48201From George Washington to Major General Benjamin Lincoln, 9 January 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have had the pleasure of receiving your favor of the 25th of December. If prejudices will still prevail against experience, the fatal effects of temporary inlistments must be endured to the risque, if not the ruin, of the cause. The discontents and jealousies arising from this source have at length broke out in the Pennsylvania Line as you will have been informed by General Knox before this...
48202From George Washington to Lieutenant General Rochambeau, 9 January 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have been honored with your Excellency’s favors of the 22d and 25th of December and 1st instant. The reasons assigned by your Excellency for declining, at this time, the enterprize, which I took the liberty to refer to your consideration, are weighty, but the representation made by the Chevalier Destouche, of the impossibility of going to Sea for want of Bread, renders the measure...
48203To George Washington from Major General Arthur St. Clair, 9 January 1781 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found : from Maj. Gen. Arthur St. Clair, 9 Jan. 1781. On 12 Jan., GW wrote St. Clair regarding “your letter of the 9th.”
48204From George Washington to Colonel Israel Shreve, 9 January 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have just received your Letter of Yesterday; I am extremely sorry that the Proportion of Cloathing for the Jersey Troops is not more ample, and of better quality. You must be sensible it is owing to the Misfortune of not receiving the supply expected from France, and that unhappily for us the remainder of the Troops are not in a more eligible situation—The States are now called upon in the...
48205John Mathews, for Committee of Congress, to Nathanael Greene, 9 January 1781 (Madison Papers)
RC (Historical Society of Pennsylvania). Address sheet missing. We are desired by Congress to transmit you the inclosed resolutions. Nothing new has transpired since we last wrote, informing you of the departure of the British fleet from New York, except that in less than forty eight hours after their sailing, there was a most violent storm, which we have the best reason to imagine they had to...
48206From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 9 January 1781 (Madison Papers)
RC (Virginia State Library). The inclosed extract of a letter from General Washington No. 1 will give your Excellency a more particular account of the late embarkation from N. York than has been before obtained. On thursday last Congress were informed by General Potter & Col. Johnston who came expresses for the purpose that a general mutiny of the Pennsylvania line stationed near Morris Town...
48207From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 9 January 1781 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). The address sheet is missing, but JM, probably late in life, wrote “To Mr. Pendleton” at the top. Pendleton docketed the letter “James Maddison Esq Jan. 9th. 1781.” I have again the pleasure to begin with acknowledg the receipt of a favor from you, that of the 1st. inst: having come to hand yesterday. On Thursday last Congress were informed by Genl. Potter & Col....
48208To Thomas Jefferson from John Browne, 9 January 1781 (Jefferson Papers)
I arrived here this evening after a fatigueing journey being obliged to walk the greater part of the Way. The Baron being out of Town prevents my waiting on him untill the morning. I find provisions sufficient for five days, and expect hourly two hundred and fifty beeves from Mr. James Mason of Brunswick. I have agreed for upwards of a hundred hogs which will be deliverd in a few days, which I...
48209To Thomas Jefferson from Samuel Huntington, [9 January 1781] (Jefferson Papers)
[ Philadelphia, 9 Jan. 1781. ] Encloses copies of resolutions of Congress of 5 and 8 Jan. The former relates to “the unwarrantable and cruel Treatment which … Prisoners with the Enemy have of late received,” necessitating the “Exercise of the Law of retaliation”; recommends that measures be taken for carrying into execution the resolves of Congress of 13 Jan. 1780 respecting prisoners taken by...
48210To Thomas Jefferson from James Madison, 9 January 1781 (Jefferson Papers)
The inclosed extract of a letter from General Washington No. 1 will give your Excellency a more particular account of the late embarkation from N. York than has been before obtained. On Thursday last Congress were informed by General Potter and Col. Johnston who came expresses for the purpose that a general mutiny of the Pennsylvania line stationed near Morris Town apart from the rest of the...
