1To George Washington from William Livingston, 6 December 1783 (Washington Papers)
We should think ourselves highly inexcusable, did we neglect this opportunity, of congratulating your Excellency on your Arrival in this Town, the present residence of the Legislature of this State; & a Town which you Sir, have render’d famous to the latest posterity, by the most unexampled efforts of military genius; & your signal Victory over an Enemy till then, through the great superiority...
2To George Washington from William Livingston, 18 April 1783 (Washington Papers)
I have received your Excellencys letter inclosing the Queries. I doubt not a matter of so great importance will attract the first attention of the Legislature—After closing the war so gloriously, I hope we shall not be deficient either in Justice or Gratitude to those who have been so particularly instrumental in obtaining an honorable peace, as the American Army—with the greatest esteem I...
3To George Washington from William Livingston, 28 December 1782 (Washington Papers)
I have been favoured with your Excellency’s Letter of the 17th instant. I am greatly obliged to your Excellency for offering to write to General Haldeman respecting the release of Mr Roading tho’ you have no correspondence with him; or to forward a Letter from me to him on that subject. The first I can’t prevail upon myself to desire, considering that General Haldeman has not thought proper to...
4To George Washington from William Livingston, 7 December 1782 (Washington Papers)
It is represented to me by some very respectable Inhabitants of this state that in or about the month of June 1781 a descent was made by the Indians upon the Settlement called Kantucky, at which place a number of the Inhabitants, having thrown themselves into a fort for their defense, were obliged to surrender themselves prisoners to the savages. Among those was a certain Thomas Mullar Reading...
5To George Washington from William Livingston, 29 October 1782 (Washington Papers)
I am honoured with your Excellencys Letter of the 29th instant; & cannot but flatter myself that the Legislature of this State, will, without hesitation, adopt the measure therein recommended—I am with the greatest esteem your Excellencys most obedient & very humble Servant DLC : Papers of George Washington.
6To George Washington from William Livingston, 4 October 1782 (Washington Papers)
The Chevalier de la Lucerne desires me to give the bearer—Mr Barbé a passport to bring from New-York some effects belonging to the Chevalier, & taken in the Frigate L’Aigle, which he intends Mr Barbé shall purchase for him in New York. I would not only most chearfully comply with his request from the reasonableness of it, but should take a particular pleasure in obliging the Minister of France...
7To George Washington from William Livingston, 29 July 1782 (Washington Papers)
Application is made to me for a passport for one Major Tapping to go to Staten Island to procure a sum of money upon loan which he wants to borrow for the purpose of building a slitting mill in this State. The man is recommended to me as a good Whig, & it is rendered probable to me that by the means of a brother of his, on that Island, who has always been esteemed a friend to our cause, he...
8To George Washington from William Livingston, 24 June 1782 (Washington Papers)
I have been honoured with your Excellency’s Letter of the 16th instant apologizing for your opening a Letter to me from Sir Guy Carleton which was put into your hands with other Letters. The like has several times happened to me since the war respecting the letters of other Gentlemen, & I have made the like apology. I only wish that your Excellency had not discovered the mistake till you had...
9To George Washington from William Livingston, 18 June 1782 (Washington Papers)
This morning two American captains of Vessels who had been captured by the Enemy & carried into New York came to this Town in the Stage waggon. They shewed me their paroles and informed me that they landed at Elizabeth Town & were suffered to pass on by Captain Dayton. They arrived on the Jersey shore not in a flagg but in a private boat. As I do not know what private orders Capt. Dayton may...
10To George Washington from William Livingston, 10 June 1782 (Washington Papers)
Mr Lot informs me by Letter that he had applied to your Excellency for a pass for himself and his son in Law Collo. Livingston to go into the Enemy’s lines. “That your Excellency wish’d & was willing to grant it had it rested with you, but that he found by your information that it rested with me.” He farther adds that he was informed by your Excellency, “that the mode of applying for such...
