From George Washington to Major General Nathanael Greene, 14 July 1780
To Major General Nathanael Greene
[Bergen County, N.J., 14 July 1780]
Sir
I have determined upon a plan of operations for the reduction of the City and Garrison of New York; which is to be carried on in conjunction with the french forces dayly expected from France. The number of Troops to be employed upon this occassion may be about forty thousand men. You are hereby directed therefore to make every necessary arrangement & provision in Your Department for carrying the plan of operations into execution. You will apply to the States for what they are bound to furnish agreeable to the several requisitions of Congress and their Committee at Camp.1 All such articles as the States are not bound to furnish, which will be necessary to go on with the Operations, you will provide; and for this purpose, you will apply to the Treasury-board for the requisite supplies of Cash.2
I have been in anxious expectation, that some plan would be determin’d for Your Department; but as it has not hitherto taken place; and as it is impossible to delay its operations a moment longer, waiting for such a plan, I am to desire you will yourself arrange it in some effectual manner to give dispatch & efficacy to Your measures, equal to the exigency.3 Your knowledge and experience in the business will be sufficient to direct your conduct, without going into more particular directions. It is my wish Your provisions should be ample, as nothing is more fatal to military operations, than a deficiency in the great Departments of the Army; and particularly so in Yours; which will be the hinge on which the whole enterprize must turn.4
The Honble The Committee of Congress, in their applications to the States have requested them to deliver the supplies raised at such places as the Quartr Mastr Genl and Commisy Genl should point out for the Articles in their respective departments. The Committee informed me that they had given you & Colo. Blaine information on this Head.5 But if any thing remains to be done in it, you will immediately do it, and I should be glad you would see the Commissary Mr Blaine, if present, if not, Mr Stewart, to concert the arrangement with him.
I am informed that there is at Albany a quantity of Plank and Timber sufficient for constructing about forty Batteaus which may be procured. If you have not a sufficiency of Boats you will endeavour to procure the above plank and timber. Genl Schuyler will give you more particular information. Given at Head Quarter Bergen County July 14. 1780.
Go. Washington
Df, in David Humphreys’s writing, DLC:GW; copy, MiU-C; copy, DNA:PCC, item 39; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
Although these orders are dated 14 July, GW had informed Greene of his intentions several days earlier and had directed him to commence preparations (see Greene to Nehemiah Hubbard and to Jeremiah Wadsworth, both 10 July, in , 6:77–79).
For the request for these orders, see Greene to GW, 13 July (first letter).
1. For the requisitions of Congress, see Samuel Huntington to GW, 29 Feb., n.2. For the requisitions of the Committee at Headquarters, see Circular to the States, 2 June, n.1.
GW, in an undated document, wrote out a summary of the supplies due from each state per the requisition from the Committee at Headquarters: “Pensylvania—pr Month. 5,000 Barls of Flour—1000 of wch to be delivered at Easton—1000 at Coryells ferry and the rest at Trenton. 166,835. lbs. of Beef or Porke. deld in Phila. 30,000 lbs. of Bacon. in three equal parcels Monthly to the last of Sepr—225. H[ogs]h[ea]ds of Rum. delivd at the Army. 9142. Bushl of grain for forage—pr Month—1500 of wch at Easton—1500 at Coryells—the rest at Trentn 250 Waggons complt. with 4 Horses [and] 1500 Horses without Harness to be attachd to the Ar⟨my⟩.
“Delaware. 500 Barls of flour pr Month. 71,675. lbs. of Beef—delivd to the Comy General. 5,000 lbs. of Bacon—deld as at Pensa—6,857 Bushls of grain—where the Q.M.G. shall direct 50 Waggons. with 4 horses compleat [and] 300 draft horses. for the Army.
“New Jersey. 500 Barls of Flour—pr Month 36760 lbs. of Beef 500 Bushls of Salt. deld to the Cy Genl 6857. Bushl of grain for forage. deld to the Q.M.G. 51 Waggons & Harness with 4 Horses 696. Draft Horses.
“Rhode Island. 71,675 lbs. of Beef—pr Month. 30 Hhds of Rum. delivd to the Comy 2285. Bushls of grain—Deld to the Q.M. Genl 200 Draught horses to be attached to the Army.
“New-Hampshire 166,835 lbs. of Beef. pr Month. 25 Hhds of Rum. dd Comy 150 Horses. attached to the Army.
“Virginia 60,000 lbs. of Bacon—in 3 eql parcels to the last Sep: 60 Hhds of Rum. pr Month. deld the Comy 29,714 Bushls grain for forage. Dd to the Q.M. Genl.
“Maryland 2500 Barls of flour. pr Month. 143,045 lbs. of Beef [per month] deld Cy Genl 30,000 lbs. of Bacon—thrice as aforementioned 11,428 Bushls of grain—deld as the Q.M.G. may direct 50 Waggons with 4 Horses compleat [and] 400 Draft Horses [for the] Army.
“New-York. 71,675 lbs. of Beef pr Month. 140 Barrls of flour [per month] 2285 Bushls of grain for forage.
“Massachusetts bay. 660,035 lbs. of Beef pr Month 225 Hhds of Rum. 4571. Bushl of grain 1020 Draft horses.
“Connecticut 1500 Barrls of Flour pr Month 666035 lbs. of Beef—[per month] 100 Hhds of Rum. 500 Bushls of Salt. 30,000 lbs. of Bacon. thrice 9142 Bushls of grain 100 Ox Carts [and] 400 oxen[,] proper requisites[, and] 1000 draft Horses [to the] Army.” GW docketed the document “Monthly Requisitn of the States within named” (AD, DLC:GW).
2. Greene wrote the Committee at Headquarters on this date explaining that he could not carry out this order because the Board of Treasury required estimates on the future application of the money; these he could not furnish (see , 6:103–6).
3. Congress approved the plan of reform for the quartermaster general’s department on 15 July (see , 17:615–635).
4. For the status of some of these preparations in the quartermaster general’s department, see Udny Hay to Greene, 14 July, in , 6:99–101; see also Greene to the Committee at Headquarters, 14 July, in , 6:103–6.
5. No letter from the Committee at Headquarters to GW on this subject has been found, and no letters from the committee to Greene and Ephraim Blaine on this subject have been identified; the communications probably were verbal.