From George Washington to the Officer Commanding at Charlottesville, Va., 31 January 1781
To the Officer Commanding at Charlottesville, Va.
New Windsor Jany 31st 81
You will permit the Gentlemen named in the within list to proceed to Elizabeth Town, by a route, which you shall prescribe them, not passing through any post of ours or through Philadelphia. When arrived at Elizabeth Town, they are to report themselves to our Commissary of Prisoners there, who will pass them to New York to be exchanged.1 I am Sir Your most Obedient & humble servant
Go: Washington
LS, in Alexander Hamilton’s writing, in private hands; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. The LS has no addressee, but a later note on the document states that it was addressed to Col. James Wood, the commandant of the troops guarding the Convention Army prisoners at Charlottesville (see GW to Wood, 14 Dec. 1779). The draft, also penned by Hamilton, is addressed to the “Officer Commanding at Charlottesville Virginia.” GW may have been uncertain of Wood’s presence in Charlottesville. Wood had informed GW that he would be superintending the prisoners of war at Charlottesville and at Annapolis, to where the British Convention Army prisoners had recently been transferred (see Wood to GW, 7 Dec. 1780).
1. Hamilton wrote on the draft below the address line: “paper enclosed a list sent by General Philips” (see William Phillips to GW, 23 Dec. 1780, and n.1).