To George Washington from Brigadier General Samuel Holden Parsons, 23 May 1779
From Brigadier General Samuel Holden Parsons
Redding [Conn.] 23d May 1779
Dear General
I have inclosd the Commission and Resignation of Lt Hitchcock of the 8th Regiment, and request your Excellency to discharge him.1 I am Satisfied the good of the Service and Peace of the Regiment require it. I hope your Excellency will not be troubled with many more from my Brigade. I expect Two or three will resign which I beleive will close the Scene.
By your Excellency’s Last Letter I suppose the Board of War fill the Vacancies & make the new appointments to whom we must make Returns for that Purpose.2 Nothing is wanting to Compleat my Brigade to take the Field but Markees & Portmanteaus, if these cannot be provided we shall reduce our Baggage as much as possible under our Circumstances. I am with Esteem and Respect yr Excellency’s Obedt Servt
Saml H. Parsons
ALS, DNA: RG 93, manuscript file no. 672.
1. The enclosed commission and letter of resignation have not been identified. Lemuel Hitchcock (1749–1827) served in 1776 as an ensign in Col. John Douglas’s Connecticut State Regiment, was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 8th Connecticut Regiment in January 1777, and was promoted to first lieutenant in March 1778. Alexander Hamilton wrote on the cover of Parsons’s letter that Hitchcock’s resignation was dated 19 May, and James McHenry wrote that his commission was forwarded to the Board of War on 1 June.
2. Parsons is referring to GW’s letter to him of 11 May; GW also wrote to Parsons on 12 May.