From George Washington to Brigadier General James Clinton, 10 June 1780
To Brigadier General James Clinton
Head Quarters Heights above Springfield
June 10th 1780
Dear Sir
From the accounts which I have received from the northward, I am in hopes there will be no occasion for your advancing beyond Albany.1 I put this letter under cover to the Lieut. Governor with a desire to forward it to you, in case the information he may have received of the retreat of the Enemy will justify your recall.2 In such case, you will return with the utmost expedition to West Point and put yourself under the command of Genl Howe or Genl Heath should he have arrived from Boston—From the present apprehensions of the designs of the Enemy, you will be pleased to use every exertion to reach West Point, should it be determined by the Legislature that you may come down the river. I am Dr Sir your most obet servant
Go: Washington
LS, in Richard Kidder Meade’s writing, NNPM; LS, in Robert Hanson Harrison’s writing, N-Ar: George Clinton Papers; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript (letterbook 11), DLC:GW; Varick transcript (letterbook 12), DLC:GW. GW enclosed one LS in his letter of this date to New York lieutenant governor Pierre Van Cortlandt, and he sent a duplicate LS with his letter to New York governor George Clinton of 15 June. The LS in N-Ar is too badly burned to determine whether it was marked “duplicate.”
1. These accounts have not been identified.
2. After receiving GW’s letter of this date addressed to Van Cortlandt, George Clinton forwarded this letter to James Clinton (see George Clinton to GW, 13 June).