To George Washington from Major General John Sullivan, 21 June 1777
From Major General John Sullivan
Rockey Hill [N.J.] June 21th 1777 5 oC. P.M.
My Dear General
I am this moment Honored with your Excys favor of This Day1 Inclosing a Letter from (The Infamous) Mr Levius2—I am Convinced the Enemy are upon the move & Shall watch their motions as much as possible & give Your Excy the Earliest Intelligence I have already Sent Trusty persons to observe their motions.
after Perusing the Letter from Mr Levius I conclude it to be his hand writing with which I have been Long acquainted but if I Doubted his hand writing The Extravagent Ideas of my Carrying a whole Province in my Pocket & Transporting with pleasure Such part of them as I did not Like to any part of the Globe are So Much his own That I am Sure they could flow from no other fountain besides I know not a villian upon Earth more Capable of making Such a Dirty attempt—I cant Recollect Any person in the Circuit of my Acquaintance by the Name of Robert Shannon perhaps if I was to See the messenger I might Recollect him or If he was to tell where he was born & brought up & when & where he became acquainted with Shannon or me (if that is the Case) I might Recollect both it seems by Levius’ Letter that the man was Charged with a Different Message perhaps this hint might be to Save the man in Case the Letter was Detected & perhaps the man might possibly be Taken in. I would therefore Humbly propose that a Court Martial might Sit on him or at Least if that would make the matter too publick that a Court Composed of Chosen officers for Secrecy might Sit upon & Condemn him that his Death warrant Should be Issued & an Artful Clergyman if Such there be Should Draw an honest Confession of him Surely he may be brought to tell what Letter he Supposed himself Charged with & what Directions were given him Respecting the Delivery & Returning with an answer.
I am Exeeding Sorry General Schuyler attempted to answer the Letter as Mr Levius has been for near Ten years acquainted with my hand writing he was Judge of the Court when I was at the Barr & Saw my writing almost Every Day & Doubtless has by him a number of my Letters wrote while I Transacted Business for him & will Scarcely believe that in four or five years I have altered my hand So much.
Though I feel a great Aversion to Acting a Deceitful part with any man Yet to Deceive a Traytor is at Least Excusable—if therefore General Schuylers Letter can be Stopped I will Consent to answer his Letter when I can be more Acquainted with the Manner of the Messengers being Sent & a manner in which I may Convey a Letter without Raising the Suspicions of Mr Levius Too much—I am apprehensive that the person apprehended was the original receiver of the Letter. Dr General I have the Honor to be Yr Excys most obedt Servt
Jno. Sullivan
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. See GW to Sullivan, 21 June, in the source note to GW’s first letter to Sullivan of the same date.
2. For Peter Livius’s letter to Sullivan, see Philip Schuyler to GW, 16 June, and note 2.