George Washington Papers
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https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-30-02-0168

To George Washington from Major General Arthur St. Clair, 17 January 1781

From Major General Arthur St. Clair

Mr Hoopers near Trenton Janry 17th 1781

Sir

In Obedience to your Excellencys Desire by your favour of the 12th, I set out the night before last from Morris Town and got to this Place this Morning, where I have had an interview with Colonell Butler. My Information with Respect to the Negotiation which I communicated on the 15th was right1—The Terms of it are that all those enlisted for the Bounty of twenty Dollars, and whose Enlistments express that they are to serve for three Years or the War, are to receive their Discharges; and those also who have been engaged for the Bounty of one hundred and twenty Dollars under a like Stipulation; where the Enlistments cannot be produced the Oath of the Soldier is admitted, and as it is the Case that many of the Enlistments cannot be produced they swear away without any Compunction—It seems there was a Necessity for proceeding to Business before there was time to get those of the first and second Regiments down from the Hutts,2 and in Consequence, the greatest part of these two Regiments are already discharged, and all the third except about sixty, indeed I do not expect that many will, under these Circumstances, be retained in any of them. those that are, receive a furlough for forty Days, and Places of Rendevouz are appointed them, in different Parts of Pennsylvania, where they are to assemble at the Expiration of that time—The Arms are delivered up, as they are discharged or furloughed put on Board Shallops, and sent to Philadelphia. The Artillery, which they have given up, is also sent there. from this your Excellency will see that it is unnecessary to send any Detachment on Account of the Mutineers, as in a few Days the whole Line will certainly be dissipated, but whether it may not be necessary to post some more Troops upon the Communication you will be best able to judge.

In my last I mentioned that I had reason to believe that the Ennemys Troops were returned from Staaten Island,3 but I have since seen Colonell Barber, who assured me that on friday last4 they were still upon the Island—That Sir Henry had no Accounts from the People he had sent out, nor did even know where the disconte[n]ted Troops were.5 It is most probable that he will remain there untill he obtains that Information, which one would think he must have had long ere this, as the Spies were executed on Thursday last.6

We have it reported that the French Fleet with ten thousand Troops are arrived at Rhode Island—in that Case we shall the less miss the Pennsylvanians.7

I informed your Excellency that I should order the Jersey Detachment from Chatham for the Hutts,8 but in a Conference with Colonell Barber I thought it better, to allow him, assoon as it should be asscer-tained that the Ennemy have returned, to march the Detachment to Pompton, leaving a Guard for the preservation of the Hutts and the Stores at Morris Town.

I mentioned a Wish to your Excellency to return for some little Time to Pennsylvania9—I am afraid I shall not be able to wait for your Permission, having been attacked by the Gout last Night, and am now in very great Pain—I shall give it a tryal however—if it goes off—again well—if not I must hobble Home the best way I can. With every Sentiment of Respect I am Sir Your most obedient humble Servant,

Ar. St Clair

Governor Reed and the Committee of Congress have left Trenton There Remains, Genl Potter, Collo. Atle [,] Blair McClennachan and Capt. Saml Morris as Commissioners to enquire into the Soldier’s Claims.

ALS, DLC:GW. St. Clair addressed the letter from the home of Robert Lettis Hooper, Jr., former deputy quartermaster general. GW’s aide-de-camp David Humphreys docketed the letter: “Not to be Ansd.”

2St. Clair refers to the winter encampment habitations of the Pennsylvania line near Morristown, New Jersey.

3St. Clair’s last letter to GW was that of 14–15 January.

4The previous Friday was 12 January.

5For several days after the Pennsylvania mutineers had marched from Princeton, N.J., to Trenton on 9 Jan., the British believed them to be in Princeton, and an officer at British headquarters wrote on 15 Jan.: “We can get no intelligence that can be depended upon from the Pennsylvanians” (see Mackenzie Diary description begins Diary of Frederick Mackenzie Giving a Daily Narrative of His Military Service as an Officer of the Regiment of Royal Welch Fusiliers during the Years 1775–1781 in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York. 2 vols. Cambridge, Mass., 1930. description ends , 2:451–52).

6Gen. Henry Clinton left Staten Island, N.Y., for New York City on 15 January. On the same day the British learned that two of the emissaries had been hanged (see Mackenzie Diary description begins Diary of Frederick Mackenzie Giving a Daily Narrative of His Military Service as an Officer of the Regiment of Royal Welch Fusiliers during the Years 1775–1781 in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York. 2 vols. Cambridge, Mass., 1930. description ends , 2:452–53). For their execution, see Continental Congress Committee on the Pennsylvania Line to GW, 10–11 Jan., n.7.

7This report was false.

9St. Clair had mentioned this in his letter to GW of 14–15 January.

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