3391To George Washington from Colonel John Cadwalader, 27 December 1776 (Washington Papers)
As I did not hear from you this Morning, & being prepared to embark, I concluded you was still on this Side & therefore embarked & landed about 1500 men, about two miles above Bristol—After a considerable number were landed I had information, from the Paymaster of Col: Hichcocks Brigade, that you had crossed over from Trenton—This defeated the Scheme of joining your Army—We were much...
3392To George Washington from Major William De Hart, 27 December 1776 (Washington Papers)
In Consequence of your Excellencys Orders And Request by Genl Maxwell I have this Day begun the Recruiting Service of the first Jersey Regt And Shall Expedite it with All Possible Speed, Had I been Determin’d to Remain longer in the Jersey Service I Should long before have done it, And Nothing but your Excellencys Request & this Critical Period of time Should have Induced Me to have done it...
3393To George Washington from John Hancock, 27 December 1776 (Washington Papers)
The enclosed Resolves being of the utmost Importance, will naturally claim your Attention, without any particular Recommendation or Comment. They are ardently calculated to retrieve the Situation of our Affairs, and I trust will have the desired Effect. I have wrote to the Councils of Safety of Massachussetts Bay and Pennsylvania on the Subject of creating Magazines in their respective States...
3394To George Washington from Colonel Joseph Reed, 27 December 1776 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from Col. Joseph Reed, 27 Dec. 1776. Reed says in his narrative of events that after his arrival at Trenton late on this date: “I wrote to Gen. Wash’g by Express informing him of the State of Things of the Progress of Gen. Cadwallader’s Division & the Retreat of the Enemy & urging him to cross the River again & pursue the Advantages which Providence had presented,...
3395To George Washington from Colonel John Cadwalader, 28 December 1776 (Washington Papers)
We arrived here about 1 o’Clock—the advanced party about ten —I have sent Horse-men to reconnoitre & from every Information the Enemy left Allen Town about 8 o’Clock this Morng—If I had been happy enough to have cross’d at Dunks’s Ferry we should have compleatly destroyed the Army in this Quarter—I am informed that the Hessians went off in the utmost confusion—I am sorry some of the Troops...
3396To George Washington from the Executive Committee of the Continental Congress, 28 December 1776 (Washington Papers)
We have the pleasure to own receipt of your acceptable favour of yesterday by Colo. Bayler & most sincerely do we rejoice in your Excellencys success at Trentown as we conceive it will have the most important publick consequences and because we think it will do justice in some degree to a Character we admire & which we have long wished to appear in the World with that Brilliancy that success...
3397To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 28 December 1776 (Washington Papers)
I have just received the honor of yours of the 21st Inst., & am much distressed to hear of the disagreable Situation that your Excellency is like soon to be in. None of the Eastern Militia have as yet arrived that I know of except those mention’d in my Letter of Yesterday —When they come in I shall endeavor strictly to observe your Excellency’s Directions. It is truly surprising that whilst...
3398To George Washington from Brigadier General Thomas Mifflin, 28 December 1776 (Washington Papers)
The enclosd I have this Minute reced from an Express sent by my Order to Genl Cadwalader—The General not knowing that I was here did not write to me—& as I supposd the Contents of Importance in my Movements I took the Liberty to open the Letter for which I must plead only the Occasion in Excuse. I came here at 4 OClock this Afternoon. 500 Men sent from Philad. Yesterday crossd to Burlington...
3399To George Washington from Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 28 December 1776 (Washington Papers)
The General Assembly of this State at their last session in novemr last ordered four Battalions to be raised in this State, to march and be stationed as part of the Continental Army and to serve untill the 15th of march while our Quota of sd army is filling up. Considerable progress is made therein, but fearing there would not a sufficient number of them arrive in season and before the term of...
3400To George Washington from Hugh Hughes, 29 December 1776 (Washington Papers)
I have endeavour’d to comply with your Excellency’s Instructions, relative to the Department, as far as Time and Circumstances would permit. The Tents, to the Amount of about eight Hundred, good and bad, have been forwarded to Fishkill, as well as the entrenching Tools, Pots and Camp-kettles, unless it be those rec’d within three or four Days. I have order’d an exact Return to be made from the...
