To George Washington from Brigadier General Jacob Bayley, 25 February 1781
From Brigadier General Jacob Bayley
Newbury [Vt.]
Feby 25th 1781
May it Please Your Excelency
You will Receive this by Serjeant Temple of Majr Whitcombs Core who Desires me to write In thier Favour.1 I Can Say that the Soldiers of that Core are good Soldiers and have been very Servisable In the Common Cause and Since they have been here to us in Particular, and if it is Consistant with Your Excelencys Pleasure Could wish (and it is also the Desire of the Principle men in this Quarter) that they might Tarry here as we Exspect no Assistanc⟨e⟩ from Newhampr., if it Should be the Case that they are ordered here, Officrs for one Company would be Sufficent to Command them as they are but few in number2 Capt. Aldrich and Lt Lyford of the Same Core are worthy of Recomendation.3
we are much alarmed at this Time—the Enemy Last thirsday4 was within three Days march, and Spies from them to thier Friends Inform that the Enemy Determin to attact us Immediately which account we have obtained accidentally and have Reduced it to a Cartainty, the Snow is very Deep, the Militia have and are Prepareing Snow Shoes &c. to meet them. and hope we Shall Save the Country.5 I am your Excelencys Most Obedient Humble sarvant
Jacob Bayley
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. Urijah Temple (1757–1808), of Westmoreland, N.H., enlisted for the war in Maj. Benjamin Whitcomb’s corps of rangers in December 1776. He became a sergeant in April 1780.
2. Whitcomb’s corps of rangers had been disbanded (see GW to Whitcomb, 1 Jan.). Some of the rangers submitted a memorial (see New Hampshire Rangers to GW, this date).
3. George Aldrich (1738–1815), of Westmoreland, N.H., joined the 3d New Hampshire Regiment as a lieutenant in May 1775 and transferred to the 2d Continental Regiment in January 1776. He became a captain in Whitcomb’s corps the following November and left the army in January 1781.
Thomas Lyford (1738–1804), of Canterbury, N.H., joined the 2d New Hampshire Regiment as a lieutenant in May 1775 and transferred to the 8th Continental Regiment in January 1776. The following November, Lyford joined Whitcomb’s corps. He left the army in January 1781.
4. The previous Thursday was 22 February.
5. GW replied to Bayley on 12 March explaining that he could not comply with his request (DLC:GW).