Samuel Huntington to George Washington, 23 April 1781
From Samuel Huntington
Philadelphia [April] 23. 1781
sir,
I have been honored with your Excellency’s Letters of the 16th & 18th Instant.1 You will observe by the enclosed Resolve of this Day, that it is the Sense of Congress, on receiving the Information contained in your Letter of the 16th of the Proposals you have made respecting the Exchange of General Burgoine, that you be authorized to proceed in perfecting the Exchange, if you shall think fit; the Resolution of the third Instant notwithstanding.2 I have the Honor to be, with very great Respect & Esteem sir Your most obedient & most humble servant
Sam. Huntington President
LS, DLC:GW; LB, DNA:PCC, item 15. “March” is written mistakenly in the dateline on the LS; the proper month is supplied from the letter-book copy.
1. See GW to Huntington, 16–19 and 18–19 April.
2. The enclosed congressional resolution, adopted on this date, reads: “Whereas it is represented by the Commander in Chief that he has taken measures for the Exchange of Lieut. General Burgoine: Resolved therefore that he be authorized if he shall think fit to proceed in perfecting the said Exchange the Resolution of the third instant notwithstanding” (DLC:GW; see also , 19:436). For the resolution adopted on 3 April, see Huntington to GW, 5 April, n.1.
GW replied to Huntington on 1 May. He also wrote Abraham Skinner, commissary general of prisoners, from New Windsor on the same date: “You will be pleased to forward the inclosed to Sir Henry Clinton by the speediest conveyance—As it is to revoke the recall of General Burgoyne you may proceed fully upon the instructions of the 12th of April and endeavour to accomplish the exchange of that Officer upon the terms specified therein” (Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW; see also GW to Skinner, 12 April, found at Skinner to GW, 10 March, n.6). GW enclosed the letter he wrote British general Henry Clinton from New Windsor on 1 May: “I have been authorised, since my letter of the 16th of April, to revoke the demand, then made, of the return of Lieut. General Burgoyne to America. If letters of recall have not been already transmitted to him, you will be pleased to suspend them: If they have, you will be so obliging as to take the earliest opportunity to countermand them” (LS, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, P.R.O.: 30/55, Carleton Papers; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW; see also GW to Clinton, 16 April, found at Skinner to GW, same date, n.2). Clinton replied to GW on 21 May (DLC:GW).
Skinner wrote GW on 19 May that he had proposed Lt. Gen. John Burgoyne’s exchange and that the British refused “to pay the ballance of Privates” (DLC:GW).