George Washington Papers

To George Washington from Francis Mentges, 26 December 1781

Williamsburg the 26 Decr 1781

Sir

It is with the greatest mortification I am to acquaint your Excellency of the accident happnd on the Night of the 22 instant, by a fire brocke out at the Palace, where the General Hospital was Keept, and the whole Building was consumed, lukely, the sick & wounded were saved—but One—who perished by the flames—it is generaly thought the fire was laid in to the lower Rooms, where no sick were, by Negroes or disaffected persons—I am now Necesetated to call your Excelle. attention from Busseness of greater moments—& lay before your Execll. the distresses I labour under as superintenting Officer & beg to refer to my letter of the 29 ultimo wherein I mentioned your Execl. the bad Managment and suplys of the Hospitals, caussed by the surgeons—& stuarts, who are only accountable to the Purveyor general of the Hospitals for the Exspendetur of the stores—the Distress now of the sick is much greater since they lost all the trieffle of Cloathing they had and are mostly naked, I received Chex for 130 shirts, but neither money, nor thread to have them made. I therefore begd the Ladies of this place to make [them] out of Charity, which they Chearfuly did, I beg your Excely to have Cloathing forwarded to enable me to send the Convalesans, to their Regts and the desabled to the invald Corps, likwis will your Exy be pleased to have some Money send On, that the Officers who were left with me, may [trans]port the Convalescens—I transmited a general Return of the Hospitals to the Adjt general specifying the Names and Regts the Men belong to. I have the Honor to be with the highest Esteeme Your Excel. Ob. hb. Servt

F. Mentges

N.B. at the Hospitals

at Williamsburg 113

Petersburg 21.

Hanover 29.

=163. Men

DLC: Papers of George Washington.

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