Major Moore Fauntleroy to George Washington, 21 March 1781
From Major Moore Fauntleroy
Lancaster [Pa.] March 21st 1781
Sir
Agreeable to the Orders I received in Novemr from Colo. Moylan to Join the 4th Light Dragoons, I repaird here in consequence thereof. After remaining some time with the Regt I was informd that Your Excellency had wrote to me to Join the 1st Dragoons on account of Local situations & that Major Bull was to remain in the 4th.1 I am exceeding sorry to inform you that I cannot conform to your request with that cheerfullness that I would wish to do upon all occasions as I am not only much attatch’d to the commanding Officer but is the wish of all the Officers, It wou’d make some confusion in the Pensylvania Arrangement.
I can assure your Excelly that was the Regt to receive Orders to march either south or East, It wou’d be equally agreeable to me—I much wish to be in actual service. There is the greatest probability of the Seat of war being to the Southwd—it cannot make any difference with Major Bull as I am informd. Colo. White & myself could by no means suit to be in one Regt for many reasons, therefore hope you will be pleasd to Order my continuance in the 4th. Shou’d the Regt be able to form only one or two Troops properly appointed & equip’d I shou’d be exceeding happy to Receive orders from your Excellency to take such command.2 I am your Excellency’s Most Obt Hume Sert
Moore Fauntleroy Major 4th L.D.
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. See GW to Fauntleroy, 5 Feb., found at GW to Epaphras Bull, same date, n.1; see also Stephen Moylan to GW, 22 March.
2. GW replied to Fauntleroy from headquarters at New Windsor on 4 April: “I have recd yours of the 21st ulto. My order directing you to join the 1st Regt and Major Bull the 4th was founded upon a supposition that you were still at the southward and that your doing it would save you the trouble and expence of a journey to the Northward as it would do him to the southward—But as both the Regiments are now to act in that quarter—the reason ceases—You will therefore remain with the 4th and I have written to Major Bull to repair to the 1st” (Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW).
GW wrote Maj. Epaphras Bull on the same date: “I have received a letter from Major Fauntleroy who it seems had reached Lancaster before my order directing him to join the 1st Regt got to his hands—Independant of the reasons which he offers for wishing to remain with the 4th Regt to which he properly belongs—there is one which makes the change no longer of any benefit to you—it is—that that Regiment is now also ordered to the southward—You will therefore consider the former order as void and prepare to join the 1st—You will have been convinced that I have done every thing in my power to accommodate your private interests to those of the public” (Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW). For the transfer of Col. Stephen Moylan’s 4th Continental Dragoons to the southern department, see GW to Samuel Huntington, 27 Feb.; see also Moylan to GW, 22 March, and n.3.