48211From Thomas Jefferson to Steuben, 9 January 1781 (Jefferson Papers)
The State commissary having come to me yesterday I sent him on to your Headquarters to provide subsistence for the troops and observe your orders in every thing. A waggon load of fixed ammunition and two feild peices have past this place for General Nelson. The residue (I beleive about two waggon loads) was ordered on to you yesterday. I am very happy to hear you have General Smallwood’s...
48212From Thomas Jefferson to Steuben, 9 January 1781 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Granville Smith a State Quarter-master now waits on you. As I am not thoroughly acquainted with the Continental regulations I shall just mention to you my ideas on this particular matter without laying any stress on them and leave to your determination the propriety of using Mr. Smith. I have ever understood that the rule of Congress was to admit no expences to be Continental which were...
48213To Thomas Jefferson from Steuben, 9 January 1781 (Jefferson Papers)
I would suggest to you the Defenceless condition of Hunter’s Works at Fredericksburg full as great or greater an object than any were at Richmond. The people in that part of the Country as destitute of arms, as they are in this. The Distance to the Works from Potomack River about half as far as from Westover to Richmond. I would recommend it to your Excellency to order some fortification...
48214To George Washington from the Continental Congress Committee on the Pennsylvania Line, 10-11 January 1781 (Washington Papers)
We are Happy to inform Your Excellency that the terms offerd to the Pennsylvania troops are at length finally and as we believe cordially and Satisfactorily agreed on; and tomorrow we expect the Pennsylvania line will be arranged in its former order, Constitutionally, no Concession has been granted them that the critical Situation of our affairs did not Warrant and Justice dictate. As an...
48215To John Adams from the President of Congress, 10 January 1781 (Adams Papers)
Congress consider your correspondence with the Count de Vergennes on the subject of communicating Your Plenipotentiary Powers to the Ministry of Great Britain as flowing from your Zeal and Assiduity in the service of your country: but I am directed to inform you that the Opinion given to you by that minister relative to the time and circumstances proper for communicating your powers and...
48216To John Adams from Francis Dana, 10 January 1781 (Adams Papers)
Paris 10 January 1781. RC Adams Papers ; filmed at 12 July 1780, Adams Papers, Microfilms , Reel No. 352. Designated “No. 9,” this letter is written on the lower half and reverse of the triplicate of the Committee for Foreign Affairs’ letter of 12 July 1780. It was a covering letter for several documents brought to France by Thomas Bell of the Chevalier de La Luzerne and James Josiah of the...
48217To John Adams from Elbridge Gerry, 10 January 1781 (Adams Papers)
In June last I returned to this State, and have since been favoured with your several Letters of the 23d. and 29th. of Feby., 19th. of March, 28th. of April, 23d. of May and 24th. of June, with the pamphlet by the Baron de Arundl, whom I have not had the Pleasure of seeing. Mr. Dalton informed me in July last that notwithstanding the Friendship of yourself and Doctor Franklin, in the Affair of...
48218To John Adams from Stephen Sayre, 10 January 1781 (Adams Papers)
I am, not many days since favour’d with your Letter of the 6th.; and as your Excellency wishes to be further infor’d on the subject, it is my duty to reply. Perhaps some good may arise to our Country if you assist me in my endeavours while here. It was what I supposed, but I am exceedingly sorry you have no powers to make a begining of a trade from this port, which, tho’ now somewhat indirect...
48219To Alexander Hamilton from Major General Nathanael Greene, 10 January 1781 (Hamilton Papers)
General du Portail being on his way to the Northward gives me an opportunity to write you; which I should have done before, had not my letters to his Excellency contained as full information of the state of things, as I was able to give from the little time I had been in the department. When I was appointed to this command I expected to meet with many new and singular difficulties; but they...
48220To Benjamin Franklin from Isaac All, 10 January 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society The occasion of my troubling you at present is to acquaint that soon after my arrival at this place I meet with a voilent hurt by a Fall which confined me for two months and in the intrim a Small bill for Eighteen Dollars of the 14th March 1780 Number 826 was Returned to me acepted but from the State I then was in it was laid by and forgot to be Sent...
