Nathaniel Stevens to George Washington, 21 April 1781
From Nathaniel Stevens
Fishkill [N.Y.] 21st April 1781
Your Excellency’s Favor of equal Date I have received: There has fifty Barrels of Salt Provisions & twenty six Cattle arrived from Connecticut since the Ninth Instant and Eighty Cattle from Massachusets. My immediate Dependence for a Supply was upon the salt provisions put up in the latter, which appears to be about five thousand Barrels of Beef and three thousand Barrels of Pork deficient: In comparing their Deliveries with the Requisitions laid on them,1 who I am informed have nearly that Quantity collected, and a considerable part of the same now on the move. Also upon 60 Cattle Mr Phelps engaged Colonel Blaim weekly, the former of which I, in Consequence of their not coming on agreeable to promise, wrote to upon the Subject the fourth Instant, who was unfortunately on a Journey when the Express arrived at his house: His Assistant assured me that no Endeavours should be wanting in sending them on.2 I have also wrote very urgent to Connecticut upon that Subject, but have not received an Answer,3 however I shall immediately acquaint the whole of the Agents for the New England States, except Rhode Island, what Number of Cattle will be wanted weekly from each of them, which shall be calculated sufficient to answer our Consumption agreeable to Your Excellency’s Directions.4
I can give no further Information respecting Rum, than what I wrote to Your Excellency the 14th Instant.5 I have the Honor to be with due Respect Your Excellency’s most obedt Servant
N. Stevens D.C.G. Issues
P.S: Since the above was wrote I have received a Letter from Mr Pomeroy of which the inclosed is an Extract.6
LS, DLC:GW. The cover is addressed to GW at New Windsor, and a direction appears in a different handwriting: “Captain Mitchell will please forward this as soon as possible.”
Stevens provided additional information below the postscript: “1230 Barrels of flour & 30 Barrels hard Bread was at Sussex Court House [N.J.] the 19th Instant also 248 Barrels of Flour at Warwick [N.Y.] & about 200 [Barrels of Flour] at Ringwood [N.J.],” for a total of 1,678, “which I have requested Colo: Pickering to have brought on to New Windsor.” In his “Return of Provisions and Stores” at and near West Point, dated 29 April, Stevens remarked: “N.B. … But 27 of the 1,678 Barrels of flour that was at Ringwood, Warwick and sussex the 19th Instant has arrived” (MHi: Heath Papers; see also n.4 below).
1. For these congressional requisitions from the states, see Samuel Huntington to GW, 12 Nov. 1780, and n.1; see also Circular to State Executives, 10 December.
2. The letter Stevens wrote Oliver Phelps, superintendent of purchases for the army in Massachusetts, on 4 April has not been identified. Stevens also wrote Maj. Gen. William Heath from Fishkill on that date about efforts to provide beef for “the patients under Innoculation, Mr Phelps agent for Massachusetts State has engaged to send on Sixty [cattle] weekly, I think it is probible there will be a drove on to day or to morrow, but for fear they should not arive seasonably I will send an express this morning to hurry them” (MHi: Heath Papers; see also Ephraim Blaine to GW, 23 March, and Phelps to GW, 2 May).
3. This letter has not been identified.
4. Stevens wrote GW from Fishkill on 24 April: “In Obedience to Your Excellency’s Directions of the 21st Instant, I have requested the Agent of Massachusets State to furnish us the first and third Weeks in each Month with one hundred & forty Beef Cattle to be delivered at this place in two equal Droves the one at the first and the other the Middle of the Weeks, also Ninety head every two weeks from the Agent for Connecticut to be delivered at the first of the second and fourth Weeks in each Month, and fifty head as often from the Agent for New Hampshire to be delivered at the Middle of the same Weeks appointed for those from Connecticut—This Demand averages upwards of Eighteen Cattle per day, which I expect will answer our present Issues. Should they increase I shall be careful to augment the same. In the Calculation of which I have not been governed intirely by the proportion fixed by Congress for those States, but have made a considerable Allowance for Salt Meat furnished by Connecticut, and a small Allowance on the same Account for Massachusets, but as New Hampshire lies more remote, I expect it will be most convenient and less expensive for them to answer the Requisitions, on them for Beef, before it is slaughtered.
“In as much as it has not been the immediate duty of our Department to call on, or make Arrangements amongst the Agents of the several States, and I therefore nearly ignorant what Directions have been given by the Purchasing Department, I have to desire Your Excellency will correct and excuse any Errors I may be guilty of in the Management of those Matters. … P.S. I inclose your Excellency my weekly return” (LS, DLC:GW; the cover is addressed to GW at New Windsor; see also n.1 above and Hugh Hughes to GW, 24 April, n.2). The enclosed return has not been found, but it likely was the same as one Stevens sent Heath. “Return of Provisions and Stores on hand and the Number of Rations Issued daily on [an] Average for the preceeding Week at West-Point, Posts, and Brigades in its Vicinity,” 22 April, contained figures for rations issued daily (total 6,689), as well as flour, bread, pork, beans, peas, soap, candles, vinegar, beef, cattle, salt, and rum. A postscript reads: “N.B. About 200 troops at Robinsons Mills, 150 on the lines, and 300 at Kings Ferry are dependant on the above provisions.
“1,230 Barrels of Flour, and 30 of hard Bread was at Sussex Court House the 19th Instant Also 240 at Warwick, and about 200 at Ringwood” (MHi: Heath Papers; see also source note above).
Stevens then wrote GW from Fishkill on 25 April: “I would inform your Excellency, in obedience to your directions of this day, that we have about 2,300 Bushels of salt at West-Point & posts in its Vicinity 100 [Bushels of salt] at Ringwood and about 2,600 [Bushels of salt] at Clavarack, also about 9,000 [Bushels of salt] is and will be due by the first of next July from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Jersey States, in compareing their deliveries (that I have knowledge of) with the requisitions laid on them by Congress” (LS, DLC:GW; “14,000” is written to indicate the total number of bushels; the cover is addressed to GW at New Windsor). For the salt requisitions from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Jersey, see , 18:1014–15; see also n.1 above and Stevens to GW, 1 May, n.2.
6. The enclosure from Ralph Pomeroy, deputy quartermaster general for Connecticut, to Stevens, written at Hartford on 16 April, reads: “Your Favor of the 11th Instant I received Yesterday, upon which have written to Governor Trumbull & Council at Lebanon requesting them to deliver me the Rum purchased for the Army which if they comply with shall forward on to you as soon as possibly can.
“I have made a Disposition for removing a considerable Quantity of Salt meat which hope will be speedy & effectual” (DLC:GW). Neither letter mentioned in the extract has been identified.