Memorandum for Captain Caleb Gibbs, 21 April 1777
Memorandum for Captain Caleb Gibbs
[Morristown, N.J.] April 21st 1777.
Pay Mrs Thompson, & fall upon some method of sending her home—or to any place she wd chuse, for it is not possible she can be of any use to me in a moving Camp (which ours must soon become) nor can such a kind of life be agreeable to her, I should think.1
Bring my Mattrass—or send it—as also my Phaeton Trunk—Portmanteau Trunk—& Portmanteau—My sword, Gun, & Cane had also better be brought unless they could be put into the hands of some Gentleman at Philadelphia that would take particular care of them. If they were now here Mrs Washington could take them with her.2
The large Trunk contains, I beleive, our Table Linnen; and other articles of use, and must therefore be sent on to this place—As to the remaining part of our Baggage you will be a proper judge what of it to send forward & what to store there. or send elsewhere.
Such Articles as you know will be wanted for the use of our Family, you will endeavour to provide at Philadelphia, and have sent on in proper kind of Waggons. The Gentlemen of the Family who have Baggage at New Town will give you directions about it.3
As I expect to lodge in my Tent this Summer I wish you would get for the ⟨illegible⟩, an Oil Cloth of the size of the Inner (or Tent part) of it, ⟨&⟩ also a course Carpet of the same size to keep the Damps from me. I desire ⟨Mr⟩ Fitzgerald to have me a Bearskin Housing made ⟨&⟩ enquire of him what directions he gave and let it be brought up.4 also get me 6 lbs. of Hair Powder5—and if it can be nicely done my Arms engraved in Silver (if it cannot be well done in Steel).6
My Papers at New Town, take with you to Philadelphia, and have them well secured in a good Trunk, or strong Box and lodged with the publick Papers of Congress—If those Papers formerly sent to Congress are still in Philadelphia one Package might be made to contain the whole—the Adjutant Genls Papers should also be securely Packed and deposited with mine.7
My Bedstead if it is not already here⟨,⟩ should be sent up with my Baggage. Captn Lewis with his Troop should proceed to this place8—& can escort our Baggage.
Send Six Rheams of Paper to Philadelphia and have it cut, and forwarded to Head Quarters with the other Articles. Colo. Moylan has a Cutteau of mine to New Scabbard & the Swivel to repair9—enquire for and bring it with you.
You will settle with, & pay Mrs Harris what shall appear reasonable for the trouble & expence we have put her to.10
Wishing you a good journey and Safe & speedy return I remain Yr Sincere friend &ca
Go: Washington
N.B. Get me a New Bridle and two black Velvet Jocky Caps for Servants—viz.—one for Will—and another for my Hostler.11
ADS, NNGL.
Gibbs wrote a series of notes on the final page of the manuscript, several of which he accompanied with the mark “X.” The notes read: “a Saddle Cloth for R[obert] H[anson] H[arrison] none worth having. speak to Captn [John] Peyton of 3d Virga Regimt about J[ohn] Fitzgerald’s Fuzee which is to be compleatly finish’d & to Captn Lewis about a Sword Belt & Key of his Trunk.” Regarding these items, Gibbs wrote “not to be found”. Gibbs continued: “The Genls Spy Glass ⟨to⟩ Rittenhouse done. Send to Hd Quarters as soon as possible all the dutch papers which are In Colo. Harrisons Chest Black Stock for Colo: [George] Johnston with 4. holes Speak to I[saac] parish Hatter Second Street to make the General a Hatt—one for Fitzgerald.”
In late April, Gibbs, who commanded GW’s guard and managed GW’s household expenses, left Morristown for Philadelphia to recover from an illness. GW’s directives in this document suggest that during Gibbs’s stay in Philadelphia, he was to oversee the management, transport, purchase, or storage of household items (including clothing for servants), camp equipment, and GW’s public papers. Baggage and other articles had been left in Pennsylvania during GW’s time there in 1776. Gibbs returned to Morristown by 17 or 18 May. GW formed a new guard in 1777; as a result, he also ordered Gibbs to arrange for the procurement of uniforms for the members of the guard (see GW to Gibbs, 22 April 1777, and the source note to that document; see also GW to Gibbs, 1 May 1777; and , 38-44). GW was preparing to move his troops from the winter encampment at Morristown and open a new campaign. Anticipating a potential British attempt to capture Philadelphia, GW by mid-April believed that the Continental forces “should move southward as fast as possible” (GW to Samuel Holden Parsons, 19 April 1777; see also GW to George Clinton, 20 April 1777, and GW to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 11 May 1777). He established headquarters at Middlebrook, N.J., by late May 1777 (see General Orders, 29 May 1777, and n.1 to that document, see also , 4:403-4, 424-26).
