1To George Washington from Richard Peters, 13 August 1781 (Washington Papers)
The Order of Congress which we have the Honour to communicate directing us to confer with your Excellency on the Subject of the proposed Numbers & Arrangements of the Army for the next Campaign, not having pointed out the Reasons inducing the Measure, we have the Honour to lay before you our Ideas on the Subject so far as we are acquainted with the Matter from a Conference at which we were...
2To George Washington from Richard Peters, 30 November 1792 (Washington Papers)
R. Peters’s respectful Compliments to The President & returns the Pamplet on the Foo⟨t⟩ Plough with Thanks for the Perusal. R.P. thinks there are many good & useful Observations in the Book, but he cannot prefer the Plough to the Bar Share Plough in Use among good Farmers here. The Idea of accomodating one Plough to many & different Operations may be well executed. But he would rather have...
3To George Washington from Richard Peters, 2 August 1790 (Washington Papers)
Averse as I am from a Desire to trouble you on such Subjects my Anxiety on Account of the Situation in which a worthy character is unfortunately placed has induced me to take the Liberty of mentioning to you the unhappy Predicament in which General Wayne stands—As Matters have turned out he was cursed with a Present from the State of Georgia of a Rice Plantation which they gave him with very...
4To George Washington from Richard Peters, 3 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
We have the Honour to transmitt a Copy of a Memorial relative to the Promotions in the Pennsilvania Regiment of Artillery & previous to our making a Report to Congress we beg the Favour of your Excellency’s Opinion thereupon. We have the Honour to be with the greatest Respect & Esteem your very obed. Servants DLC : Papers of George Washington. The Honorable the Congress of the United States...
5To George Washington from Richard Peters, 8 May 1781 (Washington Papers)
The Board have been honoured with your Excellency’s Letter of the 26th Ulto inclosing a Representation from Genl Knox against breaking up the Post at Fishkill: These Reasons appear to be Sufficient to induce a Repeal of our Order on that Subject & are very different from the Ideas we had of the Matter from Representations made to us; by which it seemed to be evident that the Post, if kept up...
6To George Washington from Richard Peters, 17 September 1788 (Washington Papers)
Yesterday I had the Honour of yours of the ’7th I was in Hopes the Crops with you would make up the Deficiency of ours which are wretched indeed. I have the best Crop in my Neighbourhood tho’ compared with that of a good Year it is but moderate. Our Situation removed from saline Particles in the Air & the Moisture & Warmth they occasion added to our bad Culture—hard Winter &, too frequently,...
7To George Washington from Richard Peters, 20 June 1792 (Washington Papers)
I shall be happy if I can assist in solving Mr Young’s Queries; but the Time will not admit either of Accuracy or the Combinations necessary to form the Average of Labour, Building & Improvement applicable to the State at large. From Mr Y’s Calculations, formed I presume upon Communications from you, I am surprized to find that the Prices of Labour & Quantity of Product are, in a great Degree,...
8To George Washington from Richard Peters, 18 October 1777 (Washington Papers)
I have the Honour to enclose all the Accounts we have in the Office of the State of Arms & military Stores. Lead is the most wanting & the Board have applied to Maryland & Virginia for an immediate Loan which it is hoped will be complied with as both those States have a considerable private Stock of this Article. Chiswells Mines are at Work on public Account & the Works are in but indifferent...
9To George Washington from Richard Peters, 6 September 1777 (Washington Papers)
Congress having referred the foregoing Letter to the Board they did not choose to make Report thereon until they had consulted your Excellency upon the Subject. It is therefore sent you with a Request that you would give your Opinion thereon & if the Ration now given is according to any Establishment made by you, the Board will be obliged to you for Information of the Reasons inducing you to...
