Ezekiel Cornell to George Washington, 24 May 1781
From Ezekiel Cornell
Providence May 24th 1781
Dear Sir
I am sorry to find my self obliged to inform your Excellency that it is the opinion of the best Gunsmiths in this place that the Arms here are not worth repairing after a sufficient number are Culled out to Arm the recruits raised in this state which is and will be done1 (“I find in this place Eighty Markees wall and Horse mens Tents mostly new about One Hundred & Twenty Comman Tents fit for service about half new all which I expect will go from this place for Head Quarters on the first munday in June”)2 as will allso 100,000 Musket Carteredges which is all that is fit for the use of the Army the remainder being from 26 to 36 to the pound. I have furnished the A.D.Q.M. with money to enable him to execute this business.
I left Boston yesterday where I hope business is in such a Train as not to suffer Colo. Hatch the D.Q.M. appears to be a man of Integrety and business. he hath sent forward since I left Head Quarters 102. C. 2. qrs 9. lb. of Lead there yet remains in Boston to be sent forward the following articles (viz.) In the care of Messs. Otis & Henley 1465 Blankets 666 wollen Overhauls 96 vests 2595 shirts 3061 pair of Hose—In the Care of Mr Lamb Commissary of Hide 4000 pair of shoes.3 In addition to the above there is arived at Boston and Salem; from Spain. purchais’d by the order of Mr Jay 2000 Suits of Soldiers Cloathing compleat, It is British Cloathing and as the Coats Are Red I have ordered them to remain untill your pleasure could be known and all the Other articles to be forwarded to the Cloather General4—50,000 Musket Cartiredges and Three Tuns of lead in addition to what is already gone is order’d to Head Quarters—Colo. Hatch hath undertaken to send the whole forward in three weks at furthest the greatest part will go by Teams ingaged for the Campaign—The Colo. Hath in his own department In Cloath and New Tents about sufficent to compleat 900 Tents 7000 yds of half worn Sails for the Craft on the North river Thirty Both of heavy duck for waggon Covers &c. and about 6000 Canteens part of a Contract of 20000 all which he expects will be compleat and forwarded with the above mentioned articles by the afore said time and One Hundred ream of writing paper which he hath receivd Money to pay for.
I expect to be at Springfield by the first of June to see that all stores are properly forwar[d]ed to the Army, And shall be happy to receive and Execute any Commands you may have5—I have no news to write have Just heard of the unhappy fate of Colo. Greene and Majr Flag and can only lament their Loss6—I shudder for the fate of the Alliance and the Store Ship, but supposd er this the dye is cast and must wait the event.7 I have the honor to be with every sentiment of respect & esteem your Excellencys most obedt and most Huml. Servant
Ezek. Cornell
ALS, DLC:GW. GW enclosed this letter when he wrote Brig. Gen. Henry Knox on 8 June.
1. For recruitment efforts in Rhode Island, see Meshech Weare to GW, 2 April, and n.4 to that document.
2. That Monday fell on 4 June. The army needed tents (see Circular to New England State Executives, 17 April; see also Timothy Pickering to GW, 14 April and 8 June).
3. GW had consulted with Cornell about clothing and other supplies (see GW to the Board of War, 8 May).
4. John Jay, U.S. minister to Spain, led efforts to supply GW’s army with uniforms taken from captured British ships (see Richard Harrison to GW, 12 March, and n.1 to that document; see also GW to William Heath, 8 June). The Virginia delegates in Congress had written Virginia governor Thomas Jefferson from Philadelphia on 8 May that “about three thousand Suits of Cloathing are safely arrived at Boston from Spain, which our Friend the King of Spain has Enabled our Minister at that Court to procure” (, 17:224–25).
5. For the transport of military stores from Springfield, Mass., see Pickering to GW, 8 June.
6. For the deaths of Col. Christopher Greene and Maj. Ebenezer Flagg, see John Paterson to GW, 14 May (first letter), and notes 2–3 to that document.
7. Maj. Gen. William Heath wrote in his memoirs for 6 June: “The Continental frigate, Alliance, arrived in Boston harbour from France. The Alliance had taken 6 prizes: 2 West Indiamen, 2 sloops of war, and 2 privateers. In the engagement with the sloops of war, both of which engaged the Alliance in a calm, Capt. Barry was wounded in the shoulder by a grape-shot; the Captain of Marines, and 8 or 9 men killed, and about 20 wounded” (, 305). The Norwich Packet; and the Weekly Advertiser (Connecticut) for 14 June published a report under the heading “BOSTON,” Monday, 11 June: “Wednesday last arrived here the Continental frigate Alliance, Capt. Barry, from l’Orient, in France. She left that port on the 29th of March, in company with the Marquis de la Fayette, a ship of about 600 tons burthen, mounting 26 eighteen and 14 six-pounders, and had 250 men, with clothing on account of the continent, with whom they parted company in a violent gale on the 25th of April, and she has not since been heard of.” Maryland delegate Richard Potts wrote Maryland governor Thomas Sim Lee from Philadelphia on 3 July that the Alliance “was fortunate in capturing prizes but brought no Stores. The LaFayette who sailed with her had Stores of immense and I may add inessasable Value for the continent, but as she hath not been heard of lately it is much to be feared she hath been unfortunate” (, 17:373–74). The Marquis de Lafayette was captured (see Robert Morris to GW, 2 July, n.4).