George Washington Papers

From George Washington to Brigadier General John Glover, 29 July 1779

To Brigadier General John Glover

Head Qrs [West Point] July 29: 1779

Sir

I have received Your favor of the 24th Instant upon the subject of the Massachusetts Arrangement. I regret the necessity that obliges good Officers to leave the service. It should be pressing indeed to induce them to such a measure at any time; but particularly at this stage of the Campaign. I have inclosed a discharge for Major Bradish, as I had no hopes of prevailing on him to continue from the tenor of his Letter and his repeated applications1—and as the Arrangement could not be compleated, if the matter remained open & a subject of farther correspondence. You will be pleased to transmit it. In point of regularity there should have been a Certificate from his Colo. and the pay Master of the Regiment, that he was not indebted either to the public or to the Regiment. I would wish you to obtain this still— and to forward it to me.

I have also been favoured with Your Letter of the 27th2—Major General Howe will set out to morrow to take the command in your Quarter—and will be instructed on the points contained in your Letter.3 Colonel Wadsworth has been written to with respect to a supply of Rum, and I have no doubt but he will furnish a quantity, if it is in his power.4 It is a scarce Article and exceedingly difficult to procure.5 I am Dr sir with great regard Yr Most Obedt servant

Go: Washington

LS, in Robert Hanson Harrison’s writing, NjP: deCoppet Collection; Df, DLC: GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.

1GW is referring to an enclosed letter from David Bradish to Timothy Bigelow that has not been identified.

2The letter from Glover to GW of 27 July has not been found.

4This letter to Jeremiah Wadsworth, presumably from GW, has not been found.

5In part of a letter written at Ridgefield, Conn., on 27 July, Glover complained to Maj. Gen. William Heath that “Rum is much wanted, the stock I brought on was all exhausted two days before I came to this post: none to be had at Danbury, the Troops are very uneasy—if any can be procur’d with you, I must beg it as a favor you’d be so good as to order on a few Hogshds for this place as soon as possible” (MHi: Heath Papers).

Maj. Gen. Robert Howe addressed the same issue in a letter to Heath written at Ridgefield on 3 Aug.: “I am just now informed by General Glover that the Want of the Customary Quantity of Rum to serve out to the Men, is much felt by his Brigade, and that Discontents are excited by their hearing that Soldiers in other Quarters have it regularly. I, therefore, think it my Duty to mention this to you not doubting that you will take Measures to obtain a Supply” (MHi: Heath Papers). Heath answered Howe from Mandeville’s, N.Y., on 4 Aug., 8:00 P.M., in a letter that reads in part: “I am Sorry to hear that the Troops with you do not Obtain a Sufficient Supply of rum, The Brigade Commissary must draw it from Mr Phillips’ Store at Danbury and must so attend to the matter as to prevent the Troops being unsupplied perhaps it may not be a miss for you to Send an Order by the Commissary when he applies” (MHi: Heath Papers). For the army’s rum shortage, see GW to Alexander McDougall, 28 June, and n.1 to that document.

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