1To George Washington from Brigadier General John Armstrong, 1 February 1777 (Washington Papers)
You will scarcely expect a Letter from me dated at this place so far out of the line of yr Excellencys Orders —On my traversing a considerable part of the State of Pennsylvania as high as Carlisle I found that not only the inclemancy of the weather prevented my being able to draw out the Militia Battalions so fully as cou’d have been wished, but the numbers that were gone to Camp especially...
2To George Washington from Brigadier General John Armstrong, 22 February 1777 (Washington Papers)
On my return from Baltimore & travelling the West⟨ern⟩ part of the County of York, I am favoured with your Excellencys Letter of the 19th Ulto —and Sorry to find that so few of the Pennsylvania Militia who were actually on foot ever reached to head Quarters & also for the Short Stay of those who did—when I spoke of 20,000 it was including the bones of the Old Army & her few new recruits. The...
3To George Washington from Brigadier General John Armstrong, 8 April 1777 (Washington Papers)
The bearer Mr Saml Kersley is One under the Nomination of a Captain in the minute I left yr Excely an assiduous & every way well disposed Young man—who after laying out what money he had of his Own in recruiting & coming to this City to be replenished (for which I thought my Certificate expressly grounded on your Authority wou’d have been Sufficient) Congress will not grant nor admit a...
4To George Washington from Brigadier General John Armstrong, 20–21 June 1777 (Washington Papers)
I shall not incroach on your time with disscribeing that Circle of feeble Service wherein I have been engaged since I had the pleasure of Seeing you, ’tis enough to say it has been of the mottled kind. When the Supream Council of this State appointed me to the Command of their Militia, various motives compelled me to accept even under the latent mortification of knowing I had nothing to render...
5To George Washington from Maj. Gen. John Armstrong, 17 September 1777 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from Maj. Gen. John Armstrong, Sr., 17 Sept. 1777. Armstrong wrote GW at 8:00 P.M. , 18 Sept.: “I wrote you last Night at this hour.”
6To George Washington from Major General John Armstrong, 25 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
Without such an acquaintance of the Enemies lines as wou’d discover to you where they are more or less accessible I can not well approve of an attack upon them, nor can I conceive the opposite numbers at Philada under Six thousand or upward—And question whether an attack can be Succesful if the lines are not penetrated in so Short a Space of time (perhaps some Seven or at most ten minutes) as...
7To George Washington from Major General John Armstrong, 1 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
I beg leave to recommend, that as early as it may be Safe to make such movement, the Army may pass Over the Scuilkill & take for Some time a position on that Side. With respect to Winter Quarters for the Army—The longer I consider the measure pointed out in the back Villiages of this State, the more inadmissable that Step appears to be, as by the large lattitude thereby given the Enemy thro’...
8To George Washington from Major General John Armstrong, 4 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
In regard to the Advisability of a Winters Campaign, I answer —In keeping the Field, the hardships on both officers and privates are manifestly great, nor is there an alternative presenting your Excy with less inconvenience, at best you have but a choice of difficulties of which Hutting in the field is in my Opinion the least of the two, and most in Character for the Army. The only Semblance...
9To George Washington from Major General John Armstrong, 19 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
This day or tomorrow I design moving Over to the Bethlehem or rather the Eastown Road & near the Shamany & Shou’d have moved Sooner, had the weather & Other impediments permitted —the removal of Sick Soldiers & fragments of Continental Stores, with the Scarcity of Waggons to procure Our provisions have Stood in the way. Coll Pickering writes me that two or three hundred Arms, Tents &c. were...
10To George Washington from Major General John Armstrong, 23 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
Yesterday, prior to your Excellens. favour which came to hand last night, I had dispatch’d an Express to the Council of this State in regard to a Continued Succession of the Militia thro’ the Winter—this I had in effect done by a former letter, but Yesterday have been explicit. About 200 fine Cattle are gone forward to you, with these I have Sent a Guard & thro the hurry of business forgot to...
11To George Washington from Major General John Armstrong, 23 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
I received your Excellys Favour this Afternoon & shall as far as in my Power endeavour to obey your Commands. Upon conferring with Persons who have the best Opportunities of knowing the Circumstances of the Country between this & Philada I am of Opinion that instead of there being a Surplus beyond the Wants of the Inhabitants they will have great Difficulty to reach the Spring with the little...
12To George Washington from Major General John Armstrong, 26 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
I cannot yet learn whether the Enemy are return’d to Philada—a person from thence, tells me the Citizens were extreamly alarm’d at the little Noise of the evening before last & it was thought the Ravagers wou’d return as of yesterday —As to persons passing in & out of Town, I see that may be done in oppo[si]tion to all we can do to prevent it, nor can every degree of Marketing be fully Stoped,...
13To George Washington from Major General John Armstrong, 29 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
I lately wrote yr Excely of four prisoners confined in this Guard for Carrying Provisions on different roads toward the Philada Market, and that I wou’d Send them to you for tryal —Upon Examining the prisoners & farther reflexion, I thought it unnecessary to trouble you with them, especially as in my Opinion none of them stood in the Shoes of a proper Victim—I have therefore I believe...
