From George Washington to Major General John Sullivan, 25 October 1779
To Major General John Sullivan
Head Qrs West-point 25th Octbr 1779
Dr Sir
I have been duly favored with your letter of the 22d.1
The enemy having evacuated both their posts at Kings ferry2 you will on receipt of this proced with your troops to Sufferans at the entrance of the Clove. Should you not have advanced far on your march to Warwick, Hacketstown—Mount-pleasant—Mount-Hope and Pompton would appear the most eligible route to this place.3 But that I may know this exactly you will be pleased to inform me of the Stages, that I may not be at a loss where to meet you should it be necessary to urge your march.4 I am Dr Sir &.
G.W.
Df, in James McHenry’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. For evidence that the LS of this letter, which has not been found, may have been dated 26 Oct., see GW to Sullivan, 27 October.
1. Sullivan’s letter to GW of 22 Oct. has not been found.
2. For the recent British evacuation of Stony Point and Verplanck Point, N.Y., see GW to Horatio Gates, 22 Oct., and n.7.
3. GW may have supposed that Sullivan’s command had not gone far on its march toward Warwick, N.Y., from a letter that Sullivan wrote Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene from Easton, Pa., on Friday, 22 October. That letter in part reads: “The Army is not yet in motion but will be on Monday I Shall agreable to your Directions march them to Warwick” ( 3:154). The proposed route to Suffern, N.Y., went through New Jersey and included Hackettstown in eastern Sussex (now Warren) County and the villages of Mount Pleasant and Mount Hope in Pequannock Township, Morris County. Both villages contained ironworks.
4. For the orders, often modified, that guided the return of troops involved in Sullivan’s expedition against the Six Nations, see GW to Sullivan, 3, 14, 20, 27, 28, and 31 Oct.; see also Sullivan to GW, 5 Nov., and n.1 to that document.