1. On 23 April, Gibbs paid Elizabeth Thompson £37.10 “for her services as housekeeper to His Excellency General from 9th of July 1776 To the 23d of April 1777.” On the same day, Gibbs paid Thompson £9.10.10 “for Expencess of the family” and £3.5.8 “for money she paid at Sundry times when in the family” (Revolutionary War Journal of Household Expenses, 1776-1780, DLC:GW, ser. 5). Thompson remained GW’s housekeeper until December 1781.
2. Martha Washington left Morristown for Philadelphia en route to Virginia in May (see James Craik to GW, 13 May 1777, n.4). The Moravians at Bethlehem, Pa., recorded on 9 May 1777: “Col. [Allen] McLane, with a troop of horse, reached here from Philadelphia, expecting to find Lady Washington, who he was to escort hence. She had, however, struck off on the Durham road, and thus missed Bethlehem” (, 12 [1889], 399-400, brackets in source).
3. Some baggage may have been left at Newtown, Pa., after GW had established his headquarters there following his December 1776 attack on the Hessian troops at Trenton, N.J. (see GW to Richard Peters, 4 Dec. 1776, and n.2 to that document). Gibbs was at Newtown on 23 April (see GW to Gibbs, 22 April, source note; see also GW to Gibbs, 3 May 1777).
The “Gentlemen of the Family” refer to GW’s aides-de-camp.
4. Lt. Col. John Fitzgerald served as one of GW’s aides-de-camp.
5. GW’s expenses for 7 May included £0.12.0 “To 6 lb. hair powder fo His Excellency” (Revolutionary War Journal of Household Expenses, 1776-1780, DLC:GW, ser. 5).
6. GW’s expenses for 25 April included £5.14.0 “To Engraving the Genls Arms &c. as p. bill” (Revolutionary War Journal of Household Expenses, 1776-1780, DLC:GW, ser. 5). A receipt signed by engraver David Tew on 27 April indicates that he received payment in the amount of £5.14.0 for work on a handle and “Making a Silvr Seal & piece let in at top” (Revolutionary War Vouchers and Receipted Accounts, 1776-1780, DLC:GW, ser. 5).
7. Lt. Col. Morgan Connor was the acting adjutant general. For GW’s former decision to deposit his papers “respecting the Affairs of the States” with Congress, see his letter to John Hancock dated 13 Aug. 1776. Gibbs on 7 May paid for a “Chest” to store the “publick papers” (see GW to Gibbs, 3 May 1777, n.2).
8. George Lewis then served as a captain of the 3d Continental Dragoons.
9. GW’s expenses for 3 May include £1.17.6 “To Cash paid for Mending hanger & Swivels” (Revolutionary War Journal of Household Expenses, 1776-1780, DLC:GW, ser. 5).
10. GW is referring to Hannah Stewart Harris. GW lodged at her house while he was headquartered in Newtown from 26 to 29 Dec. 1776 (see General Orders, 27 Dec. 1776, and n.1 to that document).
11. GW’s expenses for 4 May include payments for “Cloaths” and buttons “for Servants.” On 5 May, GW paid £2.10.0 “To 2 pr thread hose” for William Lee, a mulatto slave who served as GW’s body servant throughout the war (Revolutionary War Journal of Household Expenses, 1776-1780, DLC:GW, ser. 5). GW’s aide-de-camp Richard Kidder Meade signed a receipt dated 6 June 1777 at Middlebrook, which itemized his payments “for sundry’s for the use of the Genls Family in the absence of captain Gibbs, from the 21st april to 12th May.” Among other articles, Meade paid for two pair of stockings for both William Lee and “John the horseler” (Revolutionary War Vouchers and Receipted Accounts, 1776-1780, DLC:GW, ser. 5). For more on the clothing and cloth that GW wanted procured for his servants, see GW to Gibbs, 1 and 3 May 1777.