14To George Washington from Major General John Armstrong, 30 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
My last letter to the Council of this State was wrote in consequence of yr Excellencys desire, that the militia shou’d be maintain’d thro’ this winter in the same numbers & succession as they have been in the cource of the Campaign; which requisition I urged with some Argument drawn from the exposed Situation of this Side the Scuylkill & the inexpedience of dividing the Continental Army. On...
15To George Washington from Major General John Armstrong, 5 February 1778 (Washington Papers)
My unacquaintance at coming to this place, with the Complexion of Congress & exertions of that body for the approaching Campaign has prevented me the pleasure of writing you sooner; and the little I yet know far short as it must be of your better intelligence, can only serve as a farther expression of that line of duty I have long determined to pursue. My apprehensions are Still painful with...
16To George Washington from Major General John Armstrong, 10 March 1778 (Washington Papers)
The intelligence gain’d by a Miss Myer, respecting a Certain John Robinson who has undertaken Secretly to conduct a body of Tories from this part of the Country to Genl Howe, has been sent me by the Board of War, with a request to endeavour to take him &c. Robinson is but little known to the Whigs in these parts; I have however Sent out an Officer with instructions which may probably have...
17To George Washington from John Armstrong, 3 December 1778 (Washington Papers)
By so good a conveyance as that of Coll Irwin I can not wave the pleasure of a line to your Excellency, tho’ destitute of news or any thing of an interesting nature. I hope before this time yr winter quarters or retirement, is some way determined—Towns according to the present exorbitant prices of things, are in my opinion very unfavourable to our Soldiery. The Subalterns of your Army often...
18To George Washington from John Armstrong, 10 May 1779 (Washington Papers)
Necessarily as now you must be led to consider on the One hand, the various distributions of your Army, I mean the Seneca or Northern Expedition—Some force at Fort Pitt, together wth the representation of Governor Green on behalf of the Providence Plantations & adjacent Country which Stands exposed to the contrasted force of the Enemy at Rhode Island —And on the Other, the intelligence of Mr...
19To George Washington from John Armstrong, 25–29 June 1779 (Washington Papers)
I am for Some time possessed of your Excellencys favour of the 18th Ulto and perfectly convinced of the truth & importance of the contents, but have & shall punctually observe that degree of reserve, which is equally just as it can be agreeable to your wishes. You are not mistaken when on a late amplification of certain powers, you immagin Congress had an eye to something particular or out of...
20To George Washington from John Armstrong, 7 July 1779 (Washington Papers)
Major Nichols having been Nominated by the Board of War as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Pennsylvania line, and afterward disappointed of that rank by the judgment of a Board of Officers, has I find for some time past been indulgeing in himself that Spirit of resignation but too general in our Army at present—His better reflexion however has led him to observe that Several other Officers in the...
21To George Washington from John Armstrong, 12 January 1780 (Washington Papers)
The present distressing Asspect of our publick affairs compels me to add to your Excellencys present trouble the reading of the following lines—about this time I hoped to have heard of your being in Philada and fully intended writing at some greater length than the haste of the bearer will now admit. I need not take up the train much less the causes of our present most critical & dangerous...
22To George Washington from John Armstrong, 31 August 1780 (Washington Papers)
Since my return to Congress in the latter end of May, few Weeks have passed in which I did not intend the pleasure of writing you—Yet can the fault of Omission I now acknowledge be imputed to no other cause than the progressive langure and infirmity produced by an attention to business often perplexing in it Self, and a tedious debate with the dissolving heat of this City. At present I know of...
23To George Washington from John Armstrong, 8 March 1781 (Washington Papers)
Five Sabel months have passed over Since I last had the pleasure of writing yr Excellency & then unable to finish a letter of moderate length, of which indispossion I am fully recovered, but having passed the Sixty third of my age, find little capacity for active life except in the dreams of an intoxicated immagination, which ought to be corrected & the thoughts turned upward; permit me Sir to...
24To George Washington from John Armstrong, 27 December 1781 (Washington Papers)
It was a choice too long deferred writing Yr Excellency on the very important Capture of the Earl Cornwallis and the Troops under his command—an event (more especially at this Cr i sis) worthy of God & honourable to man, having laid ample foundation of gratitude to both; and taken in connexion with other considerations perhaps presents the first probable ray of Peace that hath yet been...
25To George Washington from John Armstrong, 29 June 1782 (Washington Papers)
Altho’ this warm weather leaves me but little inclination to write, I could not entirely decline the present opportunity—The little news afforded from the Western part of our Country happens at present not to be good—the Volunteers commanded by Coll Crawford who lately formed an Expedition against Sandusky, have retreated & are returned with some loss; among the missing Coll Crawford is said...
26To George Washington from John Armstrong, 22 April 1783 (Washington Papers)
In March, I was honored with the receit of your Excellencys letter of the 10th of January—and the interveneing intelligence has at once prevented my earlier acknowledgments, and the use of observation, the then important contents being now beyond Suspence. At lenth, not only the emblem, the Olive branch; but the Salutary thing it self Peace and independance hath reached this militant and weary...