George Washington to Samuel Huntington, 16–19 April 1781
To Samuel Huntington
Head Quarters New Windsor April 16[–19] 81
Sir
I have the honor to acknowlege the receipt of Your Excellency’s letters of the 4th and 5th instant, with the papers inclosed. The last did not arrive ’till the 14th.1 Previous to the receipt of it, I had directed the Commissary of Prisoners to renew a proposal some time since made the enemy for exchanging General Burgoigne and a ballance of private prisoners due to us, against the residue of our officers on Long Island, and as many of the Southern officers as would make up the difference.2 My motives for this proposal were these—General Burgoigne is said to be in an ill state of health; his death would deprive us in exchanges of the value of 1040 private men, or officers equivalent, according to the tariff which has been settled.3 I thought it adviseable not to risk so considerable a loss, when his exchange would give relief to a number of our officer⟨s⟩ in captivity and disembarrass the public of the inconvenience of maintaining them there.4
The moment I received your letter, I wrote to Mr Skinner countermanding his instructions. I believe the countermand will arrive before he has done any thing in the matter; but, if it does not I am persuaded the enemy will again reject the proposal. As soon as I hear from him, if things are situated as I expect, I will immediately execute the order for the recall of General Burgoigne.5 To the best of my recollection all the other officers in Europe on parole have been exchanged.
I have received advices through different channels, corresponding with that transmitted Congress by Mr Foreman. They strongly assert that a further detachment is going from New York and that it is to be commanded by General Clinton; but they are not equally positive as to the destination being for the Delaware.6 In the present state of Southern affairs ’tis perhaps more probable, that Clinton is going with a reinforcement to take the command there.7 I have the honor to be With great respect & esteem Yr Excellency’s Most Obed. & huml. ser.
Go: Washington
P.S. April 19th. I am this day honored with Yr Excellency’s letter of the 14th.8
LS, in Alexander Hamilton’s writing, DNA:PCC, item 152; Df, DLC:GW; copy, DNA:PCC, item 169; copy (extract), PPRF; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. For the extract, see n.7 below. Congress read this letter on 23 April (, 19:434; see also Huntington to GW, 26 April, n.2).
1. See Huntington to GW, 4 and 5 April.
2. See Abraham Skinner to GW, 10 March, and notes 4 and 6 to that document.
3. The tariff was a numerical value assigned prisoners to facilitate exchanges involving individuals with dissimilar ranks (see the second letter from Commissioners for the Exchange of Prisoners to GW, 26 March 1780, n.3).
4. GW had written the Board of War from headquarters at New Windsor on 13 April: “The Commissary of Prisoners informs me that there are still a number of officers on Long Island who have been exchanged, but are detained there for want of money to pay their board, not having been able to negotiate the bills which he received for that purpose. This is a most painful circumstance both as it affects the officers and our public credit. If it were possible to find a sufficient sum of hard money for the purpose, it were much to be wished that it would be done. The Commissary tells me a small sum only is wanted. I am persuaded his not having been hitherto supplied has proceeded from the want of means” (Df, in Alexander Hamilton’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW).
5. See GW to Skinner, 16 April; see also Huntington to GW, 23 April, and n.2 to that document.
6. See Huntington to GW, 7 April, and n.2 to that document; see also GW to Huntington, 12 April, and Elias Dayton to GW, 14 April.
7. Huntington replied to GW on 23 April. He also enclosed a copy of the last paragraph when he wrote Joseph Reed, president of the Pennsylvania Supreme Executive Council, on 25 April (see , 1st ser., 9:102, and the source note above).
8. GW refers to the first letter Huntington wrote him dated 14 April. For his acknowledgment of Huntington’s second letter on that date, see GW to Huntington, 21 April.