Brigadier General Edward Hand to George Washington, 17 May 1781
From Brigadier General Edward Hand
New Windsor May 17. 1781
Sir
It is impossible for me to ascertain the present strength of the Army with more accuracy than the last Return gives it,1 except by informing your Excellency, that by a Return of the Jersey Line this day received, dated the 10th instant, their total Rank and file exclusive of the command at Wyoming and to the Southward is 426.2 and that between 60 and 70 Recruits have joined the Massachusetts line since last Return.3
From observations made in the late inspection I find there are about 60 Boys and 9 men unfit for service in the Massachusetts line: 23 Boys and 3 men in the Connecticut line: 13 Boys and 1 man in the New Hampshire line: and one man in Van Schaick’s regiment: in all 96 Boys and 14 men.
In general the whole of the Troops fit for service are well armed and Accoutred: their Clothing is far from being sufficient, the Hampshire Line in particular.
When your Excellency considers the great proportion of Recruits and the situation of the Troops in other respects, you will not expect any great degree of perfection in their discipline it may be necessary to observe that about 900 Rank and file of the Number returned on Command are with the Marquis.4
Inclosed are the Returns of the Recruits that have joined the New Hampshire Rhode Island and Connecticut Lines, since the first of April last.5
The Returns of recruits furnished by the Troops on the point, were so incorrect, I was obliged to return them, therefore cannot ascertain the Number joined the Massachusett’s Line, the Artillery, or Van Schaick’s Regiment but am pretty certain that the whole number retained from the beginning of January to this date does not exceed 1100 men. Hazen’s regiment has made no Return though I believe it has had no recruits since the first of April.6 I have the honor to be with much respect Your Excellency’s Most Obedient and Most humble Servant
Edwd Hand A. Gl
LS, DLC:GW.
GW’s aide-de-camp David Humphreys wrote Hand from headquarters on this date: “I am directed by His Excellency to send you the enclosed to be issued tomorrow. He also requests (if possible) that from the result of your inspection, or by the Return of the Recruits who have joined since the first of April, you will afford the Means (this evening) of ascertaining our present force with great precision. … P.S. The Return of Recruits called for two or three days ago is particular[l]y necessary” (NN: Emmet Collection). For the probable enclosure, see the general orders for 18 May. GW addressed recruiting returns in the general orders for 15 May. For the interest in these returns, see n.6 below.
1. This return has not been identified.
2. The return of New Jersey troops dated 10 May has not been found. For the New Jersey company at Wyoming, Pa., see GW to Alexander Mitchell, 30 Dec. 1780.
3. A document headed “Strength of the New England lines, in the vicinity of West point—May 10. 1781—comprehending the Noncommissioned officers and privates” noted that “about 1000 recruits have arrived from Massachusetts.” The numbers of troops near West Point were given as: Massachusetts line, 2,567; Connecticut line, 1,808; and New Hampshire and Rhode Island lines, 952 (MHi: Heath Papers).
4. Hand refers to Major General Lafayette’s detachment sent to Virginia (see GW’s second letter to Lafayette, 20 Feb.).
5. The enclosed return prepared at New Windsor on 17 May reported that 546 recruits had joined the 1st and 2d New Hampshire Regiments, the Rhode Island Regiment, and the Connecticut line since 1 April. The Connecticut line had 42 recruits “Sent back as Unfit for service.” One died and another deserted among the 51 recruits who joined the Rhode Island Regiment (DLC:GW).
6. A later estimate of forces in GW’s army gave 200 men in Col. Moses Hazen’s regiment and 800 in the artillery regiments (see Document II with The Wethersfield Conference and Aftermath, 14 May–16 June, editorial note).