To George Washington from Colonel Elisha Sheldon, 27 December 1780
From Colonel Elisha Sheldon
Northampton [Mass.] Decr 27th 1780
Sir
Your Excellency’s favors of the 8th & 17th Instant have been duly recd.1 In obedience to the orders contained in the Latter I have marched my Regt to the Towns of Northampton, Hatfield and Hadley, where to appearance, we can be plentifully supplied with Forage, unless the want of money should frustrate our hopes. I have established my Qrs at this Place where I hope to Remain, unless the Civil Authority should determine on another movement—I am happy to assure Your Excellency that your Letter to Governor Trumbull relating to the measures pursued by the Civil Authority respecting my Regt had a very happy effect. I was at Hartford soon after it was recd and was rejoiced to find many members of the Assembly ashamed of their Conduct in the above particular.2
I have the Honor to inclose also the Return⟨s⟩ called for in your Excellency’s Letter of the 8th—My Regt having been constantly on the march has prevented their being made out before.3
I have no Expectation of obtaining any Horses or furniture from the State of Connecticut, as they esteem this wholly a Continental affair but in point of men, I trust they will furnish our Compliment.4 I have the Honor to be, with the greatest Regard your Excellency’s Most obt and very Humble sert
Elisha Sheldon Col. 2 L.D.
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. See GW to Sheldon, 8 and 17 December.
3. These returns have not been identified.
4. GW replied to Sheldon from headquarters at New Windsor on 4 Jan. 1781: “I have just received your Letter of the 27th Decr together with the Inclosures. I hope you will not find any farther difficulty in supporting the Horses in their present Cantonments and ’tho there should not be an immediate prospect of procuring the full compliment of Horses, that you will notwithstanding use your best endeavours to recruit as many able bodied Men for the War, as possible” (Df, in David Humphreys’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW). Sheldon acknowledged this letter when he wrote GW on 24 Jan. 1781 (DLC:GW).