John Moylan to George Washington, 6 May 1781
From John Moylan
Newburg [N.Y.] 6th May 1781
Sir
I am this day Officially honored with my Apointment from Congress,1 for which, & the polite & generous manner in which you are so kind as to Express yourself in my behalf, in your Letter of 23d febry I beg you will Accept of my Sincere Thanks.2
Be Assured, Sir, that nothing in my power shall be omitted to Justify the opinion you have been pleased to Conceive of me, & by a Steady adherence to the same line of Conduct wch has, thro’ your Excellency, recommended me to the Attention of Congress, to deserve the Confidence they have done me the honor to repose in me.
I wish to have the late Accts of the Department prepared for an Immediate Settlement, this I hope to Effect in a few days, when I Shall, with your Excellency’s permission proceed to Philadelphia, in order to Comply with what is required of me, before I Enter into Office.3 I have the honour to be with Every Sentiment of Gratitude & respect Yr Excellency’s most Obedt Hble servant
John Moylan C.G.
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. Congress had appointed Moylan as clothier general on 17 April. For correspondence related to that appointment, see Samuel Huntington to Moylan, 29 April (DNA:PCC, item 15), and Moylan to Huntington, 6 May (DNA:PCC, item 78); see also Huntington to GW, 29 April, and n.2 to that document, and General Orders, 5 May.
2. When he wrote Moylan on 23 Feb., GW promised to recommend him as clothier general upon James Wilkinson’s resignation, which occurred on 27 March (see GW to Wilkinson, 24 March).
3. GW acknowledged the contents of Moylan’s letter when he wrote the Board of War on 8 May.
Moylan wrote Samuel Huntington, president of Congress, from Philadelphia on 13 June that he was “now totally Engaged in the Duties” of his new office. He also asked for congressional action on a Board of War report “regarding the Salaries & rations of the Assistant Clothier General, Deputys & Clerks” (DNA:PCC, item 78). Congress adopted resolutions on 18 June that authorized Moylan and the superintendent of finance to “appoint such number of persons to transact the business of the cloathing department, during the present campaign, as they may, from time to time, find necessary, and to ascertain their wages.” The new regulations also suspended state purchases of clothing subsequently charged to the United States and sought the eventual abolishment of state regulations (, 20:662–67, quote on 667; see also Huntington to GW, 21 June, and , 276–81).