Ralph Pomeroy to George Washington, 14 April 1781
From Ralph Pomeroy
Hartford 14th April 1781
Sir
I left this place for Lebanon on the 11th Inst. according to my Letter of that date,1 where I waited on the 12th untill almost night, the Council were not collected untill after noon, I finally obtained the order a Copy of which I now take the Liberty to enclose to your Excellency,2 after riding the greatest part of the night I returned here the 13th in the Morning, and as soon as I possibly could Sent off three men different Routs with my circular Lette[r] to the Authority of the Several Towns enumerated on the back, a copy of which I also enclose, with Instructions to make use of every possible means to remove the Salted meat on to Fish kill or Fish kill Landing,3 my Messengers left this all in the after noon of the 13th with orders to arrive last Night each to a Town which we Judge most likely to move the soonest, I pray your Excellency to excuse my being thus particular I hope my Arrangement may be attended with Success and the wants of the Army will be soon releived, The D⟨rag⟩oon is now waiting and I can add no more, although a word or two passed in Governour Trumbulls Council respecting the pressing call for our meat as though the other States were more deficient which I refused to Mention to your Excellency only as by their request.4 I have the honour to be you[r] Excellency5 Most Obedient and most humble Servant
Ralph Pomeroy. Dep. Quar. Master
ALS, DLC:GW.
2. Pomeroy enclosed a resolution that Connecticut governor Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., and the Council of Safety adopted on 12 April. It directed town officials “or receivers and holders of any and all the Provisions of the Meat kind” procured “for the use of the Public or Continental Army” to put that meat in Pomeroy’s hands, “to be by him disposed and transported according to his best discretion, agreeable to the Orders of General Washington, the General Assembly, or this Board, for the use of said Army.” The measure promised reimbursement for just transportation costs (DLC:GW; see also , 3:361–62).
3. Pomeroy enclosed a copy of his circular letter, which he wrote at Hartford on 13 April to send to the selectmen of nineteen Connecticut towns: “The Bearer Mr —— waits on you with a requisition from the Governor & Council, for removing the salted Provisions put up by your Town for Public Use. A more pressing occasion hath seldom if ever happen’d, & I must entreat you to raise a sufficient number of Teams to remove the same on to Fish Kill or Fish Kill landing without the least delay. Your accounts shall be settled at this Office or at the Pay Table, & paid in Pay-table Orders, or in Cash the first which ever comes to this Office.
“This is the only way in which the Public can remove their provisions at present and the Army is destitute of all other resources, as you will see by General Washington’s & Colo. Pickering’s most pressing Letters, which Mr —— will shew you” (DLC:GW). For the subsequent movement of salt provisions from Connecticut, see William Heath to GW, 7–8 April, n.2.
The Connecticut legislature adopted an additional measure during its May session: “That one thousand barrells of salted beef and pork put up or now stored by this State for the use of the army on the west side Connecticut River, and twenty hogsheads of rum, be immediately transported to the army, to be lodged at such posts or places as shall be directed by his Excellency the Commander-in-Chief or the Commissary General of Issues, and that the Deputy Quarter Master in this State engage without delay a sufficient number of teams for that purpose” (, 3:381; see also Timothy Pickering to GW, 12 May, and Trumbull to GW, 20 June, both DLC:GW).
4. GW replied to Pomeroy on 16 April.
5. Pomeroy wrote “Exucellency” for this word.