Colonel William Shepard to George Washington, 24 April 1781
From Colonel William Shepard
Springfield [Mass.] April 24th 1781
Sr
I received your Excellencys favor of the 23d Ult. respecting—Mr Collens—and this Department; mark’d well the Contence1—made preperations immediately to Send Collens to the Navy Board, the Night preceeding the Day he were to go he broak Goal, made his escape & has not ben heard of Sence; the Goaler Advertised him, & I sent the Crime, Sentance &c. to be Publish’d, for Example.2
have Receiv’d a request from the Board of War to Inspect this Department and to make Such alterations as Should best serve the Public, at least Curtail the unnecessary Public expence—with an order on the officer of the Department to give the Necessary assistance to better regulate the Wretched Situation of this Post—(Could wish to be Quit of so dificult a Task) but in obediance shall do all in my Power to have the Department Move to better eoconemy then at Present:3 Stock is greatly wanting for the Harnesmakers befor much can be expected from them—and Money even for the whole, before the Several branches can go on to advantage as heretofore.
Sr by the Bearer of this have sent on 93 Recruits which compleets from the County’s of Bristol, Worceste⟨r,⟩ Hampshire, and Barkshire about 510 in the whole.
The Recruits that come in now are much better then at first, and find the Towns in Genl are much ingagd to comple⟨te⟩ their Quota—shall not neglect any Measures in my Power to Expedite the engageing and forwarding good Troops—have (by application obtaind authority from Genl Lincoln) Deschargd a Number, reporting the Same—& the Reasons—and have Reason to hope the most of the Recruits will soon be on.4 I am Sr with the greatest Esteem your Excellencys most obedient Humbl. Servt
Wm Shepard
ALS, DLC:GW.
2. A notice dated “Springfield, April 10,” that “JOHN MORGAN, Goaler,” placed in The Independent Chronicle: and the Universal Advertiser (Boston) for 4 May reads: “300 Dollars Reward. JOHN COLLINS, whose name, crime and punishment is published by order of General Washington, sentenced by a General Court Martial—Having broke goal at Springfield last evening, being about 28 years old, slim built, about 5 feet 10 inches high, very light complexion, fem[i]nine voice, dress’d in good brown cloth Clothes, French lapell’d, &c:—Whoever will take up said Collins, that he may be had again, shall have the above reward, and all necessary charges paid by me.”
3. The Board of War’s letter to Shepard has not been identified.
4. In a letter to Maj. Gen. William Heath written at Springfield on this date, Shepard described the recruits then sent as “a party of good Men” (MHi: Heath Papers). Shepard also had written Heath from Springfield on 17 April to report that an officer “Conducted on some Recruits from this Post” that he considered “a Party of good Men in general” (MHi: Heath Papers). For other recruits from Massachusetts, see Heath to GW, 3 May, and n.1 to that document.