48221To Benjamin Franklin from Antoine Court de Gébelin, 10 January 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Le Sieur la Renaudiere qui aura l’honneur de vous présenter cette Lettre, a apris que vous cherchiez un Imprimeur pour former des Eleves en Amerique. Comme il entend fort bien cet Art, etant depuis trente ans Prote chez le même Imprimeur et d’une bonne conduite, il Seroit très flatté que vous voulussiez bien le choisir pour cet objet: il est frere de celui...
48222To Benjamin Franklin from Benjamin Waterhouse, 10 January 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I wrote to you a few weeks since enclosing a couple of letters from Dr. Fothergill, but little did I then think I should so soon write to you concerning his death—that good man died the 26th. of last month— By what I have often heard him say I Judged there was a no small friendship subsisting between you, and that therefore some account of his disease &...
48223General Orders, 10 January 1781 (Washington Papers)
Varick transcript , DLC:GW . On this date, Richard Platt, deputy quartermaster of the main army, wrote Lt. Philip Strubing of the Maréchaussée Corps, from Newburgh, N.Y.: “I have it in Charge from his Excellency Genl Washington to desire You to rendezvous at Chester with your Dragoons to morrow Evening & there wait further Directions—If you cannot do it by to morrow night, endeavor to be there...
48224From George Washington to the Board of War, 10 January 1781 (Washington Papers)
We have so constantly experienced the want of Hats, than which no part of dress is more essential to the appearance of a soldier, that I have been endeavouring to find out a substitute for them, which could be procured among ourselves—I have seen none so likely to answer the purpose, and at the same time of so military an air as a leather Cap which was procured in the year 1777 for the 6th...
48225From George Washington to Colonel Daniel Brodhead, 10 January 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have recd your favors of the 17th of October and 7th of Decemr—It is to be wished that we had means of retaining the affections of those Indians who appear friendly or of engaging those to take part with us who are otherwise, but as that is not the case, it will be a most desirable object to foment differences among themselves, and as the Delawares have declared against the senecas who have...
48226From George Washington to John Franklin, 10 January 1781 (Washington Papers)
I am pleased to find by your favor of the 4th instant that you are willing to accept of the Agency for prisoners provided Sir Henry Clinton makes no objection to your returning to New York. I shall immediately propose you to him, and will acquaint you with his answer as soon as I receive it. I am Sir Your most obt Servt LS , in Tench Tilghman’s writing, NNGL ; Df , DLC:GW ; Varick transcript ,...
48227From George Washington to Major General William Heath, 10 January 1781 (Washington Papers)
You will be pleased immediately to summon all the General Officers and the Colonels or Officers commanding the Regiments of the lines under your command to meet punctually at ten OClock tomorrow morning at your quarters. I will be down myself by that time. You need not send to Colo. Hazen. I am Dear Sir Yr most obt Servt LS , in Tench Tilghman’s writing, MHi : Heath Papers; Df , DLC:GW ;...
48228To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 10 January 1781 (Washington Papers)
Enclosed is a letter I received yesterday from Lt Colonel Hull. I wrote him an answer that he was not to put himself, or the Regular Troops, under the Command of a Militia Officer —Whether upon the receipt of my letter, Colonel Thomas would conclude to act as a Voluntier, under Colonel Hull or not, I have not yet learnt. The heavy rain this day will probably suspend the Enterprise untill the...
48229To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 10 January 1781 (Washington Papers)
I request to be informed whether it be your pleasure, and expectation, since you have established your Quarters at New Windsor, that I exercise Command at, and pay attention to affairs at Fishkill, The Daily Issue of 300 rations of Provisions at the Landing; and 1,022, in the Town, in the whole as many within One ration as are Issued to the whole Connecticut Line, (when there are but few...
48230To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 10 January 1781 (Washington Papers)
It may seem odd considering the important events which have taken place in this State within the course of ten days past, that I should not have transmitted an account of them to your Excellency. but such has been their extraordinary rapidity & such the unremitted exertions they have required from all concerned in Government that I do not recollect the portion of time which I could have taken...