From George Washington to Major General Robert Howe, 10–11 March 1780
To Major General Robert Howe
Head Quarters Morris Town 10th[–11] March 1780
Dear Sir
I yesterday recd yours of the 7th. I fancy your information of the enemy’s having been at Sufferans was without foundation—at least I have heard nothing of it, and I think such an occurrence could not have escaped the Officer who commands the party at paramus.1
I take it for granted that General Heath has furnished you with a Copy of the instructions which I left with him when I removed from West point2—the following are extracts from my orders to Genl poor or commanding Officer at Danbury “The object of your going there (Danbury) is to afford the best cover to the part of the Country Eastward of Norwalk on the sound, as the troops at West point will attend more immediately to the Enemy’s lines and the protection of the people in that quarter of the state of New York—As there is no telling the designs or knowing the objects of the enemy you will endeavour to give opposition to them and afford every assistance in your power to the State you will be in, in case any part of it is invaded, and will in an especial manner in case of such an event attend to the care of our Stores at Litchfeild and Springfeild—In every other respect you will c⟨on⟩sider yourself under the orders and directions of Maj: Genl Heath or Officer commanding at West point if your superior in Rank.”3
You will perceive from the foregoing and from my instructions to General Heath that my Ideas only extended in general to throwing a Chain of light parties from the North River to the sound—In case of an actual and serious invasion of the State of Connecticut General poor was to give every assistance in his power, but it never was intended to move any Body of troops down to the Coast upon such occasions or upon such surmises as those mentioned by Colo. Mead.4 Indeed were we to attend to every small operation upon the sound the enemy might take an opportunity, by making a feint there, to operate to effect upon the Highland posts.
General Heath, in a letter of the 27th January, proposed ordering one hundred Men from Genl Poors Brigade to take post at Harrison’s purchase, but I objected to making a stationary post so low down; and advised, instead of that, a patrol of one hundred, who should move down occasionally.5
I have given no other instructions to General Heath particularly relative to his command at the Highlands.
I am exceedingly pleased at your attention to the Works at West point, which I wish may be pushed forward as far as the Weather and your numbers will admit.6
11th—I am this moment favd with yours of the 8th—I cannot but approve every attempt to reform the discipline of the Army which I am sorry to say is too little attended to in general.7 I shall deliver Ensign Vincents parole to the Commy General of prisoners.8 I am with great Regard Dr Sir Yr.
Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. The Continental army detachment at Paramus, N.J., changed over the course of the winter. Maj. Simeon Thayer commanded at that post in late January (see GW to Moses Hazen, 25 Jan.); Maj. Christopher Stuart commanded in late March (see Stuart to GW, 24 March).
2. GW is referring to his second letter to William Heath of 27 Nov. 1779.
4. In a letter that Howe had enclosed with his letter to GW of 7 March, Col. John Mead of the Connecticut militia had asked Howe for Continental troops to guard Greenwich, Conn., on the basis of intelligence reports that gave “the greatest Reason to expect a Visit, by a large Body of the Enemy.”
5. GW is referring to his letter to Heath of 2 Feb. 1780.
6. GW responded to Howe’s comments on resuming work on the fortifications at West Point, New York. For the importance GW assigned these defenses, see his letter to Alexander McDougall, 19 June 1779, n.2.
Col. Thaddeus Kosciuszko wrote GW’s aide-de-camp Richard Kidder Meade from West Point on 23 March: “I wrote to you the 1st of this, instant, and send three more Sketches of Plans. I do not know if they are come to hand, I delivered them to General Howe who promissed to forward them.
“I wrote also to his Excellency respecting teams which I Cannot git by the great scarcity of Forrage and you know I can do nothing without them.
“I beg you would informe him I have but Eighty fatigue men for all the works at West Point and I expect less and less every day; this will be the Cause, that the works will Not be Compleated, and not to be imputed to my neglect.
“I wrote to Governor Clington two days agoe, that he would send some teams with the Fourage of the opulent and rich inhabitants, I have not yet received an answer. I desired General Howe to write him upon the same subject and he did.
“I have three Masons from the Virginia Line, they the best Masons of few number that I have. I should beg to keep them, but as they are in Great want of Shoes, I will thank you to procure an Order for three pairs of Shoes on the Commissary of Cloathing at Newburgh for w[h]ich I will send the reciept of the men to respecti[v]e Co[r]ps they belong to” (DLC:GW). Kosciuszko’s letter to Meade of 1 March has not been identified, but see Kosciuszko to Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene, 28 Jan., in , 5:321. Kosciuszko’s letter “to his Excellency respecting teams”—presumably GW—has not been found. If Kosciuszko meant Greene, who served as quartermaster general, that letter has not been identified. Kosciuszko’s letter to New York governor George Clinton of 21 March has not been identified, but see Howe to Clinton, 15 March, found at Howe to GW, 16–17 March, n.5.
Meade replied to Kosciuszko from Morristown on 30 March: “I have rec’d your favor of the 23 Inst. The Sketches which you mention as having sent His Excellency thr’o Genl Howe are not yet come to hand—It is to be lamented that your present number of fatigue men are not adequate either to the occasion there is for them, or your wishes—The Genl has however written some days ago on the subject to Genl Howe—& no doubt every thing will be done towards forwarding the works, that is within his power—You will be pleased to make application to the Genl for the order you requested, for Shoes for the Masons of the Virginia line—& also in all future similar cases—as he is authorised on that head” (DLC:GW).
7. GW applauded Howe for denouncing as dangerously lenient a court-martial’s decision to only reprimand an officer found guilty of “absenting himself a considerable time from his Guard” during night hours.
8. Troops under Howe’s command had captured Loyalist officer Elijah Vincent.