Major General William Heath to George Washington, 24 March 1781
From Major General William Heath
West point March 24th 1781
Dear General
I have been honored with yours of this date, Major Cartwrights request for leave to resign his appointment, was dated the 25th of Janry last, I received it and addressed your Excellency in his behalf on the 4th of Febry, You were pleased to give Your Answer in the Affirmative on the 5th of the Same month, I wrote him a few Days after that his request would be granted, Your Excellency can best determine at which of those times the discharge ought to bear date, I am Confident Major Cartwright will be fully Satisfied with the decision.1
I have Sent to John Austin to Come up here and shall forward him to Head Quarters,2 I now forward One Timothy Cronk, late of Colo. Robinsons Corps, who left Long Island Some days Since, he can give Some Intelligence of the Situation of the Enemy.3 I have the honor to be with the highest respect, your Excellencys Most Obedient Servant
W. Heath
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. Maj. Thomas Cartwright had written Heath from Boston on 25 Jan. requesting “to be permitted to leave the Service” for financial reasons (MHi: Heath Papers; see also Heath’s first letter to GW on 23 March, and n.3 to that document). Heath’s response to Cartwright has not been identified. For GW’s designation of 5 Feb. as Cartwright’s discharge date, see his reply to Heath, 25 March, source note.
2. See Heath to GW, 26 March, and n.5.
3. Maj. Lemuel Trescott wrote Heath from Crom Pond, N.Y., on this date about Timothy Cronk, “who by his own account is a deserter from the British Army” (MHi: Heath Papers).
Timothy Cronk, apparently from Westchester County, N.Y., enlisted in the 4th New York Regiment on 4 July 1775 and deserted on 19 Sept. of the same year.