George Washington to John Hancock, 17 March 1781
To John Hancock
Hartford 17th March 1781
Dear Sir
It would have afforded me the greatest pleasure, had I been able to have extended my late visit to Newport as far as Boston, but the important operations, which may be expected to the southward, made it necessary for me to return as soon as possible to the North River, that I might be more immediately in the way of receiving intelligence, and communicating any, which might be essential to the common interest, to the Count de Rochambeau.1
The present is a most important moment—The success of the expedition, now in agitation, seems to depend upon a naval superiority,2 and the force of the two Fleets is so nearly equal, that we must rather hope for than entertain an assurance of Victory. The attempt, however, made by our Allies to dislodge the enemy in Virginia is certainly a bold one, and, should it fail, will nevertheless entitle them to the thanks of the public.3
The Army under my immediate commd is so much weakened by the detachment which I have made to cooperate with the French Troops in Virginia, that I have been under the necessity of calling for the Recruits which are raised in the neighbouring States4—Few have yet come in, and I plainly perceive, that unless very vigorous exertions are made, the quotas of the several States will be not only short but exceedingly late in the feild.5 I must therefore intreat the interferance of your Excellency’s Countenance and Authority with the persons in the different Townships, whose business it may be to procure the Levies, not only to send forward those, to the places of rendezvous, which have been raised, but to attend to compleating the deficiencies where any may have happened. There is the greater necessity for a strict compliance with the number of Men required by Congress, as the pennsylvania line, which was to have composed part of the Northern Army, has lately been ordered to the Southward.6
A regular and full compliance with the specific requisitions of provision is a matter of equal importance with the foregoing and to which I beg leave to call your Excellency’s attention also.7 I have the honor to be with most perfect Respect and Esteem Yr Excellency’s most obt Servt
Go: Washington
LS, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, M-Ar; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. The Massachusetts Senate read GW’s letter on 26 April and ordered it “Sent down” ().
1. GW had visited Newport to see a French expedition depart for the Chesapeake Bay (see Destouches to GW, 8 March, source note). For GW’s return to New Windsor, see his letter to Rochambeau, 16 March, n.1; see also GW to Alexander Hamilton, 7 March, source note.
2. GW had sent a detachment under Major General Lafayette to Virginia (see GW’s second letter to Lafayette, 20 Feb., source note).
3. The French and British fleets met at the Battle of Cape Henry, which resulted in the French ships returning to Newport (see Destouches to GW, 19 March, and the source note to that document).
4. For the recruits called upon to strengthen GW’s army, see GW to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 21 Feb.; to William Heath, 22 Feb.; to William Greene, 12 March; and to Meshech Weare, same date.
5. Congress set new troop quotas in a reorganization of the Continental army (see General Orders, 1 Nov. 1780).
6. Congress transferred most of the Pennsylvania line to the southern department on 20 Feb. 1781 (see Samuel Huntington’s first letter to GW, same date). Newly recruited soldiers soon marched from Massachusetts (see GW to Benjamin Lincoln, 4 April, and Lincoln to GW, 13 and 26 April).
7. GW refers to provision requisitions that Congress set for Massachusetts the previous fall (see Huntington to GW, 12 Nov. 1780, and n.1 to that document; see also Circular to State Executives, 10 Dec.).