3401To George Washington from Brigadier General William Maxwell, 29 December 1776 (Washington Papers)
I arrived here the 24th past 11, ocloack at night found things not in so good a state as I could wish. General McDougal Commanded and as he seemed to be well aquainted with the state of the Troops and where the different necessarys was most likely to be found to support them I was not anctious to take much of the Command upon me for some days but assisted all I could He says I must take it all...
3402To George Washington from Brigadier General Alexander McDougall, 30 December 1776 (Washington Papers)
I sincerely congratulate you on the late Success at Trent Town; it came very seasonable. I have continued here Since my last to you of the 22d Instant; with the Troops under Col. Vose. The Militia greatly Lessening in Number Since the arrival of those Troops, has put it out of my Power to do any thing with the Enemy, but to act on the defensive; indeed we have Scarce force enough to do that;...
3403To George Washington from Robert Morris, 30 December 1776 (Washington Papers)
I have recd your favour of Yesterday & will duely forward your dispatches to Congress & the other letters by Post. I am desired to put the enclosed letters in the way of being Sent into Newyork and make no doubt your Excellency will readily forward them by the first Flag after they reach your hands. I am impatiently waiting for further News from Genl Cadwallader & with constant wishes for...
3404To George Washington from Robert Morris, 30 December 1776 (Washington Papers)
I have just recd your favour of this day & sent to Genl Putnam to detain the Express untill I collect the hard Money You want which you may depend shall be sent in one specie or other with this letter & a list thereof shall be enclosed herein. I had long since parted with very Considerable Sums of hard money to Congress, therefore must Collect from others & as matters now Stand it is no easy...
3405To George Washington from Colonel John Cadwalader, 31 December 1776 (Washington Papers)
A very intelligent young Gentleman is returned, just now, from Prince Town—he left this yesterday Morng & got in about 12 or 1 O’Clock—He would have returned last Night but General Lesley, who commands, & Col: Abercombie would not suffer him to go off —He made his Escape this Morng early, & informs, that from the best Information he could get, there were about 5000 men—consisting of Hessians &...
3406To George Washington from the Executive Committee of the Continental Congress, 31 December 1776 (Washington Papers)
We have the honor to enclose herein sundry resolves of Congress just received from Baltimore by express, we have barely taken time to read them over and finding them so important we wou’d not delay the express one moment, we find by these resolves your Excellencys hands will be Strengthened with very ample Powers & a new reformation of the army seems to have its origin therein, happy it is for...
3407To George Washington from Robert Morris, 31 December 1776 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from Robert Morris, 31 Dec. 1776. GW wrote the Executive Committee of the Continental Congress on 1 Jan. 1777 : “I have the honor and pleasure of acknowledging your favors of the 28th and 31st Decr and Mr Morris’s of the 30th and 31st.”
3408To George Washington from the Pennsylvania Council of Safety, 31 December 1776–4 January 1777 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from the Pennsylvania Council of Safety, 31 Dec. 1776–4 Jan. 1777. GW wrote to the Pennsylvania Council of Safety on 12 Jan. 1777 : “I have yours begun upon the 31st last Mo. and continued to the 4th Inst.”
3409To George Washington from Lt. Col. George Baylor, 1 January 1777 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from Lt. Col. George Baylor, 1 Jan. 1777. On 9 Jan. GW wrote to Baylor : “Your Letter of the 1st from Baltimore came to my hands this day.
3410To George Washington from Lieutenant Colonel Nathan Denison, 1 January 1777 (Washington Papers)
After Orders came to hand that the two Companies raised here Should march & Join your Excelency: it was Conjectured by many here that your army were much Weak’ned by Reason of the monthly mens Times being up. I was therefore desired by a Number of Respectable Neighbours to Inform your Excelency that if they Should be needed, they Would Turn out two months as a Company of Volunteers (provided I...
