1To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 2 December 1796 (Washington Papers)
As there is a vacancy in the General Court of the north western Territory from the appointment of General Putnam to the Office of Surveyor General, should you think proper to fill it by a Person residing in that Country, I beg permission to mention to you the name of Joseph Gilman Esquire of Marietta in the County of Washington. Although he is not a Lawyer by Profession, he is a Man of much...
2To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, c.18–25 May 1796 (Washington Papers)
c.18–25 May 1796. “As I feel myself under sensible obligations for the confidence you have always reposed in me, it would be a want of candor and an ill-return if I did not inform you that I have been very much disgusted for a considerable time, and in consequence of treatment from some of the departments, which I persuade myself has never come to your knowledge, but which made such an...
3To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 12 September 1793 (Washington Papers)
General Wayne has informed me that Ensign Morgan, who has been tried upon the charges exhibited against him by me, is found guilty, and sentenced to be dismissed from the Army; but that the Court Martial having been held by Orders from th⟨e⟩ W⟨ar⟩ Office to him, he does not think himself at Liberty ⟨ mutilated ⟩ Sentence into execution, but refers it back to you ⟨ mutilated ⟩ approbation or...
4To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 8 June 1793 (Washington Papers)
You will probably be surprised to see a Letter from me of this date from this place —The Delay I have met with in this Country has distressed me extremly but it has been unavoidable; for I have been at the very point of Death: and now I am so far recovered only as to be barely able to ride but still too weak to walk more than a few Yards at a time, nevertheless, I am on my way to Pittsburgh to...
5To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 2 February 1793 (Washington Papers)
I beg that you will be pleased to dispense with my Attendance with the Indians this morning. The Committee on the failure of the last Expedition have determined to report again on Tuesday or Wedensday next, and I have only a day or two to examine, and reply to, the length[y] Communications from General Knox and the late Quarter Master, which they have taken more than three Months to...
6To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 7 April 1792 (Washington Papers)
I have had the honor to receive your Letter of the fourth instant. Although I was very desirous Sir, to hold my Commission of Major General until the Enquiry by the Committee of the House of Representatives should be over, for the Reasons which I assigned, and which you are pleased to think have some Weight, yet the evident necessity of the Officers being appointed who is to command the...
7To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 31 March 1792 (Washington Papers)
I have had the honor to receive your Letter of the twenty eighth instant. While I lament that Circumstances prevent an Investigation into my Conduct by a Court of Enquiry, I cannot but accquiesce in the Reasons you have assigned why it cannot take Place, And I beg leave to present my thanks for the Desire to have gratified me, had it been practicable, which you have been pleased to manifest....
8To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 26 March 1792 (Washington Papers)
I beg leave to offer you my unfeigned Thanks for the honor conferred upon me by the Appointment to the command of the Army of the united States the last Campaign. Though that Campaign was unfortunate, I am not conscious that any thing within my power to have produced a more happy Issue, was neglected. As I was prompted, Sir, to accept that Command by no motives of either Ambition or Interest,...
9To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 1 May 1790 (Washington Papers)
Cahokia [Territory N. W. of River Ohio] Sir May 1st 1790 I have this day communicated to the Secretary of the Department of War all the Intelligence respecting the Indian Affairs that has come to my knowledge and Observation since I wrote to him before, and I am very sorry to have it to remark, that they do not wear a very favorable Complexion! That the Ouabush Indians should have taken the...
10To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 14 September 1789 (Washington Papers)
The constant Hostilities between the Indians who live upon the river Wabash, and the people of Kentuckey must necessarily be attended with such embarrassing circumstances to the Government of the Western Territory, that I am induced to request you will be pleased to take the matter into consideration, and give me the orders you may think proper. It is not to be expected Sir, that the Kentuckey...
11To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, August 1789 (Washington Papers)
The Country, generally known by the appellation of the western Territory, is a Tract of Land bounded by the western Limits of Pennsylvania on the East; by the River Ohio on the South; by the River Mississippi on the West; and by the Line of separation between the United States and the Province of Quebec on the North. This extensive Region is blessed with a fertile Soil and desirable Climate in...
12To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 2 May 1789 (Washington Papers)
I have the honor to lay before you the Treaties concluded, in pursuance of the Instructions received from Congress on the twenty sixth of October 1787 and second of July 1788, with several of the Indian Nations in January last. That they were not presented at an earlier period was owing, in part, to my own Indisposition—to the severity of the Winter which rendered the Communication by the...
13To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 25 October 1785 (Washington Papers)
This will be handed to you by Capt. Fullerton who waits upon you to obtain your Signature to a number of Diplomas for the Society of the Cincinnati—The Circumstance of their being previously countersigned by General Knox Major Jackson has I hope explained —which, with the Wish the gentlemen of this State have to see their Title compleated, with the Accident that formerly happened will excuse...
