From George Washington to Colonel Seth Warner, 31 March 1780
To Colonel Seth Warner
Head Quarters Morris Town 31st March 1780.
Sir
I have recd yours of the 10th Instant by Ensign Tolman to whom I have given a Warrt for 4400 dollars for Bounty to 44 Men inlisted previous to the 23d Jany 1779 and a Warrant for 5000 dollars for the purpose of recruiting1—Congress not having determined upon filling the additional Battalions, among which yours is included, I do not at present look upon myself authorised to give you liberty to proceed in recruiting—You will therefore upon the Receipt of this call in the Officers who are upon that service and apply the 5000 dollars sent by Mr Tolman to paying off the Bounties of those who have been inlisted.2 You can settle your recruiting Account with the Commissioners of public Accounts at Albany and should there be a Balance in your favor, I will grant a Warrant for it, upon being furnished with the settlement made with the Commissioners.3 I have given Mr Tolman an Order for 120 suits of Cloathes which I imagine will be the amount of the Men returned by you as already re-inlisted and those who may be expected in from your recruiting parties. Here I cannot help taking occasion to mention the necessity of your paying a strict attention to the application and distribution of this Cloathing, as it appears, by former deliveries of the different Cloathiers, that your Regimental pay Master4 has heretofore had a much greater quantity than any other Corps in proportion to its size.
I have likewise given an order upon the Quarter Master General for the portmanteaus for your Officers.5 I am &.
Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. GW’s warrant book for 30 March indicates $5,000 given to Ensign Thomas Tolman, paymaster to Warner’s Additional Continental Regiment, “for the purpose of recruiting said Regt for which Coll Warner is to be accountable” (Revolutionary War Warrant Book 5, 1780–1783, DLC:GW, ser. 5). The warrant book lists the $4,400 “Gratuity for 44 Men of sd Regiment” under 31 March (Revolutionary War Warrant Book 5, 1780–1783, DLC:GW, ser. 5). Each soldier was due $100.
2. Congress clarified the uncertain status of the Additional Continental Regiments in a resolution adopted on 3 Oct. that eliminated the remaining units as of 1 Jan. 1781 (see , 18:893–94; see also , 16:80–83).
3. The regiment’s recruiting accounts were still unsettled when Warner wrote GW from Bennington, Vt., on 23 Dec.: “I shall settle them myself, as soon as my Health will admit of riding” (DLC:GW).
4. GW is referring to former paymaster William Sherman.
5. GW’s orders for clothing and portmanteaus have not been identified.