10To George Washington from Richard Peters, 16 July 1794 (Washington Papers)
The Accounts given to the British Board of Agriculture are in general drawn up in a masterly Manner; so, as I should suppose (especially after being circulated for Correction) fully to answer the Expectations formed in the excellent Plan which produced them. They exhibit as well beneficial Practices, as Defects in Agriculture. They contain a Fund of Information, useful in political Œconomy &...
11To George Washington from Richard Peters, 7 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
The Board after making every Enquiry they can & after viewing the Subject in every Light they are capable of are convinced of the Necessity & Rictitude of siezing Blanketts Shoes & Necessaries for the Army from People of all Characters who can possibly spare them & from the disaffected altho the Measure should expose them to the greatest Difficulties which however cannot be greater than the...
12To George Washington from Richard Peters, 10 January 1779 (Washington Papers)
At the Desire of Mr Duane I send your Excellency sundry Papers relative to the Western Expedition under Genl McIntosh. Should it be in our Power to give any further Information it will be immediately communicated on Request. No authentic Intelligence has been received at this Office from Genl McIntosh since his March from Beaver Creek but we hear after leaving a Garrison at that Post where he...
13To George Washington from Richard Peters, 3 August 1777 (Washington Papers)
The Officers of Regiments & Companies are separately & constantly applying for Arms & Necessaries. A few have produced the Ajut Generals Signature to their Returns of Deficiencies. The Demands are so great that there are not a sufficient Number in the Store to supply them. Each is anxious to get the whole of his Demand & let others shift as well as they can. There should be some Plan fallen...
14To George Washington from Richard Peters, 4 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
Mr Joseph Simons the Bearer has applied to the Board for Liberty to go into Philadelphia for the Purpose of settling his Accounts with Mr Franks the British Agent for Prisoners under whom Mr Simons has acted for some time past in supplying the Prisoners of War. The Board not being acquainted with the Circumstances of Matters so minutely as to judge of the Propriety of permitting Mr Simons to...
15To George Washington from Richard Peters, 29 April 1777 (Washington Papers)
I do myself the Honour of acknowledging the Receipt of yours of the 17th instant to the Board enclosing a List of Officers appointed in the new Levies by your Excellency. I send you a Number of Returns of Stores in the Commissary Generals Departments of Provisions & Military Stores. Neither of these are accurate. I am certain the Military Stores are not exactly ascertained & I most ardently...
16To George Washington from Richard Peters, 8 July 1777 (Washington Papers)
The Generals & Officers in the Northern Department complain heavily of a great Want of Arms & Cloathing for the Troops under their Command. The Field Officers of the New Hampshire Regiments have represented the Matter in the strongest Terms, & yet the greatest Quantities of both Arms & Clothes have arrived in their State. Mr Langdon, the Agent for the States at Portsmouth, gives himself credit...
17To George Washington from Richard Peters, 21 April 1781 (Washington Papers)
The Friends of Capt. James Willing are pressing to have him exchanged & his long Sufferings entitle him to it. He is not in our Department & we are told holds only the Rank of Captain & that of an armed Boat. The Enemy have conceived him to be of so much Consequence as to claim a Lieut. Colonel for him. This seems un r easonable but there is a Lieut. Col. Rogers in the State Prison at...
18To George Washington from Richard Peters, 6 May 1778 (Washington Papers)
A Capt. William Scull has been employed by your Excellency to survey the Country from Derby to Lancaster which he informs he has nearly completed. Enclosed you have a Copy of a Resolution of Congress relative to the Survey of the Susquahanna & several Creeks running into it. The Board have employed Messrs Villefranche, Capitaine & Bedeaulx three French Officers recommended to them for the...
19To George Washington from Richard Peters, 26 June 1781 (Washington Papers)
The Board beg Leave to trouble-you with a Copy of a Motion respecting Vanhere ’s Corps which was referred to us by Congress. We have been informed that the principal Part of this Corps is made use of German Deserters & were doubtful about the Propriety of establishing them in the Line of the State as their Enlistments are contrary to the Resolves of Congress & evidently improper. Beside we...
