From George Washington to Colonel Israel Shreve, 29 December 1780
To Colonel Israel Shreve
Head Quarters New Windsor 29th Decemr 1780
Sir
I have recd your favr of the 21st—Had I the power, I have not the means of supplying the Officers with Blankets, as we shall with difficulty make up a sufficiency for the Soldiers.1
Inclosed you have the instructions for the Officer who is to go to Wyoming—You will be pleased to fill up the Blanks left for his name and deliver them to him, with the letter for Colo. Zebulon Butler, who commands at Wyoming.2
There are not at present Coats enough to make a general distribution. I have therefore directed the Cloathier to send down only seventy now, which I intend for the Company going to Wyoming—You will take care that they have as full a supply of every kind of Cloathing as possible before they march—the remainder of the troops will have frequent oppertunities of drawing, while, from their remote situation, they will be excluded. I am &.
P.S. You will shortly receive from Colo. Miles Dy Qr Mr Gl in Philada two hundred soldiers shirts, being part of the production of the subscription of the Ladies of Penna and Jersey3—Upon their arrival you will distribute them among the most needy, or by Lot, as you and the feild Officers may judge best.4
Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. Shreve had written GW from the “Jersey-Camp” at Pompton, N.J., on 21 Dec.: “I take the liberty to enclose a return of blankets for the Officers of the Brigade. Your Excellency may be assured that nothing but their present necessitous situation would induce me to do it” (ALS, DLC:GW). The enclosed “Return of Blankets for the Officers of the Jersey Brigade,” dated 21 Dec., listed nineteen for the 1st Regiment, twenty-nine for the 2d Regiment, and seventeen for the 3d Regiment (DLC:GW).
2. See GW to Zebulon Butler, this date, found at GW to Alexander Mitchell, 30 Dec., n.2; see also GW to Shreve, 28 December.
3. See GW to Samuel Miles, 23 Dec., found at Susan Blair to GW, 8 Dec., n.2.
4. Clothing remained a problem for troops under Shreve’s command (see his letter to GW, 8 Jan. 1781, DLC:GW).