34171To Benjamin Franklin from David Hartley: Two Letters, 23 January 1779 (Franklin Papers)
(I) and (II) ALS : American Philosophical Society; transcript: Library of Congress I have communicated yours of Janry 1st. 1779 to the Board of Sick and Hurt and have received the following answer— We are taking measures for the immediate sending to France the number of Americans first proposed to be exchanged and we shall be much obliged by your continuing to impart to us such farther...
34172General Orders, 23 January 1779 (Washington Papers)
Varick transcript , DLC:GW .
34173To George Washington from General Henry Clinton, 23 January 1779 (Washington Papers)
I was honoured with your Letter of the 26th of last Month, with its enclosure. In order to prevent the irregularities, which, under the pretence of Reconnoitring, would otherwise be committed by individuals in every Army, it has been the custom in Europe (if I recollect right) that any Infantry patroling without a Non Commissioned Officer should be liable, if taken by the Enemy, to be treated...
34174From George Washington to the Continental Congress Committee of Conference, 23 January 1779 (Washington Papers)
Cloathing the Army well is a matter of such essential and fundamental importance, that it ought not by any means to depend on contingencies, but some plan should if possible be concerted to produce regular and constant Supplies. Whether this can be best effected by governmental Contracts with the Court of France, or any other power disposed to assist us—or in the way of Commerce by a Committee...
34175To George Washington from Colonel George Gibson, 23 January 1779 (Washington Papers)
The Assembly of Virginia in their late Act passed for the reinlistment of their Troops have not taken any notice of the Two state regiments anex’d to the Continental Army. from what cause I Know not unless it may be that they conceived the regimts to have been Continental Troops from the time they were taken into the Service, Indeed His Excelly the Governor & many Gentn of the House of...
34176To George Washington from John Jay, 23 January 1779 (Washington Papers)
I have had the pleasure of receiving and communicating to Congress your Excellency’s Letter of the 21st Inst: respecting Coll Rawlins—Copies of two Acts of Congress of this day, One on that Subject, & the other refusing a Request of Major General Phillips to go to New York & ordering him to Virginia, are herewith enclosed. I have the Honor to be With the greatest Respect & Esteem Your...
34177To George Washington from James McHenry, 23 January 1779 (Washington Papers)
I have the honor to communicate to your Excellency (in addition to my information through Mr Tilghman of the 21st Instant) by Major General Lord Stirlings particular directions, that on the 17th a detachment of the enemy (of about two hundred men) from New York effected a landing on the Middletown shore (near one Thomas Browers)—But re-imbarked in the night, without penetrating the country, or...
34178To George Washington from Lieutenant Colonel William Washington, 23 January 1779 (Washington Papers)
Letter not found : from Lt. Col. William Washington, 23 Jan. 1779. GW wrote William Washington on 9 Feb. : “I have recd yours of the 23d and 30th ulto.”
34179From John Jay to William Phillips, 23 January 1779 (Jay Papers)
Your Favor of the 6 th : Inst. was this Morning delivered to me & communicated to Congress. The enclosed Copy of their Resolution on the Subject of your Request; ^ matter of it, ^ will inform you of ^ specifies ^ the Reason which restrains them from complying with your Request. As the Humanity which distinguishes the Manner in Permit me to assure you that my Endeavours shall never be wanting...
34180Abigail Adams 2d to Elizabeth Cranch, 24 January 1779 (Adams Papers)
Last weak I had the pleasure to receive too letters from my friend Myrtilla, aney time when you have letters if you send them to Brackets and dirrect them to General Waren or his Laidie, they will come safe to hand; you must cover them if you intend I shall read them first: I should have wrote you a longer letter by this opportunity but am prevented by an accident, which has taken up my...
34181The Commissioners to the Comte de Vergennes, 24 January 1779 (Adams Papers)
We had the honor of receiving your Excellency’s Letter of the 20th. enclosing M. de Sartine’s Answer, relative to the Convoy which we requested of your Excellency, for the Ships now assembled at Nantes. We are totally at a loss to understand what Mr. de Sartine writes of four Vessels mentioned by us, as ready to sail and a Convoy having sailed with two of them. We never mentioned any thing...
