From George Washington to Lieutenant Colonels Bezaleel Beebe and Levi Wells, 1 August 1780
To Lieutenant Colonels Bezaleel Beebe and Levi Wells
Head Quarters Peeks kill Augst 1st 1780
Sir
I am to desire you will be pleased to put the Regiment under your Command immediately in Motion—You will proceed by the shortest route to join the main Army in the neighbourhood of the White Plains, or wherever it may be: of which you cannot fail to have early information.
I have also to entreat the Regiment will march with as little Baggage as possible; as the whole Army have divested itself of every superfluous & heavy article—I have written to Governor Trumbull informing him of the steps I have taken.1 I am Sir Your Most Obedient Humble Servant
Go. Washington
Df, in David Humphreys’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. Beebe and Wells both commanded Connecticut state regiments. The draft has a cover, addressed to Beebe at Stamford, Connecticut. Although the draft is addressed to Beebe, its docket indicates that Wells also received the letter.
On 2 Aug., GW wrote to Beebe and Wells from Peekskill: “I wrote to you yesterday desiring you to march with the Regiments under your command and join the Army in the neighbourhood of the White plains. some movements of the enemy since will retard ours, and we shall not be down so soon as I expected. You will therefore be pleased to halt till further orders—holding your Men ready to march at a Moments warning. You will divest yourselves of all heavy and supernumerary Baggage and when you do come—let it be as light as possible … P.S. You will be pleased to give me advices of any thing material passing upon the sound” (Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW).