From George Washington to the Officer Commanding Artillery at Chester, N.Y., 16 July 1779
To the Officer Commanding Artillery
at Chester, New York
[New Windsor] July 16th 1779
Sir,
You will be pleased immediately to send to this place, the two 12 pounders & the 24 now with the park properly Officerd & manned, they will receive their orders here1—I have to observe that the heavy pieces which came down some time ago, had but one Officer with them—the matter I wish to be attended to—The remaining Officers & Men I desire you will hold in readiness to move at a moments warning.2
I sincerely congratulate you on our success against stoney point, it was carried this morning by the Light Infantry under the command of Genl Wayne—the garrison are all prisoners.
G.W.
Df, in Richard Kidder Meade’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. For GW’s intention to use this artillery in an attack against the British fort at Verplanck Point, N.Y., see GW to Robert Howe, 16 and 17 July (first and second letter); Howe to GW, 17 (first and second letter), 18, and 19 July. The artillery arrived after plans for the attack had been abandoned (see Heath to GW, 19 July [second and third letters], and GW to Heath, 19 July).
2. GW’s secretary Robert Hanson Harrison drafted a letter to the Commanding Officer of Artillery, presumably at Chester, docketed 18 July: “It is his Excellency’s earnest request that you send off as soon as possible after receipt of this Fifty good Artillery Horses completely harnassed for moving seven peices of Heavy Artillery on Garrison Carriages, from 12 to 24 pounders. You are also to send the necessary Drivers and Two Active Officers. They will come by the directest rout to Sufferans Tavern and from thence to Kings ferry. His Excellency repeats his request that all possible dispatch be used in sending the Horses & Harness off—and that the Officers coming with them be also requested to be as expeditious as they can” (DLC:GW).