To George Washington from Major General William Phillips, 21 November 1779
From Major General William Phillips
Bethlehem [Pa.] Novemr 21st 1779.
Sir
The inclosed Copy of a letter which I received by the favour of Colonel Webb will inform Your Excellency that I am a second time permitted to set out on a journey for New York.1
The letter mentions that Major Skinner is to meet me at Elizabeth Town and I take the liberty to request he may be thee with Your Excellency’s Commands for me relating to my parole or other matters on Wednesday Evening or Thursday Morni⟨ng⟩ at furthest.2
I will be free to own, Sir, that having suffered much uneasiness lately I do not wish to be delayed long at Elizabeth-town, and am particularly interrested for Major General De Reidese⟨l⟩ and his family who are all of them very unluckily in an ill state of hea⟨lth⟩.
I should be ungratefull for many Civilities received fro⟨m⟩ Colonel Hooper and Colonel Webb if I did not acknowledge my Sense of them to Your Excellency.
I cannot resist permitting myself the satisfaction of assuring you, Sir, that under this as in the late change of Sentiments in the American Congress I feel very sensibly your polite attention to me and I most sincerely hope that my going into New York, of which I now have no doubt, may be productive of the humane purpose of a release of a great number of unlucky Gentlemen belonging to both Armies.3 I have the honour to be, Sir, With great personal Respect Your Excellency’s most obed. and most humble Servant
W. Phillips
LS, DLC:GW.
1. Phillips enclosed a copy of a letter dated 15 Nov. from the Board of War to himself and Major General Riedesel (see Board of War to GW, that date, n.1).
Phillips explained Col. Samuel Blachley Webb’s involvement when he wrote Gen. Henry Clinton from Bethlehem on Saturday, 20 Nov.: “Yesterday afternoon Colonel Webb of the American Service arrived at this place from Philadelphia; he brought me a letter from the American Board of War, a Copy of which I enclose, by which you will perceive, Sir, that I am with Major General De Riedesel at liberty to renew my journey and to go into New York.
“Colonel Webb being in New England and re[a]d in the Publick prints an Account of my being detained; he immediately set out for General Washington’s Head Quarters to receive the Generals instructions for his return to New York, Colonel Webb conceiving, upon a principle of honour that being suffered to visit his friends upon his parole, under a condition of Major General De Riedesel and myself being allowed an equal favour for ourselves and our respective families that he ought, upon our being detained, to return to New York and he writ to Brigadier-General [William] Thompson upon the subject.
“Upon Colonel Webb’s arrival at Head Quarters a few days ago he was informed by the American Commissary General of Prisoners that a summons had been sent to him and others [of] the American officers Prisoners of War requiring their immediate return to New York in consequence of Orders thereon from your Excellency—This by no means can lessen Colonel Webb’s propriety of conduct and I have further to add that to the force of this Gentleman’s representations at Philadelphia may be ascribed our being suffered so soon to renew our journey to New York.
“Under this description permit me, sir, to suppose that the generosity of your mind may influence you to postpone your intentions concerning the return of those American Officers into New York, they are unquestionably entirely innocent relating to the detention of Major General De Riedesel and myself, and General Washington has declared to me by letter that he knew not the reasons which had actuated the American Congress in their conduct on this occasion—It remains yet unexplained.
“It would be presumption in me to say more upon this subject, knowing perfectly well that, upon your Excellencys humanity and judgment, will depend the fate of the American Prisoners of War absent upon their parole.
“I send this letter by an Officer who, I hope, will have a liberty of going into New York, and by him I will request to receive your Excellency’s Commands upon my arrival at Elizabeth Town.
“I shall set out from this place immediately on the arrival of Colonel Hooper from Philadelphia, who is to attend me and Major General De Riedesel, I imagine it will be on Tuesday next, and Your Excellency will easily conceive that I shall not be long upon the Route” ( 2:220–21; see also Phillips to GW, 28 Oct., and n.4). For the demand that American parolees return to captivity, see John Beatty to GW, 26 Oct., n.10; GW to Beatty, 30 Oct. and 10 Nov.; and Clinton to GW, 9 Nov.; see also Joshua Loring to Beatty, 24 Nov., in 2:221–22).
2. Phillips is referring to 24 or 25 November.
3. Phillips probably is alluding to a prisoner exchange proposal he outlined in his letter to GW of 26 October.
Maj. Gen. James Pattison, who commanded the British forces in New York City, wrote George Townshend on 2 Dec.: “The Congress having again thought proper to consent to Generals Philips & Reidesel coming to New York, they arriv’d here a few Days ago, with thirteen other Officers, as Prisoners on Parole” ( 143–44; see also GW to Beatty and to Robert Lettis Hooper, Jr., or the officer conducting Phillips and Riedesel, both 22 Nov.). Riedesel gave their arrival in New York City as 29 Nov. in a letter written to Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick, on 8 Dec. (see 2:201–2).