To George Washington from Lieutenant Colonel Zebulon Butler, 29 May 1777
From Lieutenant Colonel Zebulon Butler
Chatham [N.J.] May 29th A.D. 1777
Sr
Persuent to Orders reced from your Exelency by the Hand of Majr Genl Lincoln I have Marched with the three detachments from Connecticut Regiments; Part of the Westmoreland Independant Companies have Joined me as was Ordered and more will be in this day.
I am Now Encamped upon the Heights between Chatham and Springfield—Genl Stevens had Left this Place before my Arival & I am destitute of any Orders; My Quarter Master (by my direction) waits on your Exelencey for Orders many of the Soldiers in the Inde[pe]ndant Companys have reced no Cloathing Since they Entered the Service which was in Septr Last many of their Arms are Defective & Useless, they are also destitute of Tents and Every kind of Camp Equipage: hope therefore your Exelency will give special directions how & in what Manner they are to be supplied with those Articles. I am with the greatest Esteem Your Exelencies Most Obedt humbe Se⟨rv⟩t
Zebn Butler
ALS, PHi: Gratz Collection; Sprague transcript, DLC:GW.
Tench Tilghman replied to this letter on behalf of GW the following day: “You are to remain upon the most advantageous ground in the Neighbourhood of the place where you are at present, and keep a good look out lest the Enemy should turn our left Flank and get in between the mountains. If you observe any move towards your quarter, you are immediately to dispatch one messenger to give intelligence to his Excellency and another to give intelligence to Colo. Olney at Morris Town. You are also to endeavour to drive back any small parties of the Enemy that may come out in consequence of our Army having withdrawn themselves from Quibble Town. All the Tents that were here, are delivered out, you must therefore put your men in Houses as near together as possible. The commanding officer of the Wyoming Companies must make out a return of the Arms and Clothes that are wanting, and we must endeavour to get a supply. But the General thinks it very strange, that Arms should be wanting when the Companies have decreased near one hundred men” (DLC:GW).