George Washington to Brigadier General James Clinton, 5 May 1781
To Brigadier General James Clinton
Head Quarters New Windsor May 5th 1781
Dear Sir
Since my letter to you of yesterday, in which I mentioned the measure I had taken respecting supplies, informed you of our only resources, and authorized military coertion in cases of extremity; I have received your favor of the 30th Ulto with a Postscrip[t] of the 1st Inst.1
Alarmed at the critical situation of the Garrison of Fort Schuyler, I order’d out of the small pittance in our Magazines, 50 Barrels of Meat, and the same quantity of Flour, to be transported from this Army, and instantly thrown into that Garrison2—but the Commissary reports there are but 34 Barrels3 in Store4—I have directed this number to be sent, and the residue of the 50 Barrels to be made up, from the Fish lately barreled on the River.5 This supply (the Fish included, or not, as you think proper) you will be pleased to consider as solely designed for the releif of the Garrison of Fort Schuyler, & sacredly to be appropriated to that, & no other purpose whatever: for in our present embarrassed circumstances, when we know not from whence the supplies of tomorrow are to be derived, no inferior object, could have justified the Measure of stripping this Army of its last Mouthful.
The distresses of the other Troops in your Department, must be releived from the Counties of Massachusetts, which are nearest to you—And I cannot doubt, but on the spur of the occasion, exertions will be made equal to the exigency. I am Dear Sir With very great esteem Your Most Obedt Servant
Go: Washington
P.S. The Mustering of the Troops, should go on, thro’ the Inspector, in the same Manner as formerly practiced, as nearly as possible.
If you can obtain shad to be put up, on contract for the Troops, by giving three Pecks of salt for a Barrel of cleaned Fish weighing 220 Pounds, You May draw on the Store at Claverack for salt to pay for, as well as to cure the Fish. The Contracts must be firmly made, faithfully executed, & the public salt not dissipated to no purpose.6
Go: Washington
LS, in David Humphreys’s writing, CSmH; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. GW signed the cover of the LS, which is addressed to Clinton at Albany. Humphreys also wrote on the cover: “To be forwarded by the Vessel, which carries Provisions to Albany.”
1. See Clinton to GW, 30 April–1 May; see also GW to Clinton, 4 May, and Clinton to GW, same date.
2. See GW to Timothy Pickering, 4 May. In his diary entry for 5 May, GW expressed his fears for the garrison at Fort Schuyler, N.Y., and lamented that only twenty-four barrels of salt meat were available to be sent (see , 3:359).
3. Humphreys, who also penned the draft, wrote “of Meat” at this point.
4. See Nathaniel Stevens to GW, 3 May, and n.3 to that document.
5. For the fish, see Stevens to GW, 1 and 3 May.
6. Clinton replied to GW on 7–8 May, postscript (DLC:GW).