George Washington to Samuel Huntington, 30 May 1781
To Samuel Huntington
Head Quarters New Windsor May 30. 1781
Sir
I am honored with your Excellency’s favors of the 23d and 24th Insts.1 I am sorry that you took the trouble to transcribe the Dispatches from General Greene, as I had received them immediately from him. It is to be regretted that so small an accident should have turned the fortune of the day before Campden. The General’s conduct however in the action, and the perseverance with which he pursues his plan, notwithstanding his disaster, do him infinite honor.2
There have been various reports for several days past that a further embarkation was taking place at New York, and some have even gone so far as to suppose a total evacuation of the place was in contemplation.3 I have an account thro a pretty good channel, as late as the 27th Inst. in which nothing of the kind is mentioned—There had been some very uncommon movements among the Troops upon Long Island, which may have given rise to the Conjecture I have spoken of. My informant says that Pensacola is taken, and that General Robertson goes to Virginia to succeed General Phillips.4 I have the honor to be With great respect & esteem Your Excellencys Most Obedt Hble Servant
Go: Washington
LS (duplicate), in David Humphreys’s writing, enclosed in GW to Huntington, 6 June, DNA:PCC, item 152; LS, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, MiU-C: Clinton Papers; Df, DLC:GW; copy, DNA:PCC, item 169; copy, P.R.O.: C.O. 5/102; copy, P.R.O.: 30/11/6, Cornwallis Papers; copy, UK-LoPHL: Parliamentary Archives; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. A duplicate LS was sent to replace the intercepted original (see GW to Lafayette, 4 June, n.1). The duplicate LS was prepared on 5 June (see the dockets on that document and the draft). Congress read the letter on 12 June (, 20:629). Huntington acknowledged the letter when he wrote GW on 15 June.
1. See Huntington to GW, 23 and 24 May.
2. GW refers to the Battle of Hobkirk’s Hill, S.C. (see Nathanael Greene to Huntington, 27 April, printed as an enclosure with Greene to GW, same date).
3. For this erroneous intelligence, see Arthur St. Clair to GW, 21 May; see also GW to Elias Dayton, 28 May.
4. For this partly erroneous intelligence, see Benjamin Tallmadge to GW, 29 May, n.1.