General Orders, 26 May 1778
General Orders
Head-Quarters V. Forge Tuesday May 26th 1778.
C. Signs Epping Easton.
Parole Embdem—
The Commander in Chief perceiving that the regimental returns materially differ in the number of sick absent from the Hospital reports notwithstanding these were lodged with the Adjutant General that the regimental returns might be rectified and adjusted by them, calls upon the Commanding Officers of Regiments to make returns tomorrow to the Adjutant General specifying the names of all their sick absent, places where they are, and the times they were sent to them, that the difference abovementioned may be satisfactorily accounted for—in doing this the strictest regard is to be paid to the Hospital reports.
A sub-serjeant Corporal and 8 men from each Brigade are to be sent immediately into the Vicinity of their respective Brigades to seize the liquors they may find in the unlicensed tipling houses. The Commissaries will give receipts for the liquors they shall seize and notify the Inhabitants or persons living in the Vicinity of the Camp that an unconditional seizure will be made of all liquors they shall presume to sell in future.
Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
John Laurens wrote to Col. Daniel Morgan for GW on this date: “His Excellency desires me to inform you that a person who left Philadelphia at 8 ’OClock this morning, asserts that a Considerable body of the enemy marched yesterday evening towards the Middle Ferry, and as he understood were to cross with an intention to make some attempt on our lines—and that he would have the Road leading from you to the middle Ferry, as well as the other avenues by which it is likely that the enemy would advance, well reconnoitred—that he may have the earliest notice if any thing should be undertaken on this side…. The person who gives the information was an Officer in one of the Pennsilvania Regts who made his escape from Sick Quarters” (NN: Myers Collection). The British detachment was probably a working party, although a raid on the American lines at Germantown was attempted on 28 May (see , 494).