From George Washington to Major William Perkins, 10 April 1780
To Major William Perkins
Head Quarters M⟨orris Tow⟩n 1⟨0th Apri⟩l 1780.
Sir
I have been favd with yours of the 12th ulto. You are to leave all the Iron Cannon with the Apparatus belonging to them, in the State of Rhode Island and transport all the Brass Cannon and the remaining Continental Stores to Springfeild—You will be pleased to attend particularly to the Arms which you have heard of in the neighbourhood of providence—You need not remove the heavy round Shot.
Should any of the Apparatus belonging to the Iron Cannon be the property of the Continent, you are to take Receipts for it from the State as you will do for the 1000 wt of powder to be left at the request of the Governor.1
You are to apply to the Dy Qr Mr for assistance in removing the Ordnance and Stores to Springfeild, and upon their being deposited there take Receipts for the quantity.
After having compleated the removal you are to join the park of Artillery at this Camp or whereever it may be.2 I am Sir Yr most obt Servt
Go: Washington
LS, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, GYMG; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. The portion of the dateline lost along the frayed top edge of the LS has been supplied in angle brackets from the draft manuscript, which also is in Tilghman’s writing. GW enclosed a duplicate of this letter to Perkins when he wrote Rhode Island deputy governor Jabez Bowen on 6 May (see Bowen to GW, 25 April, n.2). The duplicate has not been found.
1. After this word on the draft, Tilghman wrote and then struck out: “and for any other stores which it may be necessary to leave with the Iron Cannon.”
2. In his reply from Providence on 14 May, Perkins informed GW that the Rhode Island General Assembly had directed him “to leave more Powder than you have order’d me” (DLC:GW; see also , 9:59–60, and Bowen to GW, 17 May, DLC:GW). The needs of French forces in Rhode Island prompted GW to write Perkins from Morristown on 24 May to keep in place “the Continental Artillery and Stores” still in Providence (DLC:GW; see also GW to William Greene, same date, R-Ar).