To George Washington from Brigadier General William Woodford, 3 October 1777
From Brigadier General William Woodford
Bethlahem [Pa.] 3d Octr 1777
Dear Genl
When I wrote you Yesterday I forgot to mention several Complaints from the Moravians in this Neighbourhood, which is the reason of my troubling your Excellency again. I am inform’d that a Mr Dun and some others who are Collecting the Militia in this County, have taken several of them from their Houses bound, others they have taken all their most valuable Affects under pretence of hireing A Substitute1—I have wrote to the Colo. who commands the Militia of this County & requested that he would enquire into these matters & have them redress’d.2 These people inform me their is no Justice of the Peace in this district to whom they can make their complaint. I shall thank your Excellency for some directions in this Affair.
Numbers of Waggons with stores are Arriveing here from Trenton & Bristol, & there is no Room to stow them here, I have sent them to Allan Town with a Quarter master to Deposit them in a Church at that place. I am very Respectfully Your Excellencys most Obedt Servt
Wm Woodford
ALS, PHi Gratz Collection; Sprague transcript, DLC:GW. The addressed cover of the ALS is with the Sprague transcript in DLC:GW. The cover includes the following note in its lower left-hand corner: “Favd ⅌ Colo. Palfrey.”
1. Woodford may be referring to John Dunn, who later served as quartermaster of the 1st Regiment of the Northampton County militia.
2. Colonel John Weitzel (Wetzel; 1752–1799), who had been a delegate to the Pennsylvania constitutional convention from Northumberland County in 1776, was appointed Northampton’s county lieutenant in May 1777, and he served in that capacity until 1780.