to procure as adequate supplies as possible. We have at Fishkill, West Point, and with the spare stores of this army, materials sufficient for six hundred thousand. I therefore take the liberty to propose that one hundred men be immediately set to work at Fishkill, or West Point, as...
57To George Washington from Brigadier General Henry Knox, 9 September 1780 (Washington Papers)
I have endevor’d attentively to consider the several propositions, resulting from the State of the Army and Country, which your Excellency on the 6th instant was pleas’d to lay before your General Officers assembled in Council: The respective States, complying only partially, with the requisitions made of them, of men, and provisions; The inadequate quantities of Military Stores; the...
58To George Washington from Brigadier General Henry Knox, 18 October 1780 (Washington Papers)
I have received a letter from Lt Colonel David Mason, superintendant of the laboratory at Springfield, dated 30 ulto, enclosing a copy of a resolution of Congress for dismissing him from any further service at that post. I take the liberty to inform Your Excellency that Col. Mason has been employed, by my direction, at Springfield for the summer past in making fuzes, a species of laboratory...
59To George Washington from Brigadier General Henry Knox, 19 October 1780 (Washington Papers)
Monsieur Garranger has sollicited me to write to Your Excellency in his behalf. This gentleman was directed by the honorable Congress, nearly two years ago, to repair to camp, and to serve in such capacity as Your Excellency might judge proper. Accordingly he has been with the Army for the greater part of the last and present campaigns, desirous of an opportunity to signalize himself, but...
60To George Washington from Brigadier General Henry Knox, 3 November 1780 (Washington Papers)
In the council of war held on the 31 ulto, Your Excellency did your general officers the honor to state to them the force which the enemy had detatched from New York, and the reinforcements they had received since the council of the 6 Sepr last, and the probability that the detatchment was destined for the Southern States. Also, the number of men that will remain of this Army for the war, on...