To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 5 February 1781
From Major General William Heath
Westpoint, Feby 5. 1781.
Dear General,
I request to be informed if it is your Excellency’s pleasure that the detachment under the command of Major Throop should still be continued at Ringwood, or be called in.1
In yours of the 14. ulto you was pleased to consent to Major Bauman’s trying some experiments in Gunnery, but advised a delay at that time.2 Shall they be tried now, when the weather is suitable?
Enclosed is a return of Blankets received by the 2d Rhode Island regiment from the State. It did not arrive till this morning.3 I have the honor to be With the greatest respect Your Excellency’s Most obedient Servant
W. Heath
LS, DLC:GW; ADfS, MHi: Heath Papers.
GW replied to Heath on 6 Feb. from headquarters at New Windsor: “I take the first opportunity to resolve the questions in your Letter of the 5th. The Detachment with Major Troop may be recalled.
“Major Bauman will also have permission to make the experiments in Gunnery whenever it is convenient, General Knox being previously apprised by him, of the time” (LS, in David Humphreys’s writing, MHi: Heath Papers; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW).
1. Maj. Benjamin Throop’s detachment had been sent to Ringwood, N.J., to protect stores during the Pennsylvania line mutiny (see Heath to GW, 8 Jan.). It then participated in the suppression of the mutiny in the New Jersey line (see GW to Throop, 20 Jan., source note, and Robert Howe to GW, 27 Jan.).
2. See GW to Heath, 14 January.
3. The enclosed “Return of the number of Blanketts Received from the State for the Rhode Island Regiment (since the last delivery) Commanded by Colo. I. Angell,” dated 3 Feb. and signed by the regiment’s acting commandant and paymaster, shows that the regiment had received 137 blankets and 80 yards of baize, a coarse woolen or cotton fabric, that would make an additional 40 blankets. A note on the return, signed by the acting commandant, reads: “N.B. No blankets has been Recvd for the Regt formerly commanded by Col. Greene for the year 1781” (DLC:GW; the return is filed with Heath’s letter).