Brigadier General James Clinton to George Washington, 7–8 May 1781
From Brigadier General James Clinton
Albany May 7th[–8] 1781.
Sir,
I have the Honor to inform your Excellency that this Day, a reasonable Supply of Provision, consisting of twenty-six Barrels of Pork, eight of Beef, and sixteen of Shad, with fifty Barrels of Flower, for the use of Fort Schuyler arrived here.1 Ten Barels of Beef were also recived yesterday, which I intended for the Escort appointed to take up the Hundred Barrels of Flower which I had procured on my own Credit;2 and as I had previously made every necessary Preparation, I shall be able to send the whole off from Schenectady tomorrow morning. The Boats will be mann’d with new Lines,3 and Col. Courtlandt will command the Escort in person so that I hope, if no unforeseen Accident should happen, the Garrison will be happily relieved.4
Mr Gamble is just returned from Barrington & informs me that he has procured about sixty Barrels of Beef, which he expects in a few Days, in the meantime, every Post in the Department, (except Fort Schuyler) will be entirely destitute, as they have been for several Days past.5
I have been informed that there is a Quantity of Flower now lying in the Mills, in the Vicinity of Red-hook & the lower Manner;6 Necessity has obliged me to request its being forwarded on to the this place, and to intreat your Excellency’s Sanction to the Requisition.
I did intend to have augmented the Garrison of Fort Schuyler with one Company, but shall postpone it, untill the Arrival of another Supply, unless your Excellency should be pleased to give orders to the contrary.7 I have the Honor to be Your Excellency’s most obedient
James Clinton
May 8th 17818
P.S. Since the writing the within I have been honored with your Excellency’s favour of the 5th inst., that of the 4th has not yet come to hand.9 I have complyed with the Contents in every particular—I shall immediately dispatch a proper Person to the Fisheries in this Quarter with Directions to contract, agreeable to your Excellency’s Instructions, tho’ there has been little ⟨Action⟩ about this place. If it were possible to procure one, a Net would be of infinite Service at Saratoga.10 Your Excellency’s most obedient
James Clinton
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. For these provisions, see GW to Clinton, 5 May.
2. See Clinton to GW, 4 May.
3. Clinton probably refers to New York levies attached to the Continental army (see Samuel Huntington to GW, 4 April, and n.1 to that document, and George Clinton to GW, 28 April, and n.2 to that document).
4. Clinton refers to Col. Philip Van Cortlandt (see also Clinton to GW, 12 May, and n.4).
5. Clinton had sent James Gamble, deputy commissary general of issues, to Great Barrington, Mass., to procure barreled beef (see Clinton to GW, 30 April–1 May).
6. Clinton probably refers to mills along Saw Kill, a creek in New York near Red Hook and Livingston Manor (see , 175).
7. GW sent additional flour (see his letter to Clinton, 7 May).
8. Clinton wrote this dateline after the postscript.
9. For GW’s letter to Clinton dated 4 May, see Clinton to GW, 12 May, n.1.
10. GW replied to Clinton on 14 May.