11To George Washington from William Livingston, 14 May 1782 (Washington Papers)
I now do myself the honour of particularly addressing myself to answer your Excellency’s Letter of the 6th instant. While the whole world must applaud your Excellency’s resolution of retaliating for the barbarous murder committed upon Capt. Huddy, which is in favour of humanity by its tendancy to prevent the like cruelties; this State, of which he was a good Citizen & a brave Soldier is...
12To George Washington from William Livingston, 13 May 1782 (Washington Papers)
I have just received your Excellencys Letter of the 10th instant respecting your having established the Post at Dobb’s Ferry as the only one in this State for flags to pass from, & be received at. Of the necessity of this measure I am so fully convinced, that I shall immediately notify it to the officers of our Militia, & use every mean in my power to carry it into execution. your Excellency...
13To George Washington from William Livingston, 8 March 1782 (Washington Papers)
I have received your Excellency’s Favour of yesterday, and in consequence of it I forwarded to General Forman by the same Express the passports requested. My reason for not granting them on General Forman’s application, was the great abuse which I am informed is made of sending people into the Enemy’s lines under pretense of obtaining intelligence, especially at Newark & Elizabeth Town, where...
14To George Washington from William Livingston, 26 January 1782 (Washington Papers)
I have been honoured with your Excellency’s Letter of the 12th instant, relative to the affair of Egg harbour: As the facts upon farther enquiry appeared to be very different from the information I had at first received, it could not be expected that your Excellency should pursue such measures as I had hoped from your constant readiness to serve the public, you would have pursued, had the...
15To George Washington from William Livingston, 11 January 1782 (Washington Papers)
I think I have very authentic intelligence from New York that General Clinton (and such kind of enterprizes are the ne plus ultra of some Generals) has contracted with a party to take the mail from the Post who rides from Philadelphia to Morristown; & that they purpose to execute their design in the mountains between Pluckhimin & Basken–ridge. I have recommended Coll Lawrence who is a member...
16To George Washington from William Livingston, 1 January 1782 (Washington Papers)
By recent Advice from Eggharbour, several armed boats, with a number of men, are fortifying on Osburn’s Island near Eggharbour with a view, as is supposed, to receive Deserters from the American army, & deserting prisoners taken from General Burgoyne & Lord Cornwallis, as well as for the greater convenience of conveying provisions to New York, which already go from that neighbourhood in...
17To George Washington from William Livingston, 20 October 1781 (Washington Papers)
By Intelligence from Staten Island which I think may be depended upon, the Enemy have prepared a number of fire ships (it is said 24) & their supposd destination is Cheesapeak. This perhaps may be proper to communicate to the French Admiral, that measures may be taken accordingly. It is not in my power Sir, to answer your Excellency’s Letter on the Subject of Supplies, because I can devise no...
18To George Washington from William Livingston, 6 August 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have just received your Excellency’s Favour of the 2d instant, and feel exceedingly for your Embarrassment. I am not only mortified as a Citizen of the Union at large at every obstacle against your Excellency’s operations, but greatly chagrin’d that this State in particular, considering my intimate connection with it, should, by contributing to such embarrassment, lose any part of the...
19To George Washington from William Livingston, 20 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have received your Excellency’s Favour of the 13th instant, & shall acquaint the horsemen with your Excellency’s Sentiments concerning their offer. Respecting the progress that is made under our late Law for filling up our continental Battalions, I not able to give your Excellency any information, as no returns of the Levies are made to me; but I have reason to believe from the Enquiries I...
20To George Washington from William Livingston, 8 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
Part of Capt. Carle’s Troop of our Hunterdon light horse to the amount of about 25 have just now sent me an offer to turn out as voluntiers to proffer your Excellency their Service during the operations in contemplation, either as horse or Infantry as your Excellency shall chuse proposing in case you might prefer the latter to carry a waggon with their firelocks &c. All that discourages them...
