To George Washington from Lieutenant Colonel William Scudder, 10 June 1780
From Lieutenant Colonel William Scudder
Windsor1 Middlesex County [N.J.] Ju[n]e 10 [17]80
Sir
Having Just Recd Orders to March My Regiment to Join Yr Excelency and expecting to be on Our way tomorrow Morning whish to be directed what Rought to take.2
his Excelency Govenr Livingston order’d us to Morris unless countermanded By Yr Excelency But hearing of the Enemie’s Retreat to Elizabeth Town shall proceed that way until ⟨I⟩ here from Yr Excelency. I am Sir Yr vary Hume Sert
Wm Scudder Lt Col:
ALS, PHi: Gratz Collection; Sprague transcript, DLC:GW. The mutilated word on the ALS is supplied in angle brackets from the Sprague transcript. The ALS was marked “By Express.”
GW’s reply to Scudder was drafted on the back of the ALS’s cover. Written at Springfield on this date, it reads: “You will march Your Regiment to this place by way of Scotch plains inquiring as you advance respecting the position of the enemy and regulating your Motions accordingly, ’till you join the army” (Df, in Alexander Hamilton’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW).
William Scudder (1739–1793) in August 1776 became first major of the third regiment of Middlesex County militia and in September of the following year its lieutenant colonel.
1. Windsor Township, part of Middlesex County when set off from Piscataway Township in 1751, was divided into the townships of East Windsor and West Windsor in 1797, both now within Mercer County.
2. For the orders directing Scudder’s regiment into the field on this date, see GW to Nathaniel Heard, 9 June, source note.