From George Washington to Colonel Morgan Lewis, 6 April 1778
To Colonel Morgan Lewis
Head Quarters [Valley Forge] 6th April 1778.
Sir.
As the Services of Colonel Hay Deputy Quarter master, from the present appearance of things will probably be very little wanted in the Station in which he is at present, and will certainly be of considerable utility in this Army—You will order him to join it with all possible dispatch, unless from any reason which is unknown or does not occur to me, the general Service will essentially suffer by it.1 I am Sir Your most obedt Servt.
Df, in John Laurens’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. On 18 April, Lewis wrote Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates, “I have received orders from General Washington to send Colonel Hay down to head Quarters, He leaves this [Albany] Tomorrow, taking with him Captns [Joseph] Shirtliff & [Francis] Chandinet his Aids” (NHi: Gates Papers). Col. Udny Hay had reached Valley Forge by 28 April, when he wrote Gates to request a reassignment back to the Northern Department (NHi: Gates Papers).