14To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 21 July 1785 (Washington Papers)
This is accompanied by a Letter from the State Society of the Cincinnati which was written to you more than a Year ago, and by some inadvertance of the under Secretary was never forwarded. I am very sorry that it has so happened, because it would have been some satisfaction to you to have known, at an early period, that this State Society had come into the proposed Alterations—It was not...
15Enclosure: From Arthur St. Clair, 9 July 1784 (Washington Papers)
The circular letter from the General Society of the Cincinnati addressed to the several State Societies on the 15th of May 1784 has been received, and laid before the Society of this State, and they have at their annual meeting held on the 5th of July, and continued by adjournment, agreed to accept the Institution, as altered and amended, that accompanied the said letter: But Sir, it is their...
16To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 20 April 1784 (Washington Papers)
I was favoured with Your Letter of the 22d of February—if any thing could have induced me to postpone my Journey it was your Wish that I should do so—indeed I should have been extremly glad to have met the Society of the Cincinnati, but I had made such Arrangements last fall, previous to my being appointed a Representative, that I cannot dispense with going to the back-Country at this time,...
17To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 29 January 1784 (Washington Papers)
In Answer to your Circular Letter of the 28th ulto I have the Honor to inform You that Notice has been communicated to all the Delegates of the Society of this State (except Major Edwards) of the Time and Place which your Excellency has fixed for the general Meeting of the Cincinnati agreeably to the original Institution. It would be very proper that all the Delegates should attend, but I fear...
18To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 3 September 1783 (Washington Papers)
In case that Congress should think proper to direct a Peace Establishment there are some Gentlemen of the Pennsylvania Line who wish to be employed and have requested me to mention them to your Excellency. They are Colonel Richard Butler; Lieut. Colonels Harmer; and Mentges; Major Moore Capt. Bowen and Capt. Zeigler of the Infantry; and Captain Armstrong of Lee’s Legion. The Characters of the...
19To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 2 July 1783 (Washington Papers)
The unfortunate and disgraceful Event that has lately taken Place in Philadelphia must have occasioned your Excellency much Uneasiness, and you ought to have received an account of it from me; but I was prevented from giving it by the very ill state of my Health, and the total uselessness of my right Hand from a violent Return of the Gout which I have not been one Day free from since the...
20To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 17 April 1783 (Washington Papers)
Your very friendly and obliging Letter of the 19th of feby was Yesterday, together with the Order your refer to transmitted by General Hand, delivered to me on my Way to this City—there seems a strange Fatality to attend Letters that come to me thro’ the War Office, and from that Circumstance I must have suffered the Suspicion of inattention at least. I am fully sensible of the Necessity there...
21To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 26 November 1782 (Washington Papers)
Agreeable to my Promise I ought, in a very few Days to set out on my Return to the Army, but, I am sorry to say it, I find it will be impossible at the Time I proposed, as I am now as far from having compleated the Purposes for which your Excellency was pleased to allow me to be absent as the Day of my Arrival. I have had several Interviews with Mr Morris. He says, and I am sure it is so, that...
22To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 24 October 1782 (Washington Papers)
I have been thinking about the proposed Reduction of the Corps in the Army and it appears to me to be a very injudicious Measure. The Time is ill chosen—It cannot be carried into Execution without doing flagrant Injustice, and delivering over to instant wretchedness a number of Men who have, certainly, a Claim to the Gratitude of their Country—and a Suspension of it, at the same time that it...
23To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 10 September 1782 (Washington Papers)
I have been informed by Colonel Magaw, who is lately returned from Head Quarters that your Excellency had made some Enquiries about me, and the Time I proposed to go on to the Army—If your Excellency will please to recollect you proposed to point out the Time it would be necessary, and as I have received no Intimation of that kind; nor have heard with certainty whether any Command was pointed...
24To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 4 February 1782 (Washington Papers)
Your very obliging Letter of the 30th of November came to Hand a few Days ago and the Resolve of Congress enclosed in it was immediatly communicated to the Troops with which they appeared to be highly satisfied. Nothing could have been more acceptable than the kind Manner your Excellency has been pleased to speak of my Conduct—I do indeed aspire to your Approbation, and flatter myself that in...
25To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 26 November 1781 (Washington Papers)
On the 22d instant I arrived at Williamsbourough in North Carolina to which place I had gone in advance of the Troops (leaving them to be conducted from Petersburgh by General Wayne) in order to settle the Route it would be proper to persue and take the necessary measures for provisions. A report had prevailed, for a day or two, that the Enemy had evacuated Wilmington, and there I received...