21To George Washington from William Livingston, 27 June 1781 (Washington Papers)
It gives me great pain that I have not been able to answer your Excellency’s several Letters of the 27th of May & 15th June till this moment having ever since waited with great impatience for the passing of the Bill respecting your requisition of the 750 militia to co-operate with the regular Troops for 3 months, which did not pass till this day. I have issued the necessary orders, & directed...
22To George Washington from William Livingston, 1 June 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have the Honour to inclose to your Excellency a Resolution of our Legislature desiring me to apply to you for some Ammunition. Lead is not to be purchased in Philadelphia; & tho’ we have employed a person to procure it in Boston, his journey thither & back again will necessarily keep us too long without that essential Article. I have the honour to be with the greatest esteem Dear Sir your...
23To George Washington from William Livingston, 14 April 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have to acknowledge your Excellency’s favour of the 8th instant, & thank you for the intelligence it contains. The account is so similar to that which I had by a man direct from New york, & who had it from a person in their confidence, that I cannot doubt the truth. The only variation is, that of the four persons intended to be taken or assassinated the three which he remembred, were your...
24To George Washington from William Livingston, 1 March 1781 (Washington Papers)
Your Excellency will perceive that the inclosed Letters request of me a favour entirely out of my department. How far good policy may require the discharge of the young man, those who have authority to order that measure are doubtless proper Judges. Mr Foster, the writer of one of the L[e]tters, is a gentleman of considereble distinction amongst us. Perhaps the preserving the good humour of...
25To George Washington from William Livingston, 24 February 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have received your Excellency’s Letter of the 13th feby. The present mode of exchanging prisoners therein described appears to me just & reasonable; & I doubt not that in the farther settlement of any plan in contemplation, your Excellency will do full & impartial justice to this State. I heartily congratulate you Sir, on our late Successes in the Southern States; & I wish with many others,...
26To George Washington from William Livingston, 5 January 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have the Honour to transmit to your Excellency 13 Copies of our Act for completing & keeping up the Quota of Troops belonging to this State in the service of the United States, & am with the highest Esteem and respect your Excellency’s most humble Servant ALS , DLC:GW . GW acknowledged this letter when he wrote Livingston on 12 January . Two copies of the printed act, titled “STATE OF...
27To George Washington from William Livingston, 28 December 1780 (Washington Papers)
The Act of Congress of the 4th of November mentioned in your Excellency’s Letter of the 10th Instant was laid before our Assembly before the Receipt of your Letter, & orders have been given to our Superintendent of Purchases in Consequence of it. But the Supplies, for want of money go on very slowly. Mr Dunham our Superintendant; is, by the Act appointing him, to follow your Excellency’s...
28To George Washington from William Livingston, 15 December 1780 (Washington Papers)
Since the repeal of our Act appointing a State Commissary of Prisoners, to which the Legislature was induced by the recommendation of Congress, we are frequently embarrassed about the exchange of our Citizens captivated by the Enemy, whether on duty as Militia, or unarmed in their Habitations; Some complain of Partiality, and others think it hard that they cannot reap the benefit of the...
29To George Washington from William Livingston, 15 November 1780 (Washington Papers)
By a Resolution of both Branches of ⟨ou⟩r Legislature, I am requested to write to your Excellenc⟨y⟩ to assure you that the Legislature of this State are mo⟨st⟩ sincerely disposed to exert their utmost Efforts for drawing forth all the Supplies this State can furnish for the Army under your Command, but at the same time to inform you⟨r⟩ Excellency that from the Drought of the last Summer, & the...
30To George Washington from William Livingston, 7 October 1780 (Washington Papers)
I most heartily congratulate your Excellency on the timely Discovery of General Arnold’s treasonable Plot to captivate your Person, & deliver up West Point to the Enemy; of which the Loss of the former, had his infernal Machinations succeeded, would have been more regretted by America, than of the latter. The remarkable Interposition of Providence to frustrate the diabolical Conspiracy will...
