From George Washington to Major General William Heath, 31 December 1779
To Major General William Heath
Head Quarters Morris town 31st Decemr 1779
Dear Sir
I have received your favs. of the 21st and 26th Inst. Certificates from the paymasters of the 1st and 15th Massachusetts Regiments setting forth that Ensigns Gilbert and porter have settled their regimental accounts are necessary before those Gentlemen can obtain discharges.1 Upon producing them to you, you may indorse their discharges upon their Commissions, and inform me of the date, that I may register them. The Adjutant General transmits you a Copy of a late general Order specifying the proper Certificates to be produced hereafter upon application for liberty to leave the Service.2
I shall write immediately to the Board of Treasury and request them to order Mr Read the Deputy Pay Master at Albany to remove from thence to the Highlands for the conveniency of the payment of the troops there.3 The military Chest here is so nearly exhausted that it will not be worth while for the Massachusetts pay Masters to come down, and you will be pleased to signify the same to General poor at Danbury, whose troops will also be paid from the Chest at the Highlands.4
I do not conceive myself at liberty to make any extra allowance of Rations to Maj: Bauman—Congress having expressly limited any indulgence of that kind to a Colonel when commanding a Brigade.5
If the Cloathing issued at West point has been regularly disposed of, I have no more to say in the matter. I have desired as much to be delivered to the Infantry under Colo. putnam as will make them comfortable, and I shall desire the Cloathier Genl in making his distribution to have a due regard to the troops on the East side of Hudsons River.
The Officers who have lately received their Commissions are to be made up in the Muster Rolls and to draw their pay from the times the Vacancies, to which they are promoted, happened.
It is my wish to promote and forward the reinlistment of the troops as much as possible, for which purpose, I will, upon your sending down a proper person to receive the money, return you as much as can be spared to be distributed among the commanding Officers of Regiments.6
The Fleet which has been so long in preparation sailed from New York the 26th their destination or the number of troops on board is not ascertained, but it is generally imagined they are bound to Georgia, and from what I can collect, they have about 5000 Men on board.7 I am with great Regard Dear Sir Your most obt Servt
Go: Washington
LS, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, MHi: Heath Papers; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. Ens. Elisha Gilbert and Lt. Jonathan Porter both sought to resign from the Continental army.
Elisha Gilbert entered the army from Stockbridge, Mass., and served as a sergeant in the 15th Massachusetts Regiment during 1776. He became a sergeant major in the 1st Massachusetts Regiment in January 1777 and an ensign in September 1778. Gilbert, whose resignation was dated 1 Jan. 1780, apparently married a woman from Providence in November 1779.
Jonathan Porter (1745–1817) served as sergeant and quartermaster sergeant in the 15th Massachusetts Regiment from 1777 until he advanced to ensign in March 1779. He became a lieutenant that June and did not resign until December 1780.
2. GW is referring to the general orders for 25 December.
4. To fulfill GW’s directive, Heath wrote Brig. Gen. Enoch Poor from Beverly Robinson’s house on 12 Jan. 1780, adding: “I am in daily expectation of the arrival of mr Read, the D. Paymaster General with the military Chest, when he arrives I will notify you of it” (MHi: Heath Papers). Poor acknowledged Heath’s letter in a reply written at Danbury, Conn., on 16 Jan. (MHi: Heath Papers). Heath then wrote Poor from the Highlands, N.Y., on 30 Jan. with news that Thomas Reed, deputy paymaster, had arrived “with the Military Chest” the previous day (MHi: Heath Papers).
5. GW is alluding to a resolution that Congress passed on 19 April granting six additional rations to a colonel when commanding a brigade “in the absence of a brigadier … in consideration of the extra expence he is subjected to by such command” ( 13:473; see also John Jay to GW, 20 April).
6. Heath replied to GW on 5 Jan. 1780 (DLC:GW).
7. A British expedition departed New York City for Charleston, S.C., on 26 Dec. (see Anthony Wayne to GW, that date, source note).