31From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 22 February 1776 (Washington Papers)
In my letter to you of the 19th instant I mentioned to you that I was sorry to find there would come but 4217 pounds of powder instead of 6 or 8000 I had expectations of—I had taken my information from Governor Cooke’s letter which upon a reperusal I find mentions that weight including the Casks. I have since had it weighed by the Commissary, an exact return of which you have inclosed; by...
32From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 9 March 1776 (Washington Papers)
The important Post at Dorchester Hill which has long been the object of our particular attention, and which, for various weighty reasons I had delayed taking possession of, I have the pleasure to inform you is now so well secured, that I flatter myself it will not be in the power of the Enemy to dispossess us. A Detachment of twenty five hundred men under the Command of Brigadier General...
33From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 14 March 1776 (Washington Papers)
Since I did myself the honor to write you last, the Enemy have embarked their Troops on board a number of Transports, and are now making a shameful retreat from Boston. Various are the conjectures of their destination, though most agree it is either for Halifax or New-York—The latter place seems by much the most probable, be that as it may, New York is a Post of infinite importance both to...
34From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 21 March 1776 (Washington Papers)
I received your favor of the 18th instant, and concur with you in opinion, that their Women and Children with the Tory Families will most probably go to Halifax. This is what I meant and alluded to, having never suspected that they, especially the latter, would go to New York. I am extremely obliged by your friendly hints and shall ever receive them with pleasure, but I do not think that they...
35Circular to Nicholas Cooke, Lord Stirling, Brigadier General William Thompson, and Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 27 March 1776 (Washington Papers)
I take this earliest opportunity to acquaint you that the Men of War and Transports with the Ministerial Troops sailed this afternoon from Nantasket Harbour. There is only a Man of War and two or three other armed Vessels now remaining there. In consequence of this movement I have ordered a Brigade to march to morrow morning for New York, and shall follow with the remainder of the Army as soon...
36From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 28 March 1776 (Washington Papers)
I have been all this day at Boston. On my return your esteemed favor of the 25th was handed to me. I have not time to answer it at present. The next opportunity will convey to you that, and the money for amount of the account you have enclosed. I am with very great respect Sir Your most humble and obedient Servant LB , Ct : Trumbull Papers. “This day,” says a newspaper account of 28 Mar., “the...
37From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 20 April 1776 (Washington Papers)
By the returns, just delivered me, of the state of our Ammunition, I find we are greatly deficient in the article of Ball, and as I understand a large quantity of Lead has been manufactured at Middletown in your Government, I must beg the favor of you to forward as much as you can spare to me, as soon as possible. I am very respectfully Sir your most obedient humble Servant P.S. As the...
38From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 22 April 1776 (Washington Papers)
When I had the honor of seeing you at Norwich you gave me some encouragements to hope you would spare me a number of Arms, which you said were then repairing—The great deficiency of Arms in the Regiments raised in this Province and the Jerseys (some being totally unprovided) obliges me to request the favor of you to forward all that are finished to me by the first convenient opportunity—I am...
39From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 26 April 1776 (Washington Papers)
When you did me the honor of a visit at Norwich in my way to this place, I communicated to you the recommendation I had received from Congress for sending four Battalions from hence to reinforce our Troops in Canada. I now beg leave to inform you that, in compliance therewith, on Saturday and Sunday last, I detached four Regiments thence under the command of Brigadier General Thompson, and by...
40From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 2 May 1776 (Washington Papers)
I received your favor of the 27th ulto and am sorry to inform you that it is not in my power at this time to refund to your Colony the powder lent the Continent, our Magazines here being very low, and the pressing demands from Canada obliging me immediately to forward sixty barrels thither. Should any inconvenience result to the Colony from not having it, it will give me much uneasiness. You...
41From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 10 June 1776 (Washington Papers)
Before this I expect you have recieved the Resolve of Congress for augmenting our Army here and in Canada, with their requisition for the Quota of Men to be furnished by your Colony —I must beg leave to add, that from intelligence just recieved, and a variety of circumstances combining to confirm it, General Howe, with the Fleet from Halifax or some other Armament, is hourly expected at the...
42From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 7 July 1776 (Washington Papers)
I have been honored with your favors of the 3d and 4th instant and return you my sincere thanks for your kind intention to afford me every assistance in your power at this truly critical and alarming period. The situation of our affairs calls aloud for the most vigorous exertions, and nothing else will be sufficient to avert the impending blow. From four prisoners taken the other day we are...
43From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 9 July 1776 (Washington Papers)
Yours of the inst. is safe to hand. Colo. Seymour arrived yesterday with a few of his men when I sent for and acquainted him it would be impossible for me to have his Horses remain here. Forrage is not to be procured, and if it could, it would only be a great expence without a single advantage arising from it. The men are absolutely necessary till the arrival of the new Levies—Coll Seymour is...
44From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 11 July 1776 (Washington Papers)
I duly received your favor of the 6th instant and return you my best thanks for the attention you have shewn at this Crisis, in preparing the several Regiments of Militia which are nearest this place to be ready for marching when ordered. Some of the Troops have arrived, and I hope the rest will follow without loss of time. In my last letter I wrote you fully relative to the Light Horse, which...
45From George Washington to Nicholas Cooke and Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 15 July 1776 (Washington Papers)
Since my last Two of the Enemies Ships, one of Forty the other twenty Guns, taking advantage of a strong Wind and Tide pass’d Us notwithstanding a warm fire from all our Batteries, they now lie in Taupan Sea between Twenty and thirty Miles up Hudsons-River, where no Batteries from Shore can molest them, their Views no doubt are to cut of all Communication between this and Albany by Water,...
