XVIII. George Washington to Lieutenant Colonel David Humphreys, 24 November 1780
XVIII
To Lieutenant Colonel David Humphreys
Hd Qrs Novr 24th 1780
Dr Sir,
Some intelligence having been received from New York unfavourable to the project I had in contemplation, I have relinquished it and am to desire the detachment under General Stark will discontinue its cooperation and take such measures as are necessary for its security and for making the forage originally intended.1 I am with great regard Yr Obedient servant.
Df, in Alexander Hamilton’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
GW also wrote Capt. Judah Alden from headquarters on this date: “You will send a trusty Non Commissioned officer and four men with the inclosed letter to Capt. Humphries, who is with General Starke and a body of troops at the White plains—You will send them across the River immediately on receipt of this and order them to make all diligence. They will return by Kings ferry” (Df, in Alexander Hamilton’s writing; Varick transcript, DLC:GW; Hamilton first wrote “two men” on the draft but struck out those words and wrote “four men” above the line; he docketed the draft with Alden’s name and Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.).
GW wrote Col. Stephen Moylan from headquarters on the same date: “Circumstances render the command upon which you were ordered unneccessary—You will therefore dismiss the party—sending off the inclosed by trusty and well mounted Dragoons—That to Capt. Alden at Dobbs ferry requires particular dispatch. I shall expect your Company at dinner” (Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW; see also Documents VI, XV, XVII, and XIX).
1. See Documents VII and XII; see also William Heath to GW, 17–18 November.