20To George Washington from Richard Peters, 17 May 1793 (Washington Papers)
I was from Hence when your Letter enclosing Mr Young’s Queries & Observations arrived or I should have acknowledged the Honour of recieving it. I will with Pleasure take an Opportunity of complying with your Request. I do not wonder that Mr Young is embarrassed in his Endeavors to account for the actual State of Things in the agricultural Branch in this Country. The Results are I believe...
21Enclosure: Richard Peters to Edmund Randolph, 7 October 1794 (Washington Papers)
Not having at the time of the receipt of your letter requesting me to proceed to the westward, when it would be practicable for me to sett off consistently with my duty here, I forbore answering it till now—I shall begin the journey tomorrow or the next day at furthest. I depend on every facility being given by the proper orders to the commanding officers of the troops, when it shall be found...
22To George Washington from Richard Peters, 20 July 1776 (Washington Papers)
I have it in Direction from the Board of War to request your Excellency would give them your Advice on the enclosed Application from Mr William Goddard whom as well as every Person qualified to fill the several Stations in the Army they would wish to provide for consistent with Regularity & the Good of the Service. You will percieve that Mr Goddard applies for a Lieut. Colonelcy which depends...
23To George Washington from Richard Peters, 6 February 1777 (Washington Papers)
The Board of War had deliver’d to them a sett of recruiting Instructions given by your Excellency to Colonel Hartley, in which they perceive an Oversight, whereof they have directed me to inform you, that the mistake may proceed no further. There is no distinction held up to the Recruits, between those who inlist for three years, and those who engage during the War. In the hurry in which your...
24To George Washington from Richard Peters, 17 May 1781 (Washington Papers)
We have received a Letter from the Judge Advocate General respecting the Pay of Mr Edwards & Mr Strang Deputy Judge Advocates who complain that their Appointments are not sufficient or settled by the Act of the 10th of Novr 1780. In seems they wish to be put in the same Footing with the Assistants to the AjutantGeneral whose pay is agreed to that of Lieut. Colonels. The Board wishing to...
25To George Washington from Richard Peters, 1 October 1777 (Washington Papers)
I had the Honour of your Excellency’s Letter of the 28th Ultimo which I recd but this Day. I have attended to the Business you were pleased to recommend as far as Circumstances will admitt & shall use every Exertion in my Power convinced as I am of the Necessity of adding every possible Strength to the Army at this important Juncture. I have given Directions for the Route of the Troops...
26To George Washington from Richard Peters, 1 May 1781 (Washington Papers)
There has been for some time past an Uneasiness among the Officers of Cavalry entitled to the Rank of Major if that Corps is on the same Footing with the Infantry with respect to Promotion & Number of Officers in the Construction of the 2d Section of the Resolve of the 3d of October 1780. The Point is whether the Words " with the same Number of commissioned Officers as at present " refers to...
27To George Washington from Richard Peters, 12 May 1778 (Washington Papers)
The Board ever since their Institution have been anxiously endeavoring to establish a Communication on a permanent Footing from the lower Parts of North Carolina to your Camp in Order that the Supplies of Provisions & Stores might be reduced as nearly to a Certainty as our Circumstances & the Nature of the Bussiness would admitt. They have procured the Promises of Assistance from the...
28To George Washington from Richard Peters, 7 June 1781 (Washington Papers)
We have the honor to enclose a Resolve of Congress for the supply of the Army by contract and of the Board’s Report on the subject. As your Excelly is best acquainted with the operations of the Campaign and has the power vested in you by the Resolve of the 25th February 1780 we request you will please to point out the Magazines or places of Deposit to which the provisions should be collected...