26To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 14 November 1781 (Washington Papers)
On the Afternoon of the 9th instant I arrived at this place, and this day will have all the Troops and Stores over the River. You will doubtless be surprised at the time that the Passage will have taken up, and indeed it has been a very mortifying delay to me; but notwithstanding that Major Clayborne, the Quarter Masr Genl for the State had been sent forward to make the necessary preparations...
27To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 3 November 1781 (Washington Papers)
General Greenes Army, by the Return, including The Cavalry & Artillery amounts to 2719 Waynes & Gists Brigades to 2112 The Cavalry & Virginia Infantry, suppose 500 5331 The Cloth in Gerlach’s Invoice will make, Coats & Vests for 899 Uniforms made 420 With Genl Greene
28To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 29 September 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have been honoured with your Excellencys Letter of the 15th instt which came to hand on the 26th—previous to the receipt of it Congress had ordered me to draw all the Levies of this State to Philadelphia from an Apprehension, that strongly prevailed, and some Intelligence they credited, that Sir Henry Clinton with a Body of about five thousand Men intended, by way of Diversion to your...
29To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 20 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have received your Excellencys Letter of the 10th instant, and am very sorry that the Situation of Affairs and the State of the Army will not permit my being employed in that part of it under your Excellencys immediate Command. I shall therefore prepare for a southern March; but there is no probability that it can take Place very soon, as there will be much difficulty and delay in equipping...
30To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 4 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
By your Excellency’s Letter of the 23 of June I find that you expect me to go on to the southward as soon as the State shall have such a Number of Troops in their Line as will give me a suitable command; and that the Time of my joining the army must depend on that Circumstance. I must have misunderstood your Excellency very much about this matter, or there is some mistake in it—I think you...
31To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 24 June 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have now the Satisfaction to inform your Excellency that a Bill passed the Legislature of this State Yesterday from which there is Reason to expect that a considerable Reinforcement will be added to the Line. The Principle of it is to oblige the Classes of the Inhabitants to find a Man each, and in case of Delinquency the County Commissioner is required to provide one, without limitation of...
32To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 16 June 1781 (Washington Papers)
Upon my Arrival at this Place I found the Assembly met, and no apparent Disposition amongst them to do any thing to forward the recruiting service—indeed a Passage in the Presidents Message which represents the line as in respectable strength seemed calculated to induce them to believe it unnecessary. I therefore thought it my duty to call their Attention to that object and wrote the Speaker...
33To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 21 May 1781 (Washington Papers)
A gentleman is just now arrived here who left New York last Thursday. He says that the British, from every thing he could learn, are certainly about to evacuate that Place—that he is pretty well assured there are not more than eight hundred Troops there, and another Embarkation on foot; that he actually saw some Vessels with Horses on Board, and some of the Troops with their Knapsacks on ready...
34To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 15 April 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have been favoured with your Excellencys Letter of the 8th Inst: which has been in Part answered by mine of the 6th: in that however I was too sanguine as to the Time when the Detachment would march, which I fear it will not do in less than three weeks yet—The Application from the State to Congress for a Loan of so much Money as was necessary to put it in motion miscarried, and there is now...
35To George Washington from Arthur St. Clair, 6 April 1781 (Washington Papers)
My last to your Excellency was of the Second of March since which an excrutiating fit of the Gout, which still deprives me of my right hand, has rendered me almost totally incapable of business. as soon however as I was able to bear any motion, I had myself brought down here to be at hand to forward the preparations for marching the detachment, and to keep the Assembly in mind of the necessity...
36To George Washington from Major General Arthur St. Clair, 2 March 1781 (Washington Papers)
Your Excellencys Letters of the 3d and 13th of February came duly to hand, but I delayed answering them from an Expectation that you was a⟨bs⟩ent from the Army, and because I had nothing explicit to inform you of with regard to the Recruiting, that Business not having come before the Assembly untill yesterday, although General Wayne, General Irvine and myself have constantly attended to press...
37To George Washington from Major General Arthur St. Clair, 17 January 1781 (Washington Papers)
In Obedience to your Excellencys Desire by your favour of the 12th, I set out the night before last from Morris Town and got to this Place this Morning, where I have had an interview with Colonell Butler. My Information with Respect to the Negotiation which I communicated on the 15th was right —The Terms of it are that all those enlisted for the Bounty of twenty Dollars, and whose Enlistments...
38To George Washington from Major General Arthur St. Clair, 14-15 January 1781 (Washington Papers)
Morristown, N.J., 14–15 Jan. 1781 . “Negotiations with mutineers; settlement of the enlistment question; quietness of the British; wish to return to Pennsylvania; detachment to be ordered to the Pennsylvania huts.” The remainder of the letter reads: “Janry 15th. Since writing the above I have received Your Excellencys Letter of the 12th and can now inform You with certainty that Terms are...
