To George Washington from Brigadier General Charles Scott, 29 September 1778
From Brigadier General Charles Scott
North Castle [N.Y.] 29th Sept. 1778
Sir
I this moment Recd a letter from Capt. Leavenworth with Some intellegince which You Have in Closd.1 the Deserters that wear taken Going to their Regiments I had Tryed Yesterday & the Court are of oppinon that they Receive one Hundred Lashes each. I orderd it should be put in execution Immediatly. upon which a Number of offi cers Politely petitiond me to pardon them assuring me that they wear good men and that they was misled by Some officer as I mentiond before,2 but the Soldiers to whom that officer addressed himself is not Yet taken or at least not brought hear. I am informd they are in Confinment with their Regiments. I shall Send for them This day and if possable Discover the Villen, upon the Earnest Solisitation of the Gentlemen in favor of those already tryed. I agreed to postpon the punishment untell Your Excellencys Pleasure is known. I am Your Excellencys obt Servt
Chs Scott
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. Capt. Eli Leavenworth says in the enclosed letter to Scott of 28 Sept. from Horseneck (now Greenwich), Conn., that five men who had recently escaped from a British prison ship in the Hudson River and had spent two days in New York City before arriving at Horseneck said that “the British were puting Forage, water & Earning aboard their Transports, and also heavy Artilery, that they were Imbarking their troops in the East River that they heard the Seamen say the French and Spanyards were landed at Jameca, and ten thousand troops were going thire, and what talk they heard among the Inhabitants were that the City wou’d soon be evacuated, and that transports were prepar’d for those Refugees and Inhabitants who Chose to go with them” (DLC:GW).
2. See Scott to GW, 21 September.