29To George Washington from Richard Peters, 12 May 1796 (Washington Papers)
I have so long waited for the Answers to a Number of Queries, I proposed to several of our most intelligent Farmers, on the subject of Manures, & particularly the Gypsum; & have been so much disappointed in not receiving the requisite Information, that I cannot longer trespass on your Patience, by detaining Sr J. Sinclair’s Communications which I now return to you. Many of the Subjects are too...
30To George Washington from Richard Peters, 12 November 1778 (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from Richard Peters, 12 Nov. 1778. On 23 Nov., GW wrote Peters : “I have your favr of the 12 th .”
31To George Washington from Richard Peters, 5 December 1777 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from Richard Peters, 5 Dec. 1777. GW wrote to Peters on 14 Dec. that “Your several favs. of the 28th Novem. and 4th and 5th instants came duly to hand.”
32To George Washington from Richard Peters, 9 September 1777 (Washington Papers)
I have the Honour to enclose you a Resolve of Congress relative to providing proper Means for the speedy Communication of Intelligence. The Board have it not in their Power to provide suitable Persons for the Purpose or they would not lessen the Number of Combatants in the Army, but are obliged to request your Excellency to appoint a sufficient Number of Expresses out of either Blands or...
33To George Washington from Richard Peters, 14 April 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your Note lay, without my Knowledge, on my Table, ’till last Evening, or I should have sent the Agricultural Papers before this Time. I am much obliged & gratified by the Perusal of them. I had formed a Plan of abstracting Parts of these Papers for Observation, & Part for Publication. But there seems a Fatality attendant on my Plan, for I have met with Interruptions in every Attempt I have...
34To George Washington from Richard Peters, 28 November 1776 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from Richard Peters, 28 Nov. 1776. In his letter to Peters of 4 Dec. , GW acknowledged receiving “Yours of the 28th last Month.”
35To George Washington from Richard Peters, 20 May 1777 (Washington Papers)
I do myself the Honour of enclosing all the Resolves of Congress I know of relative to the recruiting Allowance. Much Complaint has been made as to its Sufficiency for the Support of both Officers & Soldiers. It was at the Time the Resolves were passed perhaps equal to the Expence incurred by recruiting Officers. At these Times when all the Necessaries of Life are so enormously advanced the...
36To George Washington from Richard Peters, 11 November 1777 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from Richard Peters, 11 Nov. 1777. On 27 Nov. GW wrote Peters : “I was duly favd with yours of the 11th inst.”
37To George Washington from Richard Peters, 24 October 1777 (Washington Papers)
I had the Honour of your Favour of the 21st inst. which is communicated to the Board & a Letter agreeable to your Desire is written to General Heath relative to the Lead imported into Boston on private Account —A Quantity is purchased of Messrs McClenachan & Caldwell which together with the Saltpetre & Sulphur imported by them into Dartmouth & also bought for Continental Use is orderd to...
38To George Washington from Richard Peters, 19 October 1781 (Washington Papers)
By a Channell of Intelligence I have opened I can procure Access to Rivington’s Printing Office where there is a Person ready to furnish any important Papers as Intelligence! But the Person to bring it is the one I have employed & he in N. York will trust no other. I mention this to your Excellency that if you can think of any material Use to be made of this you will please to take Advantage...
39To George Washington from Richard Peters, 4 June 1781 (Washington Papers)
We have the Honour to enclose to you a Copy of a Letter we recieved from Genl Hamilton of the Convention Troops which we informed him we had referred to your Determination & that he would probably hear from the Army General of Prisoners what Directions your Excellency may give on the subject on the Arrival of the Convention Officers at the Place of the Destination in Connecticut. We have the...
40To George Washington from Richard Peters, 15 October 1776 (Washington Papers)
The Board of War have endeavoured to form an exact Acct of Ordinance Stores, in the several Departments, as well as of those in the Magazine under their immediate Notice here, But from the Want of accurate Returns they have not yet been enabled to accomplish their Design. If these Returns were made monthly the Board would be enabled in some degree to anticipate the Wants of Amunition in the...