39To George Washington from Major General Arthur St. Clair, 11 January 1781 (Washington Papers)
I was favoured last Night with a Letter from the Comittee of Congress dated the 9th Instant; by which I am informed that the Mutineers were on their March to Trenton; that Matters wore a favourable Aspect with regard to them, and there were great Hopes that every thing would be accommodated in an amicable Manner. But as there is no mention made of the Principles I fear Governor Reeds Proposals...
40To George Washington from Major General Arthur St. Clair, 9 January 1781 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found : from Maj. Gen. Arthur St. Clair, 9 Jan. 1781. On 12 Jan., GW wrote St. Clair regarding “your letter of the 9th.”
41To George Washington from Major General Arthur St. Clair, 8 January 1781 (Washington Papers)
Your Excellency will have received an Account of the serious Nature of the Mutiny of the Pennsylvania Troops and their apparent Disposition to keep Post at Prince Town by the Marquis’s Letters and mine of Yesterday. Since Which we have no Accounts from them—but last Night a Person was sent to Us, charged with a Letter to their Leaders by Sir Henry Clinton who with Genl Kyhausen, is upon...
42To George Washington from Major General Arthur St. Clair, 7 January 1781 (Washington Papers)
Your Excellency has heard of the shameful Defection of the Pennsylvania Line, and I am very much concerned to inform You that as yet, there is no Prospect that we know of of any Desire appearing in them to return to their Duty. I happened to be in Philadelphia the Day the Accounts of it arrived there, and set out early next morning in Company with the Marquis de la fayette to make trial of...
43To George Washington from Major General Arthur St. Clair, 2 November 1780 (Washington Papers)
In cantoning the Troops there are two Objects which seem to claim particular Attention—The securing West Point; and covering Jersey in such a manner as to preserve an easy communication with Pennsylvania. But West Point requires 2800 Men, and for the northern Posts dependent upon it, and the necessary Detatchments below, a thousand more will not be an extravagant Allowance. I will suppose that...
44To George Washington from Major General Arthur St. Clair, 7 October 1780 (Washington Papers)
I received your Excellencys letter of yesterday and am very glad that you have ordered up the Troops which are to compose the Garrison, as it is very necessary they should be here, that Things may be got into some kind of order before the Winter. at present they are very much deranged. The laying in a proper stock of fire wood is a very heavy, but a very essential Business, and the Militia...
45To George Washington from Major General Arthur St. Clair, 9 September 1780 (Washington Papers)
The Attack upon New York always appeared to me a very doubtful and hazardous Enterprise. I think it now out of the Question altogether, from the advanced Season of the Year; the scantiness of our Force; the precariousness of our Supplies; and the want of a sufficient Fleet, in which a decided Superiority is necessary to give the Undertaking the least probability of Success. If the second...
46To George Washington from Major General Arthur St. Clair, 12 July 1780 (Washington Papers)
The Fleet having entered the Bay of New York, and that City being the Object, it appears necessary to pass some Vessels of Force through the Narrows in order to oblige the Ennemy to discover their Intention with regard to Staaten Island. If they do not mean to keep Possession of it the Garrison will be instantly withdrawn. But it may be that they may chuse to sacrifice some Part of their...
47To George Washington from Major General Arthur St. Clair, 3 July 1780 (Washington Papers)
The Reduction of New York together with the british Army, is certainly, of all Others, the most desirable Object, as it would put an immediate End to the War; But the Siege of any Place, altho’ not regularly fortified, furnished with such a Garrison as that will be, is a very serious Business, and tho’ it may finally succeed, carries not with it that Degree of probability that, in our...
48Major General Arthur St. Clair and Lieutenant Colonels Edward Carrington and Alexander Hamilton to George Washington … (Hamilton Papers)
We beg leave to inform Your Excellency, that in the private report of our proceedings at Amboy dated the 26th. March, we omitted mentioning, (though it is to be inferred) that in the conversation which passed on the subject of accounts, it was explicitly declared by us, that if any particular sum should be accepted agreeable to the ideas of The British Gentlemen, it was not in any manner to be...
49To George Washington from Major General Arthur St. Clair, 29 March 1780 (Washington Papers)
After reflecting upon the several Matters that your Excellency was pleased to lay before the Council Yesterday, my Opinion in general is that, at present no Detachment can with propriety be made from this Army. for which Opinion my Reasons are That our operating Force, if all collected to a Point, is inferior to that of the Ennemy in New York and its Dependencies; and that from the Expiration...
50Major General Arthur St. Clair and Lieutenant Colonels Edward Carrington and Alexander Hamilton to George Washington … (Hamilton Papers)
To His Excellency George Washington Esqr. General and Commander in Chief of the Forces of The United States of America. We The Commissioners appointed by Your Excellency “to treat, confer, determine and conclude upon a General Cartel for the exchange and accommodation of prisoners of war including the troops of The Convention of Saratoga and all matters whatsoever which might be properly...