From George Washington to the Board of War, 8 July 1780
To the Board of War
Head Quarters Col. Dey’s1 Bergen County 8 July 1780
Gentn
Inclosed is a letter from Brgr Gen. Knox on the subject of an instant provision of shot and shells, and proposing the employing of Feash’ and Ogden furnaces for this purpose.2 As the matter is of the utmost importance, and requires an immediate decision, I intreat it of the Board. And should no arrangement have been made on this head I think these furnaces would answer the intention, and should be engaged in the business without a moments delay.3 I am &c.
Df, in James McHenry’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. GW had established his headquarters at New Jersey militia colonel Theunis Dey’s Georgian mansion house by 2 July (see GW to William Dobbs, that date). Dey’s father built the brick and stone house, situated in the lower part of the Preakness area about four miles southwest of Totowa, N.J., near the falls of the Passaic River, between 1740 and 1750. GW probably occupied the four rooms on the east side of the house—the two upstairs rooms as sleeping and living quarters and the two downstairs rooms as office and dining room. He kept his headquarters at Dey’s mansion until he marched the main army out of the Preakness valley on 29 July.
2. Knox mentioned the iron furnaces of John Jacob Faesh and Samuel Ogden in Morris County, New Jersey. The enclosure has not been identified, but see Henry Knox to GW, 3 July.