Brigadier General James Clinton to George Washington, 30 April 1781–1 May 1781
From Brigadier General James Clinton
Albany Apl 30th[–1 May] 1781
Sir,
I was honored with your Excellency’s Favor of the 17th inst. yesterday. I have communicated its Contents to Mr Rensselear, and expect in a few Days to have a satisfactory Account from him.1
It gives me peculiar Pain to be obliged to fill my Letters with Accounts which I am persuaded must be very disagreeable to you; but a Reguard to my Reputation and a Sense of the Duty I owe to my Country renders it indispensable. A Letter from Genl Schuyler dated the 29th inst. at Saratoga informs me that there has been no Beef at [that] Post for some Days past, and he fears the Troops will abandon the Post, unless a speedy Supply is received: This is the Case with every Post in the Department—not a Barrel of Beef has been received during this Month not even for Fort Schuyler. I have repeatedly written to Colo. Hay on the Subject. I have sent Mr Gamble to Barrington to endeavour to procure a Supply, but he has not yet returned.2 The Spirit of Desertion has some time past prevailed, and where it will end I know not—Genl Schuyler has also received authentic Intelligence that three of the Enemy’s Ships have arrived at Crown Point.3 I do not yet expect that any Party will advance into the Country as the Watters are very high—if they should we can make no Opposition, unless a speedy Supply is received.
There are a Number of Prisoners of War now in Goal whom I shall send down to the Comsy of Prisone[r]s, as the Commissioners of Conspiracy do not approve of their remaining on the Frontier.
The Troops in this Department have not been regularly mustered since my arrival, owing in some Measure to the distracted Situation they are in.4 I should be glad to know your Order on the Subject. I have the Honor to be with great respect Your Excellenys most Obt
James Clinton
P.S. Several Canadian Families, who are in the utmost Distress, are still in Town, I have it not in my Power to issue to them, and if I had—I do not know that I should be justifiable unless I had your Excellency’s Direction.5
May 1st: A Letter is just received from Fort Schuyler, informing me that on the 26th ulto there was only in Store fifty-five Barrels of Flower and twenty four Barrels of Beef, which upon Calculations will be barely sufficient to last the Troops, if an Escort was ready to proceed this Day, especially as no Batteaux-Men have been raised this Year, and those who are to man the Boats, will probably be unacquainted with the Business. I have directed the Garrison to be put on half Allowance immediately.6 I have also sent down a number of Prisoners of War to Fishkills, because I have not Provision to give them.
LS, DLC:GW; copy (extract), enclosed in GW to Samuel Huntington, 8 May, DNA:PCC, item 152; copy (extract), DNA:PCC, item 169. The extracts omit only the paragraph about mustering troops, immediately before the complimentary closing. For the arrival of the LS, see GW to Timothy Pickering, 4 May. GW replied to Clinton on 5 May.
Clinton conveyed similar information in part of a letter to his brother, New York governor George Clinton, written at Albany on 1 May: “Fort Schuyler as well as every other Post in the Department is in want of an immediate Supply, and if a Convoy was ready, there is not a Batteau man now in Service; so that Duty must be committed to Persons who are ignorant of it. The Spirit of Desertion has prevailed; and if Provision is not very speedily sent up, every Post in the Department must inevitably be abandoned and the Country desolated.
“Accounts have been received that the Enemy have sent three Ships to Crown Point. What Situation am I in to make opposition to a party, if they thought fit to send one into the Country” (, 6:822–23).
1. See GW to James Clinton, 17 April, found at John Moylan to GW, 23 March, n.4.
2. James Gamble, deputy commissary general of issues, reported after his return from Great Barrington, Mass., that he expected about sixty barrels of beef (see Clinton to GW, 7–8 May, DLC:GW; see also GW to Clinton, 12 April, and n.2 to that document).
3. New York state senator Philip Schuyler wrote Clinton from Saratoga, N.Y., on 29 April: “I fear the troops will abandon this post [Fort Schuyler, N.Y.] before beef can arrive as they have Already been some days without. … P.S. I am this moment informed that three of the Enemies Ships are arrived at Crown point I think I can rely on this Information, but shall keep It Secret least the Inhabitants should move before more troops arrive, tho the Enemy cannot approach us until the waters Subside, pray advise General Washington of this event, perhaps he may have It in his power to send beef from below” (N: Schuyler Family Collection; see also Schuyler to GW, 4 May, n.1).
4. Clinton assumed command of the northern department in November 1780 (see Clinton to GW, 12 Nov.).
5. A congressional resolution had authorized rations for Canadian families (see Samuel Huntington to GW, 16 Nov., and n.1 to that document; see also Clinton to GW, 16 April 1781).
6. Clinton was able to gather provisions for Fort Schuyler (see his letter to GW, 7–8 May, DLC:GW; see also Clinton to GW, 4 May, and n.5 to that document).