To George Washington from Colonel David Forman, 12 July 1780
From Colonel David Forman
Freehold [N.J.] 12th July 1780
Sir
I was Hond with your Ecelencys favr of the 10th This Morning Together with dispatches for His Excly the Count de Rochambout & the Chavelier de Turnay—Your Excly may depend on my takeing the Earliest opportunity of delivering the dispatches to His Excly The Count de Rochambout after Sending forward to Your Excellancy & Capt. Dennis An Acct of the Fleets Arrival.
It would give me grate pleasure to have it in my power to give to Our Allies any Assistance—In the present situation of Affairs in this Country I fear little will be in my power.
Should the Admiral stand in need of a Supply of Fresh provision and Water—I do Imagine a Very pointed order from your Excly to Impress Provisions and Teams to draw Water will be absolutely Necessary—When Count de Estang Lay off shrewsberry he was exceedingly Imposed on in point of price & at best drew a Very small supply1—the disaffection in Shrewsbury is Since that time grately Increased & Consequently will make the people more backward in furnishing Supplies than they ware in 1778—Yet I am Convinced that Several Hundred Sheep and Some Cattle might be taken from a Set of People who have at all times withheld Supplies from the American Army & are strongly suspected of sending provision to the Enemy.
Since my letter of the 9th of this Inst. I have recd No Accts from the shoar—from which I take it for granted there is No appearance at Sea of any Fleet.
I mentioned to your Excely when I was at Camp that Flags, Permits or pasports were frequently given from this County—I have now to add that the Militia Officers have Lately gone into Exchange of prisoners taken by them when on duty—for the Inhabitints that the refugee parties Take from there owen Houses or whilst about there Usual busines⟨s⟩.
The Measure appears to me so replete with Evil That I should be wanting in my duty should I pass it unnotaced.
To me it appears every Exchange made in that way is an Encouragement to that British mode of Man Stealing—and if once gone into will allways enable them to hold a large Ball[anc]e of prisoners against us. I have the Honr to be with Great regard Your Excellancyes Most Obdient Humble Servt
David Forman
ALS, DLC:GW.
GW replied to Forman on 16 July from headquarters: “Yours of the 12th only reached me yesterday Afternoon—We have an account of the Arrival of the French Fleet at Rhode Island, which may perhaps render the collection of any considerable quantity of stock in Monmouth unnecessary—You shall hear further on that subject, when we know somewhat more of our plan of operations” (LS, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, NjMoHP).
1. Vice Admiral d’Estaing’s French fleet operated off the coast of New Jersey for a short time in July 1778 (see d’Estaing to GW, 8, 13, and 17 July 1778; see also Alexander Hamilton to GW, 20 July, 1778).