34182The American Commissioners to Vergennes, 24 January 1779: résumé (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copies: Library of Congress, National Archives <Passy, January 24, 1779: We received your letter of the 20th enclosing M. de Sartine’s answer relative to the convoy we requested. We do not understand his reference to the four vessels supposedly mentioned by us and fear he has been misinformed. On December 29 we asked for a convoy. You asked...
34183From Benjamin Franklin to Arthur Lee, 24 January 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Harvard University Library Being desirous of thoroughly understanding M. Monthieu’s Accounts, which I am much press’d by him to settle, I request you would please to send me by the Bearer all the Papers you have relating to it.— I should be glad also to have Mr Grands first Accounts, with Mr Deane’s Remarks upon them— I have the honour to be Sir, Your most obedient humble Servant...
34184To Benjamin Franklin from Arthur Lee, 24 January 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : University of Pennsylvania Library; ALS (draft): Harvard University Library Mr Monthieu’s Accounts & papers were at Passy when I saw them last. The public Accounts were there also & if they do not remain there still, I apprehend Mr Grand has them, the large one being signd by Mr. Deane which he therefore wished to keep. But I am confident you had a copy of it, & that he will tell you the...
34185General Orders, 24 January 1779 (Washington Papers)
The Regimental Pay-Masters are immediately to make out returns of shoes actually wanted in their respective Regiments, which the Brigade Majors are to digest into Brigade returns regimentally, have them signed by the officers commanding Brigades and deliver them in to the Orderly-Office next tuesday forenoon. Varick transcript , DLC:GW . The following Tuesday was 26 January.
34186To George Washington from Major General Israel Putnam, 24 January 1779 (Washington Papers)
I am honor’d with your Commands of the 8th Inst. respecting the Cloathing purchased by Major Bigelow and the mode to be taken for supplying the Connecticut Troops, with a proportion of it. I know not to what your Excellency alludes, in General Parsons’s Letter, which in your opinion, contains some insinuations not of the most delicate nature: As I never saw it, or heard the contents, except in...
34187Alexander Gillon to the Commissioners, 25 January 1779 (Adams Papers)
Permit me to embrace this earliest opportunity of acquainting you of my arrival here this day from Our Continent, Via Havana, were I embark’d in A Spanish Vessel for Spain the 17 Novr. last, and on the 19th. Instant fell in with A Small Fleet from here under the Command of Count de Grace, (Cape Finisterre bearing E S E about 50 Leagues) who immediately with his Usual Politeness, offer’d me...
34188Endorsement by Alexander Hamilton on Note of Ann Lytton Venton, [25 January 1779] (Hamilton Papers)
No. 40, Philladelphia January 25, 1779, Exchange for £100, Pinsylvania Currency at ten Days Sight, of this Third bill, first and Second Not paid, Pay to Mr John Pringle, on order, one hundred Pound, Penselvania Money, for Value, Received, and Please the Same to account of the Effects of James Lytton, Senior Deceased, Anna Venton to Mr. James Lytton, Ste. Croix, Alexd Hammelton—Pay to George...
34189From Benjamin Franklin to David Hartley, 25 January 1779 (Franklin Papers)
LS : The Current Company, Bristol, R.I. (1977); transcript: Library of Congress I a long time believed that your Government were in earnest in agreeing to an Exchange of Prisoners. I begin now to think I was mistaken. It seems they cannot give up the pleasing Idea of having at the End of the War 1000 Americans to hang for high Treason. You were also long of Opinion, that the Animosity against...
34190From Benjamin Franklin to Margaret Stevenson, 25 January 1779 (Franklin Papers)
AL : Library of Congress It is always with great Pleasure when I think of our long continu’d Friendship, which had not the least Interruption in the Course of Twenty Years (some of the happiest of my Life) that I spent under your Roof and in your Company. If I do not write to you as often as I us’d to do when I happen’d to be absent from you, it is owing partly to the present Difficulty of...