41To George Washington from Richard Peters, 10 July 1777 (Washington Papers)
Col. D’Armand of the Corps late Ottendorff’s has applied to the Board for forty Musketts & ten Rifles to supply the like Number lost by the Soldiers. The Bo⟨ard thought it⟩ wrong to comply with this requisition on the Application being made to them in the first Instance without passing under your Excellency’s Notice who must be the best acquainted with the Propriety & Necessity of the...
42To George Washington from Richard Peters, 27 March 1779 (Washington Papers)
Letter not found : from Richard Peters, 27 March 1779. GW wrote Peters on 2 April : “I have been honored with yours of the 27th March.”
43To George Washington from Richard Peters, 13 May 1778 (Washington Papers)
In the Winter when our Army was weak & the Country much exposed to the Ravages of the Enemy. there were five hundred Militia ordered to be stationed on the Communication between the Delaware & Schuylkill for the Protection & Escort of the Provisions & Stores both stationary & passing to Camp. Two hundred of these were ordered to Easton, one hundred to Bethlehem & two hundred to Reading at...
44To George Washington from Richard Peters, 15 July 1777 (Washington Papers)
I have the Honour of your Letter of the 12th instant which I have communicated to the Board. General Sullivan has written concerning an Hudson Burr condemned at Sourland by a Court Martial as a Spy but says your Excellcy would not ratify the Proceedings desiring that the Man might be sent to Philada where he is now under Confinement, that the Board might discharge him if they knew Nothing...
45To George Washington from Richard Peters, 24 October 1776 (Washington Papers)
By Order of the Board of War I have the Honour to inform your Excellency that the Congress have this Day given them direction to order the two Virginia Regiments now at Chester, immediately to Trentown, there to wait your Excellencys Commands; and at the same time to acquaint you of the Situation of the People of this State, that having as comprehensive a View of the State of Affairs as...
46To George Washington from Richard Peters, 19 August 1777 (Washington Papers)
There are about 80 Men with Officers for three Troops of Horse of thirty Men each now at Philadelphia. They came from North Carolina with General Nash’s Brigade & have been here for a considerable Time their Horses being sold as they were unfit for Service & the Board were so embarrass’d with the high Price of Horses & other Necessaries for sending them into the Field that they had determined...
47To George Washington from Richard Peters, 17 June 1781 (Washington Papers)
We have the honor to enclose to you a copy of a letter from Ebinezer Hazard to the President of Congress on the subject of a Mr Vernor a British Commissary of Prisoners frequently visiting and staying at Elizabeth Town. Not being acquainted with the matter so far as to know whether Vernor’s coming to Elizabeth Town may not be on business and under some licence from the Commissary Gene. of...
48To George Washington from Richard Peters, 9 November 1781 (Washington Papers)
We take the liberty to inform your Excellency that it is with great difficulty that a detachment of Militia can be obtained sufficient to furnish the necessary Guards in the City not to mention the very great expence arising thereby to the United States. As the Season of the Year is nearly come for the Continental Troops to go into Winter Quarters and a Regiment can be conveniently barracked...
49To George Washington from Richard Peters, 1 June 1781 (Washington Papers)
The Board have the Honour to transmit a Copy of a Letter from Col. Brodhead referred to them by Congress that your Excellency may be pleased to give your Opinion thereon to enable the Board to report or take any Measures in the first Instance your Means will admit. As to Cloathing for the Troops we have none to supply & on the Subject of Provisions we have repeatedly written both to Virginia &...
50To George Washington from Richard Peters, 5 December 1793 (Washington Papers)
The Office of Comr of Loans for Pennsilvania is vacant by the Decease of Mr Smith who married my Sister & has left little or Nothing behind him but a good Name, many Friends & a Wife & seven Children several of whom are in their Minority. On hearing of his Death I thought of Nothing on the Subject but lending my Assistance from my own Resources towards the Support of that Part of the Family...