To George Washington from Major General Horatio Gates, 21 October 1778
From Major General Horatio Gates
Danbury [Conn.] 21st October 1778.
Sir,
Last night I was favoured with the receipt of Your Excellency’s Letter of Yesterday’s date. General Paterson’s Brigade are just Marched for Newtown, on their way to Hartford, and will proceed according to the following Route, exactly as poor’s, & the late Learned’s were Ordered,1 vizt:
Miles | |
“Wednesday 21st from Danbury to Newtown | 9 |
Thursday 22nd from Newtown to Woodbury | 10 |
Fryday 23rd from Woodbury, by Waterbury, to Lewis’s | 12 |
Saturday 24th from Lewis’s to Farmington | 12 |
Sunday 25th Halt | |
Monday 26th from Farmington to Hartford | 10 |
Miles 53[”] |
The precautions Your Excellency is taking, are undoubtedly most proper; the number of small Craft which You mention the Enemy have with their Fleet, indicate that they are bound either to Boston or the West Indies; it is very possible their Fleet may divide as soon as they are out of Sight of Land, part go to Europe, part to the West Indies, & the rest to Halifax; a Week will determine the Matter. I propose to lay at Lewis’s to Morrow Night, and be at Hartford, ready to receive Your Commands, on Fryday. I am Sir Your Excellency’s Obedient Servant
Horatio Gates
LS, DLC:GW; ADfS, NHi: Gates Papers.
1. For GW’s ordering of the three brigades of Gates’s division to march as far as Hartford in order to be able to support the French fleet at Boston sooner in case of need, see GW to d’Estaing, 16 Oct., and note 2 to that document, and GW to Gates, 18 October.