To George Washington from Colonel Stephen Moylan, 22 January 1780
From Colonel Stephen Moylan
Middletown [Conn.] 22d Jany 1780
Dear Sir
there is at Last a path made from East Haddam to Colchester, by which rout I shall march of[f] the Regiment this day. we have an exceeding cold day, and the Regiment So very badly off for under cloaths that they are much to be pitied. if the Quarters are So bad as represented to me, it will be much to be Lamented that the whole has been orderd thither—Major Tallmadge informs me that a part of the 2d will march this day by way of Bolton—and the remainder the 24th the Dismounted of that Regiment are to remain at Weathersfield, as it will be impossible to quarter them at Colchester, this is don at the request of Mr Hubbard, who acknowledges that the men cannot be quarterd any where convenient to the Stables.
Captain Pike, & Captain Craig are going to recruit for the Regiment.1 if your Excellency will be pleasd to order them Some money for that purpose, they will account for the Same—as there are Severall of the officers now absent and my books in New Jersey I have desired Capt. Pike to make out the Arrangement of the Regiment from the Paymasters book, and Lay the Same before your Excellency or the Board of War as you may please to order—Major Talmadge is the oldest Major, and if Lt Col. White is promoted to the 1st Regiment, he must in course come into the 4th Captain Bull of the 2d is the oldest Captain and is entitled to the first Majority Fauntleroy & Hopkins are I believe next for preferment, their Commissions are of the Same date, 21st Jany 17772—Fauntleroy was first appointed, and by the inclosed you will See Captain Hopkins pretentions.3 I have the honor to be with the greatest respect Dear Sir your most Ob. H. Servt
Stephen Moylan
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. Zebulon Pike (1751–1834) of New Jersey—father of the famous soldier and explorer Zebulon M. Pike (1779–1813)—joined the 4th Continental Dragoon Regiment as a cornet in March 1777, and in November he became regimental adjutant. He was promoted to lieutenant in March 1778 and to captain the following December. He became regimental paymaster in June 1780 and served in the regiment until the close of the war. In 1791, Pike received an appointment as a captain in one of the battalions of levies raised by Congress for Maj. Gen. Arthur St. Clair’s campaign against hostile Indians in Ohio. He became a captain in the U.S. Army in March 1792. Pike was promoted to major in March 1800 and breveted to lieutenant colonel in July 1812. He left the army in June 1815.
2. Moore Fauntleroy joined the 5th Virginia Regiment as an ensign in February 1776, and the following September he received promotion to lieutenant. In January 1777, he transferred as a captain to the 4th Continental Dragoon Regiment. He was taken prisoner near Philadelphia in September 1777, and at this time he was still a prisoner of war. After his exchange later in 1780, Fauntleroy became major of the regiment, with his rank backdated to August 1779. He served to the close of the war.
3. The enclosed undated, unsigned document reads: “By the resignation of Col. [Benjamin] Bird [Burd] of 3d Regt Major Washington of 4th was promoted to Lt Col. in his place—By the death of Major Clough of 3d Capt. Call 1[s]t promoted in his place; & Capt. Stoddard of 2d into the 4th—Lt Col. Blackden Resigned of the 2d which entitled Major Jamisson 1[s]t—a Lt Col. in the Same, & Capt. Bull of the 2d to a Majority in the 1[s]t—Stoddard being in a bad state of health did not Join his Regt but died—which left a vacancy of a Majority as is Supposed for Capt. Hopkins of the 4th Capt. Fontluroy of the Same has pretentions to it likewise.
“Capt. Hopkins pretentions are
“He engaged in the Service of his Country in Decr 74 (& has attended to no other business Since) in learning the use of Arms & teaching the Militia of Maryland, in July 75 he went to Cambridge to Serve in the army as a Volunteer—Soon after the expedition against Qubec under the gallant then Col. Arnold was resolved on—with him he entered. tho at the Same time he had a Capt. Commission offered him, But he chose to See Service before he recd an office.
“Every one has heard of the hardships mighty, and almost insurmountab⟨le⟩ obsticles all who went on that expedition had to encounter—he was in the Seiage, Storm, & blockade, of Quebec in the Spring he returned with letters from the commanding Officer to the President of Congress—Prior to this that Honorable body had resolved that all who had been on that ardeous Campain should be first provided for in the army—agreeable to this resolve he was inform’d by Govenor Johnson then in Congress, that the Committee of Congress had ordered him the first vacant Majority this was in april 76. Govenor Johnson told him not to wait on Congress but to go home & he would See he had it, accordingly he left it in his hands—never Supposeing it necessary to make any farther application for his wright, to a body whose existence was in Justice as he thought—however the campain opened & as he had not recd the promised Majority he entered into the then Col. Smallwoods Regt as a Volunteer Served the most of the Campain as Such at the close of which he Re[ceive]d a command in Col. Moylan’s Regt Lt Dragoons” (DLC:GW).