From George Washington to Major William Washington, 5 November 1778

To Major William Washington

Head Quarters Fredericksbg [N.Y.] 5h Novemr 1778

Dear Sir

Should you in consequence of your application to the Board of War and Committee of Arrangement be appointed to Colo. Baylors Regiment, you will immediately thereupon proceed to Bristol where the Regiment is assembled and take the command of it. I shall send orders to the Officer commanding at present to march the Regiment into Winter Quarters. You will therefore, if you join, call upon him for them, and follow the directions laid down for him.1 I am Dear Sir Your most obt Servt

Go: Washington

LS, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DNA:PCC, item 152; Df, DLC:GW; copy, DNA:PCC, item 169; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. GW signed the cover of the LS, which Tilghman addressed to William Washington “near Bedford.” Washington apparently forwarded the LS to Congress, along with an extract of the General Orders of 7 Aug. certified by Col. Stephen Moylan and listing the dragoon officers and their respective ranks (see General Orders, 7 Aug., source note). Congress read the letter on 20 Nov. and voted to promote Washington to lieutenant colonel (JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends , 12:1147–48).

1. A British column had devastated the 3d Continental Dragoon Regiment at Old Tappan, N.J., on 28 Sept., wounding and capturing its commander, George Baylor, and killing its major, Alexander Clough (see Israel Putnam to GW, that date). The regiment’s former lieutenant colonel, Francis Otway Byrd, had resigned in July, so GW placed what remained of the 3d Dragoons under the temporary command of Capt. John Stith, who did not perform according to expectations (see GW to Stith, 1 Oct.). No orders to Stith about marching the regiment into winter quarters have been found, but see GW to Theodorick Bland, this date, and George Lewis to GW, 14 November. For William Washington’s appointment to command the regiment with a commission dating from 20 Nov., see JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends , 12:1147–48; Henry Laurens to GW, 26 Nov.; Washington to GW, 30 Nov.; and GW to Washington, 1 December.

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Source Project: Washington Papers
Title: From George Washington to Major William Washington, 5 November 1778
Author: Washington, George
Recipient: Washington, William
Date: 5 November 1778

Reference

Cite as: “From George Washington to Major William Washington, 5 November 1778,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-18-02-0054. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 18, 1 November 1778 – 14 January 1779, ed. Edward G. Lengel. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2008, pp. 52–53.]

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