46From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 19 July 1776 (Washington Papers)
The enclosed extracts from the proceedings of Congress which I have the honor to transmit you will discover their anxiety respecting our Army here and their wishes to have it reinforced. I shall only add, that the situation of our affairs demands the most speedy succour, and my request, that you use your good offices for expediting the new Levies as fast as possible. I have also inclosed you a...
47From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 21 July 1776 (Washington Papers)
By letter received from five Gentlemen Committee appointed by Provincial Convention of this State to reconnoitre and report the situation of the High Lands and Forts on Hudsons River, I find them in great want of Cannon, two men of war and three tenders being but about ten miles below them, and in daily expectation of their attempting to pass the Forts Montgomery and Constitution, to burn the...
48From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 24 July 1776 (Washington Papers)
I was honored yesterday with your favor of the 17th instant and return you my thanks for your kind attention to and compliance with my request for the Row Galleys. They are not yet arrived that I know of. I wrote to Congress by the return Express that brought your’s, respecting Colo. Ward’s Regiment, and as the Post comes in every day, it is probable I shall soon have their answer. The result...
49From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 1 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
Congress having been pleased to empower me to order Colo. Ward’s regiment wherever I might think it necessary, I take the liberty of requesting you to direct him to march it immediately to this place, where, I am of opinion, the service requires it, & their aid may be extremely material, especially as the Levies come in but slowly. Since my last nothing of importance has occurred; or that is...
50From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., and Colonel Samuel Elmore, 1 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
Having just received from Congress a return of Colo. Elmore’s Regiment now in your State, with directions that it shall join this Army, I request the favor of you to order him to march immediately to this place—They have appointed John Brown Esqr. Lieut. Colo. of it, and Robert Cocke Esqr. Major. Commissions for such Officers as appear with their respective Companies I am to fill up. I have...
51From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 7 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
By two Deserters this day we have the following intelligence (viz.) That General Clinton and Lord Cornwallis with the whole Southern Army have arrived from South Carolina and landed on Staten Island, in number between 3 & 4,000, that the Fleet which came in a few days since are the Hessians and Scotch Highlanders part of 12,000 who were left off Newfoundland, and the whole making about 30,000...
52From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 8 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
As Capt. Bacon has been here in pursuit of some Duck and other Articles for the Northern Army and is now gone into Connecticut, I take the liberty of forwarding a letter for him to Gov. Cooke under cover to you, by which Capt. Bacon can be furnished with what Duck is wanting provided he does not meet with it in Connecticut. I wrote you particularly last evening by Mr Root of Hartford since...
53From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 11 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
Necessity Obliges me to trouble your Honour with some more suspected persons whose Characters are such as to make it unsafe for them to remain at their Usual Places of Abode on Long Island—& there is no Retreat in this Province where they may not do some Mischeif or be less secure than our Safety requires, As they are apprehended meerly on Suspicion arrising from a General Line of Conduct,...
54From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 16 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
I have been obliged to trouble you with some more disaffected persons whose residence here was dangerous to the American Interest. I trust I have now done with them, at least for the present, and hope you will excuse the disagreeable necessity I have been under of solliciting your care and attention to provide for them and dispose of them. As the case of these differs in no respect from that...
55From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 18 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
I have been duly honored with your favor of the 13th inst. and at the same time that I think you and your Honble Council of Safety highly deserving of the thanks of the States for the measures you have adopted in order to give the most early and speedy succour to this Army, give me leave to return you mine in a particular manner. When the whole of the reinforcements do arrive, I flatter myself...
56From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 24 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
On thursday last the Enemy landed a body of Troops supposed to amount, from the best accounts I have been able to obtain, to eight or nine thousand men at Gravesend Bay on Long Island, ten miles distant from our works on the Island, and immediately marched through the level and open lands to Flat-Bush where they are now incamped. They are distant about three miles from our Lines, and have...
57From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 6 September 1776 (Washington Papers)
I have been honored with your favor of the 31st ulto and am extremely obliged by the measures you are taking in consequence of my recommendatory letter. The exertions of Connecticut upon this, as well as every other occasion, do them great honor, and I hope will be attended with successful and happy consequences. In respect to the mode of conduct to be pursued by the Troops that go over to the...
58From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 9 September 1776 (Washington Papers)
I have the honor of your favor of the 5th instant and am sorry to say that from the best information we have been able to obtain, the people on Long Island have, since our evacuation, gone generally over to the Enemy, and made such concessions as have been required: some through compulsion I suppose but more from inclination—As a diversion on the Island has been impracticable under these...
59From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 23 September 1776 (Washington Papers)
General Howe, in a letter received from him Yesterday evening by a Flag, having offered to exchange Brigadier General Lord Stirling for Governor Montfort Brown, and also requested that Govr Skeene may be granted his liberty without delay, assuring me that Mr Lovell shall be immediately enlarged upon his arrival from Halifax, and whose exchange for Govr Skeene has been agreed on, I must take...
60From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 26 September 1776 (Washington Papers)
Your favor of the 20th instant is Duly received. The several Regiments of Militia from Connecticut lately commanded by General Wolcott being reduced to almost nothing, one having returned under twenty and another short of Thirty effective men—they were yesterday discharged. I am full in opinion with you that some severe examples ought to be made of the late deserters. For a return of their...