George Washington Papers

From George Washington to Colonel Daniel Brodhead, 10 January 1781

To Colonel Daniel Brodhead

Head Quarters New Windsor 10th January 1781.

Dear Sir

I have recd your favors of the 17th of October and 7th of Decemr—It is to be wished that we had means of retaining the affections of those Indians who appear friendly or of engaging those to take part with us who are otherwise, but as that is not the case, it will be a most desirable object to foment differences among themselves, and as the Delawares have declared against the senecas who have been most troublesome to us they are certainly intitled to our support and protection.

Major Genl Baron Steuben is at Richmond in Virginia assisting in compleating the new arrangement of the Virginia line.1 He will write to you on the subject of Colo. Gibsons Regt and you will be pleased to comply with his directions respecting throwing the Men into two Companies and calling down the surplus Officers.2

You will be pleased to attach the Men of Rawlins Corps and the independent Companies to the Pennsylvania and Virginia Regiments as they may respectively belong—should there be any Marylanders for the War or for any considerable time to come, you will send them down to Richmond under the car⟨e⟩ of an Officer that they may join their line—The Officers of those Corps retire upon half pay agreeable to the Regulations of the 3d and 21st October3 You will transmit me a Return of their Names and Ranks.4 I am &.

Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.

2For the directions to write Col. John Gibson, see GW to Steuben, 9–11 January. Steuben wrote Brodhead on 3 Feb. (see Zemenszky and Schulmann, Papers of Steuben description begins Edith von Zemenszky, ed., and Robert J. Schulmann, assoc. ed. The Papers of General Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, 1777–1794. Millwood, N.Y., 1982. Microfilm. 7 reels. description ends ).

3For the reorganization of the Continental army under congressional resolutions adopted on 3 and 21 Oct. 1780, see General Orders, 1 Nov. 1780; see also JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends , 18:893–97, 958–62.

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