From George Washington to Major Henry Emanuel Lutterloh, 4 June 1777
To Major Henry Emanuel Lutterloh
Head Quarters Middle Brook June 4th 1777
Sir
I have reciev’d your favor proposing a plan for the formation of a corps of light infantry.1
It wou’d be difficult for you to recruit such a Corps, & experience has fully taught us that it will never answer to employ deserters or Prisoners. Generally speaking no confidence can be placed in them. Deserters are for the most part without principle sufficient to insure their fidelity, and prisoners wou’d only engage to have the opportunity of making their escape.
As you have acted in the Quarter Master Genls department, you can be as usefull in that as any other, and more so in the present circumstances of the Army. My inclination to have you agreeably and usefully employ’d, leads me to recommend to you to2 apply to Genl Miflin—Quarter Master Genl—I send you a letter which I have written to him on the occasion, and I doubt not he will be able to introduce you on an honorable footing in his line.3 I am Sir, Your most Obet Servant
G. W.——n
Df, in Richard Kidder Meade’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. See Lutterloh to GW, 2 June, and note 2.
2. At this place in the draft, Meade wrote “return to Philadelphia and.” He then struck out that phrase.
3. See GW to Mifflin, this date. GW on this date also wrote to James Lovell to acknowledge Lovell’s letter to him of 26 May regarding Lutterloh and to inform Lovell that he had recommended Lutterloh to Mifflin “for some suitable appointment” in the quartermaster general’s department. Lutterloh, GW wrote Lovell, “may make an excellent regulating officer in that line” (Df, in Alexander Hamilton’s writing, DLC:GW).