From George Washington to William Livingston, 11 May 1777
To William Livingston
Head Quarters Morris[town] 11th May 1777
Sir
I am this day honoured with yours of the 2d instant, as I was a few days ago with that of the 30th April.
previous to the Rect of it, I had desired Mr Boudinot, to demand Mr Fells release for that of Mr Hugh Wallace,1 Colo. Philipse or Mr Jauncey whose paroles we have and who are all Counsellors of the State of New York. If they refuse this, I shall call upon one of those Gentlemen to return to the place of his former confinement, and I hope, they will interest themselves in procuring Mr Fells release,2 rather than submit to a recall.
I have been informed by Colo. Forman that the Quakers and disaffected are doing all in their power to counteract your late Militia law,3 but I hope if your Officers are active and spirited that they will defeat their evil intentions and bring their Men into the Feild. I have the honor to be with great Regard Sir Yr most obt Sert.
Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. Hugh Wallace, a New York City merchant who had been arrested as a suspected Loyalist in August 1776 and had been paroled the following December, wrote GW on 19 May from New York: “I had the honor to address Your Excellency some time ago, in regard to my Chest of Plate taken by Genls Heath & Parsons under your Command, I had no doubt of your Justice in ordering it to be restored, as I was assured my Family & Property should be protected dureing my Absence from them.
“I have not had the favour of an Answer from Your Excellency, but by a Letter I received from Genl Sullivan I found I had no reason to doubt of Your Excellency’s doing me Justice, General Sullivan letting me know that all my Plate was orderd to be returned me, & adding that, he had wrote Genl Heath to that purpose.
“As I have not yet received the Plate I am again under the Necessity of troubling you, & request Yr Excellency will give the necessary Orders to have it restored, agreable to your former Order” (DLC:GW). No reply to this letter from GW has been found. For GW’s efforts to protect Loyalist property, see his letter to the Queens County committee of safety, 11 Aug. 1776.
2. At this place in the draft, Tilghman first wrote and then struck out the phrase: “in order to get rid of their own paroles in.”
3. This intelligence may have been included in Col. David Forman’s letter to GW of 11 May, which has not been found.