George Washington Papers

To George Washington from Isaac Ledyard, 27 September 1780

V
From Isaac Ledyard

Fish Kill [N.Y] 27th Septr 1780

Sir

Since sealing my Letter to your Excellency, I recollect to have mentioned that I know nothing against young Mr Smyth besides his endeavouring to conceal these papers. I meant nothing which regarded Genl Arnolds & Joshua Smyths Treachery.1

I thought it necessary to make this supplement to my Letter of this morning, least that should apear to contradict my fo[r]mer Letter to Col. Lamb wherein I mention Mr Wm Smyth’s being at his Uncle Wm Smyths on Long Island and Govr Tryon’s coming frequently there expressly to converse with him.2 I am with the greatest respect Your Excellency’s most Obedt and Humble Servt.

I. Ledyard

ALS, DLC:GW.

Ledyard also wrote an undated letter to GW’s aide-de-camp Alexander Hamilton: “Since writing two Letters to his Excely conc[e]rning Mr Wm Smyth, I have learned for a certainty that he was laying a plan for rescuing Joshua Smyth which was frustrated by Col. H. Hay his Uncle in Law.

“I would wish to give you all the information I can in this young Mans Case that you may be the better able to determine concerning him—which causes you this trouble” (DLC:GW).

1. See Document IV.

2. See Document III, and n.1 to that document.

William Smith saw his Loyalist uncle William in June 1779 (see Sabine, Smith’s Historical Memoirs [1971] description begins William H. W. Sabine, ed. Historical Memoirs from 26 August 1778 to 12 November 1783 of William Smith. . .. New York, 1971. description ends , 115, 117; see also Thomas Smith to George Clinton, 15 Sept. 1780, in Sabine, Smith’s Historical Memoirs [1971] description begins William H. W. Sabine, ed. Historical Memoirs from 26 August 1778 to 12 November 1783 of William Smith. . .. New York, 1971. description ends , 331–32).

Index Entries

    You Are Looking At

    Source Project
    Washington Papers
    Title
    To George Washington from Isaac Ledyard, 27 September 1780
    Author
    Ledyard, Isaac
    Recipient
    Washington, George
    Date
    27 September 1780

    Reference

    Cite as
    “To George Washington from Isaac Ledyard, 27 September 1780,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-28-02-0201-0006. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 28, 28 August–27 October 1780, ed. William M. Ferraro and Jeffrey L. Zvengrowski. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2020, p. 423.]

    More between these correspondents