34191Alexander Gillon to the American Commissioners, 25 January 1779: résumé (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society <Brest, January 25, 1779: I arrived here today from our continent via Havana. I embarked for Spain on November 17; on the 19th instant I encountered a small fleet about fifty leagues east south east of Cape Finisterre commanded by de Grasse, who suggested that I make for Brest with the frigate Fortunée , Capt. Marigny. To expedite the business I am sent on...
34192To Benjamin Franklin from Josiah Darrell, 25 January 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Josiah Darrell of the Brig Polly, from Charles Town, declares, that after having ship’d a few Men, and with great Difficulty and Trouble made up a Complement of Sailors, (with those, he had on board, that came with him from Charles Town;) that there is a great Likelihood of his losing the cheifest Part of his Men, by Reason of his not being able to get any...
34193To Benjamin Franklin from Dumas, 25 January 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society; AL (draft): Algemeen Rijksarchief Il y a longtemps que je desirois une voie comme celle-ci, pour vous dire des choses que je n’ose confier à l’ordinaire. Je ne suis nullement content de la maniere dont on a conduit à Amst. la négociation pécuniaire. Il me semble qu’on eût pu faire mieux. J’ai lieu de soupçonner, que les intérêts & le crédit des Etats-Unis...
34194To Benjamin Franklin from Antoine-Felix Wuybert, 25 January 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society D’après Votre ordre, Je me suis rendû chez Mr. Lee, que l’on m’a dit etre trés-dangéreusement malade, sur quoy Je suis revenu à Paris chez ma Soeur où Je loge Laquelle est aussi trésmalade. J’ose me flatter, Monsieur, que Vous Voudrez bien m’Excuser si Je n’ai pas retourné chez Vous pour Vous rendre reponse; ma soeur à qui je rends mes soins et attentions,...
34195General Orders, 25 January 1779 (Washington Papers)
Varick transcript , DLC:GW .
34196From George Washington to George Clinton, 25 January 1779 (Washington Papers)
Your favor of the 29th December only reached me a few days ago—I shall lay before Congress, that part of Your Excellency’s letter, which respects the payment of those supplies which you were under the necessity of taking out of the regular line—after the loss of the Highland Posts—as it is not in my power to order the present Quarter Master and Commissary General to discharge accounts prior to...
34197From George Washington to Brigadier General James Clinton, 25 January 1779 (Washington Papers)
I have received your favors of the 9th and 13th insts.—In my last of the 19th I informed you that it was the desire of Congress that a fort might be built for the Oneidas if they requested it—and I am therefore glad that you have ordered that work to be executed—I also at that time inclosed an order upon the Commissary of Military Stores at Springfield for what amunition you might think...
34198To George Washington from Major General Alexander McDougall, 25 January 1779 (Washington Papers)
I had the Honor to address you by Captain Bedlow. I have not been favored with any of your’s, since that from Paramus of the 16th Ultimo. Your being absent from the Army, occasioned the Caution on the Address of my late Letters, “not to be opened [but] by the Commander in chief.” I take the Liberty to inclose correct Copies, of my Orders for Permits of Provision below, and the Regulation of...
34199To George Washington from Major General Israel Putnam, 25 January 1779 (Washington Papers)
I wrote your Excellency yesterday, in which I gave you all the intelligence that could be collected. As my Domestic affairs, are in much confution, and there is many things which cannot be setled, but by myself, I am under the necessity of requesting yr Excellencys permission to be absent from Camp for about thirty days—If I may be permitted, I should choose to set off some time in the month...
34200From George Washington to Major General Philip Schuyler, 25 January 1779 (Washington Papers)
In my last of the 18th instant I omitted to approve of your plan of endeavouring to have the Enemy’s shipping upon Lake Ontario destroyed by the Indians. I had some such Scheme as that in contemplation when I desired that particular information should be obtained of the situation of the place in which they were laid up for the Winter. You will be pleased to direct any kind of combustible...