To George Washington from William Greene, 8 December 1780
From William Greene
Warwick [R.I.] 8th Decr 1780
Sir
In consequence of Your Excellcy’s Requisitions,1 The General Assembly have ordered three Hundred and Eight Men to be inlisted by the first Day of January next, to compleat this States Regiment agreable to the Resolution of Congress. To serve during the War or three years, and for the encouragement of those who may engage during the War, they are to receive as a bounty one Hundred and twenty Silver Dollars, and for three years one Hundred Dollars. And whatever number may be deficient on the said first Day of January, in order to procure them immediately, the whole Inhabitants from Sixteen years old and upwards throughout this State are to be put into Classes in numbers agreable to the deficiency’s and each one to furnish a Man.2
They have also furnished this States Clothier with cash to procure cloathing to make up the deficiency of that article in their Regiment.3 And have also ordered the Purchasing Commissary to purchase the necessary supplies.4
And in order to furnish those departments as well as all others as far as may be reasonablely expected from this little State, The Assembly have ordered a Tax of One Million of pounds in the old Continental Bills to be paid by the first of February, and the first of April next in equal Halfs.5 And a further sum of Sixteen thousand pounds in Silver ten of which to be paid by the first of January next the other by the first of February following.6
These proceedings I have thought proper to communicate to you that you may be inform’d of the manner in which this State has taken to comply with your Requisitions, and hope they will meet Your approbation. I am with great Truth Your Excellency’s most Obedient & most Humble Servt
W. Greene
ALS, DLC:GW; ADfS, R-Ar. GW’s aide-de-camp Tench Tilghman wrote “Ansd 22d” on the docket, but no letter from GW to Greene dated 22 Dec. has been found.
2. For this legislation to fill the state’s Continental regiment in accordance with the recent congressional reorganization, see , 9:290–91; see also General Orders, 1 November.
3. The Rhode Island legislature empowered John Reynolds “to draw £20,000, in Continental money, of the old emissions, out of the general treasury, to purchase clothing for the troops” (, 9:272). The legislature also directed Reynolds to send forward “the cloth and other articles ordered to be purchased for vests and overalls,” along with 263 pairs of stockings and 137 blankets (, 9:287).
4. The Rhode Island legislature had directed Charles Holden “as soon as may be, to purchase this state’s quota of beef for the army” and then “proceed immediately to make further purchases of beef and pork, to the amount of five hundred barrels … to be salted and stored” (, 9:262).
5. See An ACT for assessing and apportioning a Rate or Tax of One Million Pounds, in Continental Bills, of the old Emissions, now in Circulation, upon the Inhabitants of this State (Providence, 1780).
6. The Rhode Island legislature targeted £10,000 for “the bounties of the soldiers now ordered to be raised” and £6,000 “to discharge the debts due to the officers and soldiers of this state’s Continental battalions, on account of the depreciation of their wages” (, 9:284, 288–89, quotes on 284).