Charles Stewart to George Washington, 23 May 1781
From Charles Stewart
Sussex Court House [N.J.] 23 May 1781.
Dear General
I wrote you from Warwick what prospect We had in raising Teams, to Cart the flour from thence to New Windsor;1 Yesterday the Court (for this County being now sitting) Ordered that each Township, such Cart their Quota of what is in the Magazine here, and that the whole should be done in Nine days, there is about 1400 Barrells altogether, Near One hundred of which was loaded & sent on Yesterday, and I am assured by the Justices most of whome I know, that they will have this duty performed with certainty:2 I expect to day an exact return of the stores at Easton, & Pitts Town, and as Soon as I have that and fixed on a plann, to have the stores at those places moved this far, I shall forthwith return to Camp, & am with respect Your most Obedient Servant
Chas Stewart
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. Stewart’s letter to GW has not been found, but see n.2 below; see also Timothy Pickering to GW, 25 April and 12 May.
2. Stewart had written Ephraim Blaine, commissary general of purchases, from Sussex Court House on Tuesday, 22 May: “The General set off last friday for Hartford to meet The General and Admiral of the French Forces and probably this consultation may give a Turn to affairs I hope it will it is surely time for Us to turn the Tables—On friday I was desired to set out for Warwick and this place and endeavour to get the flour transported to North river. When I came away there was none on hand On sunday I met the Justices of Orange County at Warwick and they have promised to Cart what may come to that post from hence their read[i]ness to Meet even on sabbath day and the assurances they gave Me leaves scarce any doubt that the business will be done I came here Yesterday and Very fortunately the Court of Quarter sessions & Common pleas for this County begins to day.” Stewart added that the court “quotaed the Townships” and issued a court order “directing the whole of the Flour & Beef now here Say 1400 bbls to be forwarded in Nine days on pain of Fine &ca to Warwick—I hope upon the Whole to complete this piece of service to the full satisfaction of The Genl, Don’t you think Timothy [Pickering] should thank Me But he will not never mind I shall sleep easy to Night at any rate Near One hundred Barrells are already sent of[f] from here to day & the Justices are all in earnest. …
“Have You thought lately of the supplys for Head Quarters I am told there is very little of any thing On hand You may be sure that the Generals family will soon be Numerous & filled by French Officers it will not do to keep them without the needfull” (DLC: Ephraim Blaine Papers; addressed to Blaine in Philadelphia; see also The Wethersfield Conference and Aftermath, 14 May–16 June, editorial note). For flour stores at Sussex Court House, see Blaine to GW, 13 April, and GW to Pickering, 28 April, n.9.