George Washington to Colonel Hugh Hughes, 24 April 1781
To Colonel Hugh Hughes
[New Windsor, 24 April 1781]
Sir
It having been represented to me that the Quarter Master at Fishkill hath neither public or private Teams for the transportation of the salted Provisions now at & in the neighbourhood of that Place to the Army, & that he hath applied in vain to the Justices of that District for impress Warrants.1 And it being absolutely necessary in Order to prevent the greatest calamities & distresses that the said Provisions should be immediately forwarded to the Troops. You are therefore Authorised and directed to impress by Military force a sufficient Number of Teams, for the transportation of the aforesaid Provisions, taking care that no abuses are committed, and that the Inhabitants are as little distrest by the Measure as possible. And for so doing this shall be your Warrant.2 Given Under My Hand at Head Qrs New Windsor this 24th day of April 1781.
Df, in David Humphreys’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. Beneath a struck-out dateline on the draft—“Head Quarters New Windsor 25th April”—is written “To the Dep. Qr Mr Gen. of the State of N. York at Fishkill.” The year “1781” in the dateline is not struck out. Humphreys wrote “Col. Hughs D.Q.M.G.” on the docket of the draft.
GW’s aide-de-camp David Humphreys wrote Q.M. Gen. Timothy Pickering from New Windsor on this date: “I am commanded by His Excellency to forward the enclosed Letters from Genl Heath and Major Keese, and to inform you, that he is utterly averse to a military impress, except on great occasions, and when no other expedients can be devised to answer the end proposed. Because he apprehends it may tend to irritate the Minds and alienate the affections of the well disposed people from the Army, unless there is the greatest apparent necessity for the Measure—And because a frequent repetition of Military coercion, will prevent, in some degree, its efficacy in cases where no other choice or alternative is left—The General hopes, on the present occasion, by a great effort of your Department, the Provisions in question, may be transported the few Miles, from their present deposits to the Army, without having recourse to coercive Measures. He suggests also, whether it will not be practicable, to have some of the Teams hired for the Campaign, brought in, to perform such kind of services in the neighbourhood of the Army, as the grass will soon begin to afford a partial subsistance for them.
“His Excellency presents his Compliments to you, and requests the favor of your Company at dinner to day. … P.S. If there is no other possible way of getting the Provisions at, and in the Vicinity of Fishkill, to the Troops, the General will order it to be done by an impress of Teams” (DNA: RG 93, manuscript file no. 25497; Humphreys addressed the cover to Pickering at Newburgh, N.Y.; for the enclosures, see William Heath to GW, 23 April).
Pickering replied to Humphreys from Newburgh on the same date: “Aware of the great difficulty of procuring teams, in the vicinity of Fishkill, as well as to save the time & expence of unloading & loading again, I desired Mr Pomeroy to engage his teams to bring on the salted provisions quite to Fishkill landing: but it seems that the want of forage, & fears of the small-pox have prevented their coming nearer than 12 miles. I am very doubtful if the transportation can be completed without a military impress of teams. This is a cruel measure; and I have at all times wished to avoid it. To get forward the provisions from Warwick, I have requested the Justice there to inform the owners of teams of the indispensible necessity of forwarding them: but, to interrupt as little as possible their husbandry, to advise them to turn out their teams on such days as would be least injurious to them: intimating at the same time, that if there should be a failure, or unreasonable delay, I should be under the necessity (to prevent the army from starving) to apply for a military impress, when no regard could be had to the convenience of the farmers.
“I have repeatedly thought of bringing forward some of the hired teams as soon as pasturage would support them: To do it sooner will render them useless the rest of the campaign. For it is impossible to get hay to support them. The purchaser of hay in this county (Ulster) informed me a few days since that there are many farmers with considerable stocks who have not a handful of hay left for their own cattle.
“My respectful compliments to the General I will do myself the honour to dine with him to day” (DLC:GW; see also Ralph Pomeroy to GW, 8 April, n.2, and Pickering to GW, 25 April).
1. See the source note above; see also GW to New York County Magistrates, 30 March, printed as an enclosure with GW to Richard Platt, 31 March.
2. GW sent the impress warrant when he wrote Hughes from New Windsor on 25 April: “I enclose you a Warrant for impressing of Teams on the present important occasion—but if there is any other Means in Your power of forwarding the Provisions, I would not have Military coercion Made Use of—if this is the only alternative now left to prevent the Army from starving, let the measure be carried into execution immediately with the utmost prudence & precaution” (Df, in David Humphreys’s writing, DLC:GW; LB, NHi: Hugh Hughes Papers; Varick transcript, DLC:GW). The enclosed warrant has not been identified. Humphreys wrote Pickering from New Windsor on the same date: “The Letter for Col Hughs forwarded herewith, contains the necessary Power for impressing Teams to tran[s]port the Provisions in the neighbourhood of Fishkill, to the Army—It is of importance he should have & make use of it immediately if the business cannot be done in any other Mode.
“The General is very anxious respecting the supplies of flour, but three Barrells have arrived at the Magazine, since the Commissy Made his report on the 21st Inst.” (DLC:GW; see also Nathaniel Stevens to GW, 21 April). GW also wrote the officer commanding Col. Moses Hazen’s regiment on 25 April: “You will furnish a prudent discreet Officer & 20 Men to impress Teams for the transportation of the salted Provisions at & in the vicinity of Fishkill—The Officer will take directions from Colo. Hughs the Dep. Qr Mastr Genl of the State” (Df, in David Humphreys’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW). For impressment concerns, see GW to Platt, 31 March, source note.