George Washington Papers

To George Washington from Peter Scull, 10 February 1779

From Peter Scull

War Office [Philadelphia] 10th February 1779.

Sir.

In pursuance of the resolve of Congress inclosed, I have the honor to transmit to your Excellency the arrangement of the Army with the papers on which it is founded.1 Those Corps which are not comple[te]ly arranged, your Excellency will find properly noticed in the inclosed list; and the returns that relate to them are contained in a separate pacquet.2 I have the honor to be with the highest respect Your Excellency’s most obed. hb. Serv.

P. Scull Secretary

ALS, DLC:GW.

1Tench Tilghman docketed the manuscript: “Philada 10th Feby 1779 from Board of War enclosing Resolve for compleating Armands and Pulaski’s Corps. Empowering Genl Washington to compleat the Arrangemt of Army.” For these two resolutions of 4 Feb., see John Jay to GW, 5 Feb., n.1. Both of the enclosed copies are in DLC:GW.

On 15 Feb., Scull wrote GW: “Thr’o the mistake of one of the Clerks, the papers of the Virginia arrangement were omitted to be sent by the former Express. I now have the honor to forward them to your Excellency, accompanied by some other returns that have been receivd within the course of a few days past” (ALS, DLC:GW). The papers regarding the arrangement of the state lines that were enclosed in Scull’s letters have not been identified.

2The enclosed returns have not been identified. The enclosed undated list entitled “State of the Arrangement of the Army,” which is with this letter in DLC:GW, shows that the Continental lines for the states of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania had been arranged. For Delaware it is noted: “Papers furnished by Colonel [David] Hall unintellegible and returned to him.” For Maryland it is noted: “No returns made to the late Committee of arrangement.” For Virginia it is noted: “Arranged—the 9th Regiment excepted which is on the Fort Pitt Station.” For North Carolina it is noted: “Arranged, except the 3d Regiment remaining in that State of which there are no returns.” For South Carolina and Georgia, it is reported that there were “No returns.” For the Additional Continental Regiments, it is noted that colonels Henry Jackson’s, William Raymond Lee’s, and David Henly’s regiments had been formed into one regiment and arranged, as also had been colonels Samuel Blachley Webb’s and Henry Sherburne’s regiments and colonels William Malcom’s and Oliver Spencer’s regiments. Col. Elisha Sheldon’s 2d Continental Light Dragoon Regiment and Col. George Baylor’s 3d Continental Light Dragoon Regiment are shown as having been arranged. Under the heading “To be Arranged” are listed the Continental artillery corps, the 1st and 4th Continental light dragoon regiments, Maj. Henry Lee’s independent light dragoon corps, Col. Seth Warner’s regiment of Green Mountain Boys, Col. William Grayson’s Additional Continental Regiment, Lt. Col. Moses Rawlings’s independent rifle regiment, Col. Nathaniel Gist’s independent ranger regiment, Colonel Armand’s partisan corps, Brig. Gen. Casimir Pulaski’s Legion, and Col. Moses Hazen’s 2d Canadian Regiment.

Index Entries