To George Washington from Colonel Philip Burr Bradley, 20 July 1776
From Colonel Philip Burr Bradley
Bergen [N.J.] July 20th 1776
May it please your Excellency
I have made strict enquiry (pursuant to your orders) into the Conduct of Capt: Ephraim Burr and upon Examination find that by order of General Putnam and Col: Molyne1 he was authorised and Empowered to secure the property and Effects of all the Tory Refugees which he could come at and am of opinion that he no more than fulfilled his Orders—I beleive that some of his men without his knowledge or Approbation Did take some things which were the property of persons whose principles were not inimical; But these together with those secured by himself are safely deposited in the hands of a Gentleman in the Jersies by orders which he ⟨pro⟩duced from under the hands of Col: Molyne.
Capt: Burr hath fully satisfyed the owners of the last mentioned Effects as to his Conduct and the principles by which he was actuated. Upon the whole am of Opinion that Capt: Burrs Conduct upon the strictest Scrutiny will appear unexceptionable—Nothing worthy of Observation hath transpired since I reported last to your Excellency except that our men discovered this morning on an Eminence near the Ministerial Shipping that the Enemy were Erecting a Fortification. I have the honour to be with every possible mark of esteem and respect, Your Excellencies most Obedient Huml. Servant
Philip B. Bradley
ALS, DLC:GW.
Philip Burr Bradley (1738–1821), a merchant and farmer from Ridgefield, Conn., was colonel of a Connecticut state regiment that recently had been sent to New York to reinforce GW’s army and was now stationed on Bergen Neck across from the northern shore of Staten Island. Bradley took command of the 5th Connecticut Regiment on 1 Jan. 1777 and served as its colonel for four years before resigning his commission. In September 1789 GW appointed Bradley federal marshal of Connecticut.
1. Bradley is referring to Q.M. Gen. Stephen Moylan.