31To George Washington from William Livingston, 23 September 1780 (Washington Papers)
It appears by your Excellency’s Certificate of the 11th instant, & Mrs McKay’s Letter of the same date to me inclosing it, that she has utterly misapprehended me on the Subject of her Pass to New York. It never entered into my thoughts to tell her (as she says in her Letter I did) that “I would grant her my Permission to go to New York if General Washington would signify his Approbation.” What...
32To George Washington from William Livingston, 23 August 1780 (Washington Papers)
I informed your Excellency in my last that I should immediately give directions to the Colls to exert themselves to compleat their Quotas of recruits in the Jersy Brigade but on looking over our Act for that purpose, I find to my great mortification that the time in which the officers were to procure the Levies for that Service is expired, & with it their Authority to proceed farther in the...
33To George Washington from William Livingston, 21 August 1780 (Washington Papers)
I have your Excellency’s Favour of the 15th Instant. It mortifies me beyond Expression to find that only 159 recruits have joined the Jersey Brigade; and all the Consequences which your Excellency mentions are but too justly to be apprehended from such deficiences. I shall without loss of time pursue the measure your Excellency recommends for compleating our Quota, if my Disorder will permit,...
34To George Washington from William Livingston, 17 August 1780 (Washington Papers)
By Collo. Seelys return of yesterday he has now under his command at this place, 460 rank & file, upon which I was going to write to the several Collonels who are deficient in their quotas to urge them immediately to procure their respective Compliments; but considering that the month for which they are called out, is so far elapsed that they could not well be here till the Commencement of the...
35To George Washington from William Livingston, 4 August 1780 (Washington Papers)
I received your Excellency’s Favour of the first Instant yesterday, & the advice of Council being necessary to authorize me to comply with your Requisitions, I lost no Time in summoning one for that purpose—They could not be convened before this day. I have with their consent directed Colonel Seely to march the Militia under his command to Dobbs’s Ferry, there to wait your Excellency’s orders,...
36To George Washington from William Livingston, 19 June 1780 (Washington Papers)
I am honoured with your Excellency’s Letter of yesterday; & have the pleasure to undeceive you in the Information you had received concerning the draft from our Militia to serve for the Campaign. By the two Acts which I do myself the honour to inclose your Excellency, you will perceive that the Act for raising the 624 men upon the plan you mention has no connection with the Act for compleating...
37To George Washington from William Livingston, 18 June 1780 (Washington Papers)
I have the following Intelligence from Black point which I suppose may be depended upon that Admiral Arbuthnot & three frigates arrived at the hook the day before yesterday—yesterday about 65 sail more, & great part within the Hook. I just now have the pleasure of dining with Mrs Washington at Col. Cox’s —and have the Honour to be with the greatest respect Dr Sir your Excellency’s most humble...
38To George Washington from William Livingston, 18 May 1780 (Washington Papers)
Mr Bland has frequently applied to me for a Pass to go to New York, in order there to embark for England. I have as often denied his request from a Resolution never to grant any Favour of this Government to those who have made it the Theatre of their machinations against us. I have received very unfavourable Impressions of Mr Bland from some of our officers as secretely acting against us,...
39To George Washington from William Livingston, 25 April 1780 (Washington Papers)
Your Excellency having been so kind as to inform me that you thought it probable something might be done for Capt. Fitzrandolph if it could be ascertained that Colo. Billop a Militia officer had been exchanged for a continental one I do myself the honour of inclosing a certificate in Proof of that Transaction, And have the Honour to be with great Respect Dr Sir your Excellency’s most humble &...
40To George Washington from William Livingston, 20 April 1780 (Washington Papers)
Finding the Court broke up & the Magistrates who composed it dispersed, & Mr Condict abroad, by which Gentlemen I expected to feel the pulse of this County respecting its assistance in removing the flour from Brunswick to Morris, & having reason to think from such of the more principal Inhabitants as the time would permit me to consult on the Occasion, that our Expectations from this County...
