Major General William Heath to George Washington, 2 April 1781
From Major General William Heath
West point April 2nd 1781
Dear General
I find there is in every Regiment a Considerable number of Women & Children, especially the former who draw Provisions,1 many of the Officers assert that there is a resolve of Congress or an order or Regulation of your Excellencys which points out the number allowed to each Company or Regiment,2 If there is Such resolve, or order, I will thank you for information of it if there is not I wish your opinion or direction in the Case, for if it is allowable, Some Limits Seem necessary to be fixed, or it will Soon become a growing evil and Injurious to the Service, for notwithstanding they may be honest and legally married Women,3 the number will soon encrease so as to become very burdensome altho a Certain number may be really necessary.4 I have the honor to be with the greatest respect your Excellencys most Obedt Sert
W. Heath
ADfS, MHi: Heath Papers.
1. Nathaniel Stevens, deputy commissary general of issues at Fishkill, N.Y., wrote Heath on 1 April about “Eighty three women and Children” with the 3d Massachusetts brigade who “constantly draw provisions.” Stevens wanted to “prevent the indulgence from abuse” and requested that Heath “limit their numbers by a General order” (MHi: Heath Papers). Heath replied to Stevens on 2 April that he would “take measures to reform the abuse immediately” (MHi: Heath Papers).
2. The officers probably refer to a congressional resolution that approved GW’s order to provide rations to specified Canadian families residing in New York (see Samuel Huntington to GW, 16 Nov. 1780, n.1).
3. A “Return of woman and Children Who draw provision” in the 2d Massachusetts brigade, dated 3 April 1781, shows no “Married” women, twenty-four “unMarried” women, and sixteen children with the 2d, 4th, and 9th Massachusetts regiments (MHi: Heath Papers). A “Return of Women & Children That draw provision” in the 3d Massachusetts brigade, dated 4 April, shows fifty married women, ten unmarried women, and thirty-two children among the 1st New York Regiment and 1st, 5th, and 7th Massachusetts regiments. The 1st New York Regiment accounted for twenty married women, ten unmarried women, and sixteen children (MHi: Heath Papers). Additional returns for Connecticut regiments dated 3 and 4 April show significantly fewer women and children (see MHi: Heath Papers; see also “Return of the Number of Women & Children” among the artificers stationed at West Point “Who draw Public Provision,” 3 April, MHi: Heath Papers).
4. No reply from GW to Heath has been found, but GW visited Heath at West Point on 4 April (see Heath to GW, 5 April, source note; see also Heath to GW, 21 April, n.10).
Hugh Hughes, deputy quartermaster general for New York, wrote Heath from Fishkill on 3 April requesting relief at that post for “poor distress’d Women and Children, Whom the Iron Hand of a cruel and unrelenting War (on the Part of the Enemy) has reduced from Plenty to the most indigent Circumstances” (MHi: Heath Papers). Heath replied to Hughes from West Point on 4 April enclosing “an order in their favor” (MHi: Heath Papers).