From George Washington to General William Howe, 5 September 1777
To General William Howe
Head Quarters of the Army [Wilmington, Del.]
5th Sept. 1777.
Sir
I did myself the honor to write you on the 16th of July upon the subject of an Exchange of Major Genl Prescot for Majr Genl Lee.
As I can only attribute your Silence upon a matter so personally interesting to both those Gentlemen to your not having received my former Letter, I am induced to transmit you a duplicate of it, to which I beg leave to request an Answer. I have the Honor to be with due Respect Sir Yr most obt Servt.
Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; copy, in John Laurens’s writing, DLC:GW; two copies, P.R.O., 30/55, Carleton Papers; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
Howe’s aide Captain Muenchhausen says in his diary entry for 5 Sept. that “in the afternoon a letter arrived from General Washington. I understand it was an impudent letter, stating that he would not exchange General Lee for General Prescott” (, 28–30).