41To George Washington from William Livingston, 3 April 1780 (Washington Papers)
The inclosed is from a Delegate of this State in Congress. Orders to the Effect which he mentions, should doubtless be given without delay. But as it is an affair wholly relating to the Army, it seems most proper that the pass port should come from Your Excellency. If however your Excellency thinks that any Concurrence of mine is necessary, I shall chearfully do every thing in my Power that...
42To George Washington from William Livingston, 15 March 1780 (Washington Papers)
I have had the Honour of your Excellency’s Favour of the 10th Instant inclosing a Return of the Citizens of this State inlisted in Moylands & Sheldon’s Regiments of light Dragoons. I am now to apply to your Excellency in pursuance of an Act of our Legislature for as many officers as your Excellency shall think necessary to be sent into the different Counties of this State for the purpose of...
43To George Washington from William Livingston, 8 March 1780 (Washington Papers)
I must apologize to your Excellency for this Application; the Singularity of which I hope will be the more excusable from the particular Regard which the most respectable part of our Citizens have for the unfortunate Person in whose behalf it is made. The Enemy in the Month of December last, offered us the following Exchange of Prisoners, Collo. Hendrickson for Collo. Billop Liut. Collo....
44To George Washington from William Livingston, 26 February 1780 (Washington Papers)
I was this day honoured with your Excellency’s Letters of the 19th & 20th. I am glad to find by the Return therewith transmitted that the Deficeincy of the Troops raised by this State is not more considerable. I had conjectured that we wanted between 600 & 700. Probably upon a more accurate Inquiry the Deficiency will appear to be still less. I hope New Jersey will exert the most vigorous...
45To George Washington from William Livingston, 22 February 1780 (Washington Papers)
I am desired by a joint Resolve of both the Branches of the Legislature to write to your Excellency by Express requesting you to transmit to me for the use of the Legislature accurate Returns of the Troops now in the Service belonging or credited to the Quota of this State agreeably to the several Resolutions of Congress of the 15th of March last, & of the ninth ⟨da⟩y of February instant, that...
46To George Washington from William Livingston, 15 January 1780 (Washington Papers)
I am extremely obliged to your Excellency for your very kind & polite offer of a Guard for my Security at Persippeney. But as I am pretty commodiously lodged in my present Quarters, & so near my family as to have constant Intercourse with it, I cannot think of putting the men to that trouble for my sake. Agreeable to your Excellencys Invitation, I shall do myself the Honour of dining with you...
47To George Washington from William Livingston, 13 January 1780 (Washington Papers)
I take the Liberty to acquaint your Excellency that having the most solid Reasons to believe that it would be imprudent for me to reside at present, at Persippeney, I have fix’d my Quarters (after having visited my Family) at Mr Parsons, at Collo. Wards’ Quarters, about two miles from your Excellency’s. What induces me to inform your Excellency of this particular is, that in case you should...
48To George Washington from William Livingston, 26 December 1779 (Washington Papers)
I was honoured with your Excellencys official Letter of the [ ] instant & your personle Letter of the 21 which accompanied it—last Evening when the Assembly was on the point of Adjourning to February, but the favours which I immediately laid before them, prevailed on them to stay out this day—I suppose they will readily make provision for the better subsistence of the Militia when called out...
49To George Washington from William Livingston, 21 December 1779 (Washington Papers)
My last to your Excellency was of the 19th instant; in answer to your favour of the 16th I now have the Honour of inclosing to your Excellency the Resolution of our Legislature in Consequence of your Letter. I could have wished that some thing more expeditious had been resolved upon, as the mode adopted will probably require more time; than the Exigency will admit of. I trust however, that...
50To George Washington from William Livingston, 19 December 1779 (Washington Papers)
I had the honour & the Mortification last Night of your Excellency’s Favour of the 16th instant. To find our Troops in want of Bread at the close of so glorious a Campaign; & to think of administring such cause of triumph & Exultation to the Enemy, & of Disgrace & Astonishment to all Europe, requires no uncommon fortitude to bear with any tolerable patience. I am perhaps the better enabled to...