From George Washington to Major General William Heath, 19 February 1780
To Major General William Heath
Head Qrs Morris Town Feby 19th 1780
Dr Sir
I wrote You on the 15th and requested You to send me as soon as possible, a Return of the number of Non Commissioned Officers and privates in the Fifteen Massachusetts Regiments, distinguishing particularly what proportion of them are inlisted for the War and the different terms of service of the Residue, digested in Monthly columns. To this I intended to have added, as I informed You, All the Men belonging to the state serving in the additional & other Corps and then to have forwarded it to the Council; but from the remote and dispersed situation of some of these I am apprehensive that a good deal of delay may attend the procuring Returns of them—and from this consideration I have thought it adviseable to transmit the States in general, Returns of the Battallions assessed upon them, without waiting for the Others, which will be sent as soon as they can be collected.1 and as it will be the means of informing the State of Massachusett’s of the condition of their Fifteen Regiments rather earlier than if the Return were to be sent to me in the first instance—You will be pleased to forward it to the Honourable the Council yourself made out in the particular manner I have mentioned—and acquaint them that I shall take the earliest occasion circumstances will allow, to transmit them a farther return of the Men belonging to the State, who are in other Corps.2 You will however send me a duplicate of the Return you transmit them without loss of time, as I wish to furnish the Council with a full and precise state at once—of All the Men they have in service and of the periods to which their engagements extend.3 They will receive from the president of Congress the quota of Men required of the state. and a Copy of the Act directing me to make these Returns. I am with great regard & esteem Dr sir Yr Most Obedt st
G.W.
Df, in Robert Hanson Harrison’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. The draft is addressed to Heath or the “Officer Commanding the Highlan[d] posts, on North River.” A note in Harrison’s writing on the docket of the draft indicates that a similar letter was addressed to Brig. Gen. Enoch Poor “mutatis mutandes” (after changing what needed to be changed). The letter to Poor has not been found.
Maj. Gen. Robert Howe, who assumed command of the Highlands department on 22 Feb., replied to the letter directed to Heath (see Howe’s first letter to GW of 28 Feb.).
Col. Joseph Cilley, Jr., who had assumed temporary command of Poor’s New Hampshire brigade, replied to the letter addressed to Poor, which apparently was dated this date (see GW to Poor, 5 Feb., and Cilley to GW, 7 March).
1. GW transmitted these returns with his circular to the states of 20 February. As indicated in the source note to that document, the circular addressed to the Massachusetts Council, dated 24 Feb., likely was sent on 26 February.
2. GW transmitted this return to Massachusetts Council president Jeremiah Powell on 10 March (DLC:GW).
3. GW appears to have received these by 25 Feb. (see Robert Hanson Harison to Henry Knox, that date, in the source note to Circular to the States, 20 Feb.).