To George Washington from Major Justus Christoph de Meibom, 7 February 1780
From Major Justus Christoph de Meibom
Lancaster [Pa.] Februar. 7th 1780.
Sir.
About nine months ago I did myself the honour to apply to Your Excellency for leave to send an officer into New York in order to bring out our pay and cloathing. Your Excellency was pleased to give me for answer, that circumstances would not admitt of complying with my request for that time1 All my endeavours to transact my business in writing having prouved ineffectual to this very time; I find myself under necessity to trouble, Your Excellency with repeating my former request. Knowing, Your Excellency’s generosity in granting to prisoners of war any advantages, compatible with their situation, I beg the favour to send an Officer upon his parole into the British lines for forty days, in order to bring out our pay, without which, we do not know [how], either to subsist any longer, or to satisfy our creditors in case an exchange should take place. I cannot omitt mentioning; that the corps of Brunswic Officers residing in Lancaster, in whose name I have the honour to address myself to Your Excellency, is, to my knowledge the only one, that has not before sent an officer into the British lines; all the other corps, British as well as Hessians having not been deny’d this favour. I flatter myself not to make my humble request at an unseasonable time, understanding that a Hessian Major from Reading has just now been indulged with leave to go in.2 With greatest respect I have the honour to remain Sir Your Excellency’s most obedient and most humble servant.
Just. Christoph de Meibom Major3
LS, DLC:GW. A note under the docket, in the writing of GW’s secretary Robert Hanson Harrison, indicates that GW received this letter on 1 March.
1. For this exchange of letters, see GW to Meibom, 15 May 1779, and n.1 to that document.
2. GW did not answer Meibom directly, but on 2 March, GW’s assistant secretary James McHenry wrote a letter to John Beatty, commissary general of prisoners, reading in part: “A Major Meibom of the Brunswike troops prisoners at Lancaster has also solicited leave for one of his officers to go into New-York for 40 days, in order to procure pay for the corps. You will be pleased to let the Major know that his Excellency grants the permission to a subaltern officer.” McHenry specified that Beatty was to direct the subaltern to give his parole at Elizabeth, N.J. (DLC:GW).
3. The writer penned this word as “Maior.”