From George Washington to Lieutenant Colonel Ludwig Weltner, 16 November 1778
To Lieutenant Colonel Ludwig Weltner
Head Quarters Fredericksbg [N.Y.] 16th Novemr 1778
Sir
I am sorry to find by yours of yesterday that the ill state of your health obliges you to think of quitting the Service. If you should be of opinion that retiring from the Army during the Winter Season would so far re-establish your Constitution as to enable you to take the command of your Regiment again early in the Spring, I should prefer granting you a Furlough to accepting of your Commission. You will therefore be pleased to consider of this, and let me know your determination. If you conclude to quit the service, I shall make no further objection, but must regret the loss of a good Officer. I am Sir Yr most obt Servt.
Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
Weltner had written to GW on 15 Nov.: “When I last applied for permission to resign my Commission in the Army Your Excellency was pleased to invite my stay a little longer promising to grant me the indulgence in three or four weeks: I have with a great deal of inconvenience & uneasiness to myself without being capable of rendering any essential service to my country, continued 6 weeks longer, & find it absolutely necessary at present to trouble your Excellency once more on the subject.
“My present indisposition prevents my having the honor to make personal application. But as the reasons for my declining the service cannot be removed but by the restoration of health which I can scarcely hope for, I trust your Excellency will approve of my resignation” (DLC:GW). Weltner remained in the army until January 1781.