To George Washington from Colonel Christian Febiger, 8 March 1779
From Colonel Christian Febiger
M[iddle] Brook March 8th 1779
May it please your Excellency
At the Request of Captn Calmes who is desirous of leaving the Service.
I do certify that to the best of my Knowledge he has settled all his Accounts with the publick and is not indebted either to the united States or the State of Virginia except for some Articles, which he had from the State Store and for which he has deposited monney in the hands of Captn Taylor to settle.1
pr Captn Calmes I send the pamphlet mention’d yesterday2 and enclos’d is the proceedings of a Board of Officers relative to some men, who without my Knowledge had troubled your Excellency with a petition3 I should be happy if your Excellency would approve4 them and send them back, as I foresee some Inconvenience might arise, unless this matter is determind. and Colo. Morgan had permitted both those and a Number of other men to swear of, who I have the greatest Reason to believe were actually inlisted for the War. I have the honor to be May it please your Excellen[c]y Your most obedient and most humble Servt
Christian Febiger Colo. Comdt 1st Va Brigade
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. William Taylor (1753–1830) became a lieutenant in the 2d Virginia Regiment in January 1776 and rose to captain that December. He served as major of the 9th Virginia Regiment from December 1779, retired from the army in February 1781, and later moved to Kentucky.
2. This pamphlet has not been identified.
3. The enclosure is “Proceedings of a Brigade Board of Officers at Middle Brook 7th of March 1779 To enquire into the Nature & Validity of the Enlistment of certain Soldiers in Capt. Calmes Company of the 2nd Virginia Regiment,” signed by Capt. William Taylor, president of a board that included four other officers. The proceedings read: “Patrick Haggerty (Sergeant) Moses Baker, Joseph Drinker, Stacy Willson—Jacob Antell, John Corkin, George Smith & Jeremiah Harrison Soldiers—appeared before the Court and deny enlisting for during the War.
“Capt. Calmes produced for the Court receipts & an Enlistment signed by all the above men, wherein they acknowledge to have received their full bounty & obligate themselves to serve during the present War—& Capt. Calmes deposeth that when Capt. Alexander offered the said enlistment to the men to sign he the deponent heard it read to most if not all of the men who deny that they ever enlisted for the War.
“The Court are Unanimously of oppinion the above mentioned men were fairly enlisted & that they ought to be retained in the Service during the present War.
“The Court having considered the Complaints of Jesse Bates, William Dollar, & John Bowen, Soldiers & Capt. Calmes informing them that he has reasons to believe they were enlisted for three Years only; The Court are of oppinion, that they will be entitled to discharges at the expiration of three years from the times of their several enlistments” (DLC:GW).
4. Febiger inadvertently wrote “appove” on the manuscript.