George Washington to Brigadier General James Clinton, 14 May 1781
To Brigadier General James Clinton
Head Quarters New Windsor May 14th 1781
Dear Sir
I have been favored with your Letter of the 7th Instant. The measure you took, for obtaining bread for the Troops, in their distress, by ordering up the flour from the Mills below has my entire approbation.1
General Heath has gone to the Eastern States, as I suggested, in my former Letter was proposed—One tenth part of the whole supply of Meat, from New England, is ordered to Your Department.2
A quantity of Ammunition is also directed to be sent to Albany: This must not be delivered to any Troops whatever, on any occasion, or under any pretext, but by the Express Order of the Commanding Officer of the Continental Troops in that Department; and I must request, that he will make use of every proper precaution & check, to prevent the dissipation & loss of an Article, which has been so frequently squandered in vain, and which is so absolutely essential to our defence.3 I am Dear Sir With very great regard & esteem Your Most Hble Servant.
P.S. As soon as provisions can possibly be obtained for their support; I wish you to assemble all the Levies destined for the defence of the frontier.4 so that we may be able to have the Continental Troops releived, especially the remainder of Van schaick’s Regt and called from thence at a Moments warning5—I have recd your favor of the 12th Inst.6
Df, in David Humphreys’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. See Clinton to GW, 7–8 May, and n.5 to that document.
2. See GW to Clinton, 7 May, and to William Heath, 9 May, notes 7 and 9.
3. GW also wrote Philip Van Rensselaer from New Windsor on this date: “Perceiving by your return of the 1st Inst. that there was no Ammunition in the Store at Albany I have directed General Knox to send up ten Barrels of Powder and one thousand pounds of Lead. Both of these have become very scarce Articles and therefore require the utmost Œconomy in their expenditure. I do not know upon what orders you have heretofore been used to issue, but in future you will be pleased to observe that no stores are to be delivered but upon my own or the order of the Continental officer commanding at the Northward. I have written to Genl Clinton upon the subject” (Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW). Van Rensselaer had sent a “Return of Small Arms, Accoutrements, &ca on hand at Albany this 1st May 1781,” which gave the number and condition of arms, bayonets, cannon, and mortars. It also included information about musket balls, grapeshot, thread, twine, and “Oyl Cloths” (DLC:GW).
Van Rensselaer replied to GW from Albany on 1 June: “I am honoured with your Excellencies favour of the 14th Ultimo, the Ammunition directed General Knox to send to this place is come to hand, your Excellency may rely on my Utmost Oeconemy in the expenditure; heretofore I have been used to Issue only on an order of the Officer commanding this post, & for the future I will Strictly observe that no stores are to be delivered but upon an order of the Continental Officer commanding at this place.
“The Inclosed is my Return for the month of May” (ALS, DNA: RG 93, manuscript file no. 20671). The enclosed return has not been identified.
4. For these New York levies, 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.
5. See GW to James Clinton, 16 and 30 June.
6. See Clinton to GW, 12 May.