General Orders, 2 February 1780
General Orders
Head-Quarters Morristown Wednesday Feby 2nd 1780.
Parole France— C. Signs Florence. Florida.
The next weekly returns are to contain the names of the Field officers—the duties they may be on—times of absence—where—and upon what occasion.
Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
Adj. Gen. Alexander Scammell’s orderly book entry for this date includes the following additional general orders: “The Pennsylvania Division will relieve the main Guard to Day.
“The Maryland Division furnishes the Fatigue Party for the Orderly room tomorrow and next Day
“Clintons Brigade will relieve the Forage Guard at Veal Town and Starks Brigade, the Fatigue party at Pluckemin as soon as possible. The General Court martial will sit tomorrow. Lieutt Coll sherman is to go on Command with the Connecticut Division and Lieut. Coll North being sick, Majors Piatt and Trescott are appointed members.
“The Connecticut Division marches Tomorrow morning” (orderly book, 17 Oct. 1779–22 March 1780, DNA: RG 93, Orderly Books, 1775–1783, vol. 33).
On this date, GW’s secretary Robert Hanson Harrison wrote to John Laurance, judge advocate general of the Continental army: “I have communicated the contents of your letter to his Excellency the Commander in chief. The General has no objection to giving you a warrant for a [ ] on account for the purposes you mention; but cannot tell him for how much it should be. You will be pleased to inform him. His Excelly thinks as far as it can be done—it will be best for you to have Depositions taken as you proposed some time ago” (in private hands). Laurance’s letter to Harrison has not been identified.
No letter from Laurance to GW on this subject has been found, but on 5 Feb., GW issued a warrant to Laurance for $1,000 “to defray the Expences of Witnesses to attend Colo. Hoopers trial” (Revolutionary War Warrant Book 5, 1780–1783, DLC:GW, ser. 5). For the court-martial of deputy quartermaster general Robert Lettis Hooper, Jr., see GW to Nathanael Greene, 1 Aug. 1779, and n.1.