To George Washington from Colonel Matthias Ogden, 12 January 1780
From Colonel Matthias Ogden
Elizth Town [N.J.] 12th January —80
Sir
Agreeably to my instructions,1 I presented your Excellencys, address to the Majistrates of the County of Essex,2 yesterday: I am happy to assure your Excellency, that it made the suitable impressions. There needed no arguments to enforce the, justice, or propriety of the requisition; ’tho were it necessary, I should have been seconded by Mr Caldwell, Mr Robert Morris,3 & several other Gentlemen of influence whose public spirit does them the highest honor—The Majistrates heartily sympathized with your Excellency on the sufferings of the Army, unanimously acceeded to the demand of the 200 Cattle, & augmented the quantity of Grain to 1200 bushels of Corn, Wheat, or Rye—the whole to be delivered, within the limited time, the Corn at Springfield & Westfield;4 & the Cattle at Springfield; begining on Friday;5 when it will be necessary for Mr Dunham to attend.6 I am with the most perfect esteem Your Excellencys humble servant
M: Ogden
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. See GW to William De Hart, 8 Jan., a version of which was sent to Ogden.
3. Robert Morris (1745–1815) of New Brunswick, N.J., was the son of New Jersey chief justice and Pennsylvania colonial governor Robert Hunter Morris and the grandson of New Jersey’s colonial governor Lewis Morris. Robert Morris began his law practice in New Brunswick in 1770 and became a clerk of the court of peace and pleas in 1776. In 1777, after Loyalist judges were exiled from state offices, Morris became the chief justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey, and from 1777 to 1778 he served on the state’s legislative council. After resigning his judgeship in 1779, Morris returned to his private law practice and amassed large landholdings. He was not related to the merchant and financier Robert Morris of Philadelphia.
4. Westfield was eight miles west and Springfield was eight miles northwest of Elizabeth, N.J. (see Map 2).
5. The next Friday was 14 January.
6. Azariah Dunham was superintendent of purchases for New Jersey.