To George Washington from John Moylan, 12 April 1780
From John Moylan
Morristown 12th April 1780
Sir
I have the honour to Send you ⅌ bearer a general return of the Clothing Department since I Entered it to the 22d March last Duplicate thereof I have this day forwarded to General Wilkinson to lay before the Board of War1 There are between 30 and 40 Hhds2 now on the road from Springfield to New Burg contg mostly Shirts Shoes & Overalls, which I cannot ⅌ticularize for the want of an Invoice. this Added to the ballance Expressed in the return compose the whole of what Woolen Clothing is on hand; notwithstanding Our Deputy at Philada Advises that the Agent purchaser There has neither Orders or Money to Continue his purchases, that no Dependance therefore is to be had on that Quarter For any future Supplies. in the Magasine at Springfield there are about 13,000 Linen & Canvas Overalls & 1200 hunting frocks. what may be collected of those Articles in the Store at Philada I am not yet Advised of. this, Sir, is the only Information I can Add to what You will receive from Yr Inspection of the General return, & I have the honour to be Yr Excellency’s most obedt Hble Servt
John Moylan A.C.G.
ALS, DLC:GW.
John Moylan (1745–1799), born in Cork, Ireland, worked as a merchant in Cadiz, Spain, before his arrival in the colonies. Named assistant clothier general on 1 Oct. 1779, Moylan served as clothier general in 1781 and 1782. Moylan’s brother Stephen briefly acted as GW’s aide-de-camp in 1776 and spent most of his time in the army as colonel of the 4th Continental Dragoons. Suffering financial reverses after the war, John Moylan unsuccessfully sought appointment as “Consul to New Orleans” during GW’s first presidential term, despite a promise to demonstrate “the same Zeal & attachment to the Interest of my Country, with which I can safely say it was my Constant Study to Justify the Recommendation you were pleased to Honor me with on a former occasion” (Moylan to GW, 6 Aug. 1790, in 6:200–201; see also John Moylan to GW, 18 Feb. 1781, and Stephen Moylan to GW, 7 Jan. 1796, both DLC:GW).
1. The enclosed clothing return has not been identified. James Wilkinson, clothier general, presumably acknowledged the duplicate return when he wrote GW on 12 June (DLC:GW).
2. Moylan means hogsheads.