3411To George Washington from John Hancock, 1 January 1777 (Washington Papers)
I am to acknowledge the Recieipt of your several Favours to the 27th Ulto. Your Letter of that Date, containing the very agreeable Intelligence of the Success of the Continental Arms under your Command, was last Night delivered to me by your Aid de Camp Colo. Baylor, together with the Hessian Standard. I entertain the most pleasing Expectation that our Affairs will henceforth assume a better...
3412To George Washington from Robert Morris, 1 January 1777 (Washington Papers)
I was honoured with your favour of yesterday by Mr Howell late last night, & ever solicitous to comply with your requisitions I am up very early this morning to dispatch a supply of fifty thousand Dollars to your Excellency You will receive that Sum with this letter but it will not be got away so early as I cou’d wish for none concerned in this movement except myself are up, I shall rouse them...
3413To George Washington from the New York Committee of Safety, 1 January 1777 (Washington Papers)
We have been informed of your Excellency’s Order to General Heath to march towards the grand Army on the Banks of the Delaware with the Troops under his command excepting only about twelve hundred of the Eastern Militia. On this Occasion we beg leave to lay before your Excellency the true Situation of this State. It formerly consisted of fourteen Counties of which five and a part of the Sixth...
3414To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 2 January 1777 (Washington Papers)
The Day before yesterday I received the Honor of yours of the 27th Decr and most Heartily Congratulate your Excellency on your Signal victory over the Enemy at Trenton, This will be Productive of the Best Consequences, and has already given New Life to Our affairs. The last night I had the Honor of yours of the 28th Containing the agreable News of the Retreat of Count Donnop—I am Extremely...
3415To George Washington from Thomas Wharton, Jr., 3 January 1777 (Washington Papers)
The Council of Safety understanding that our Army is in want of Liquor have sent forward twenty Hogsheads of Rum as a present Supply. It is to be forwarded to Bristol and delivered to the Commanding Officer at Burlington, if there be any at that place—Your Excellency will take the proper measures to have it brought to your Camp. It goes by Captain Watkins of our Armed Boats who is directed to...
3416To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 4 January 1777 (Washington Papers)
I have the pleasure to acquaint your Excellency, that Major General Lincoln has just arrived at this Post, but his Troops have not as yet got in, except about Two Regiments. That no time should be lost I have been sending over a Quantity of provisions to Haverstraw, and as soon as the Militia arrive in sufficient numbers shall pass over with them—A Body of the Militia belonging to this State,...
3417To George Washington from Major General Benjamin Lincoln, 4 January 1777 (Washington Papers)
I just arrived here—Find only part of two Regiments of the militia, from the Massachusetts—The badness of the roads hath much retarded the troops—I have left some of our best Officers, at different posts to forward them, and provide every necessary to facilitate their march. I flatter myself, from the provisions, that hath been made, and is now making, that the time will not be long, nor the...
3418To George Washington from the Massachusetts Council, 4 January 1777 (Washington Papers)
Your favor of the 18th Decr last is come to hand which eased us in some Degree of the Anxiety we were in from an Ignorance of your Situation & at the same time gave us great Concern to find you had been so illy supported by the States in your Vicinity at a Period when every Effort might have been expected; but we hope an opportunity for Recollection will awaken a Sense of Injury, that will...
3419To George Washington from the Executive Committee of the Continental Congress, 5 January 1777 (Washington Papers)
We embrace the opportunity of Mr Leman & Mr Penrose two Gentn of the Light Horse to forward Seven Packets that came to our hands from Congress last Night, these Packets contain sundry resolves of Congress & a Number of blank Commissions. The uncertain rumours of your Excellency’s success between Trenton & Prince Town and at the latter place, leave us in a most anxious State of suspence, hoping...
3420To George Washington from the Pennsylvania Council of Safety, 5 January 1777 (Washington Papers)
The Council being Apprehensive that your Excellency might Possibly be in want of Fixt amunition and knowing that your Attention must be engrossed with objects of the greatest importance, and being desirous of relieving your Excellency as much as our department will admit of, we have therefore sent several Waggons Loads to Bristol, there to wait the orders of your Excellency or General Putnam....