George Washington to Lieutenant Colonel William Stephens Smith, 30 May 1781
To Lieutenant Colonel William Stephens Smith
Head Quarters New Windsor 30th May 1781.
Dear Sir
I fully intended in my letter of the 14th to have desired you to return to this Army, but I might possibly in the hurry of Business have forgot to give the Gentleman who wrote it instructions to that purpose.1
Should this find you in Philadelphia, you will look upon yourself fully at liberty to return, or proceed to the southward, should your inclinations lead you to prefer that service to this.2 I am with great Regard Dear Sir Yr most obt Servt
Go: Washington
P.S. It is by no means improbable, that the Campaign in this quarter may be as active as to the Southwd.3
LS, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, MiU-C: Clinton Papers; Df, DLC:GW; copy, P.R.O.: C.O. 5/102; copy, UK-LoPHL: Parliamentary Archives; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. GW wrote the postscript on the LS and signed its cover, which is addressed to Smith at “City Tavern” in Philadelphia. The British intercepted the LS (see GW to Lafayette, 4 June, n.1). On the draft, which is in Tilghman’s writing, the postscript reads: “The Campaign here will probably be full as active as that to the southward.”
1. See GW to Smith, 14 May, found at Smith to GW, 22 April, n.3; see also Smith to GW, 21 May.
2. Smith returned to the main army in New York and became one of GW’s aides-de-camp (see General Orders, 6 July).
3. GW planned a siege of New York City (see The Wethersfield Conference and Aftermath, 14 May–16 June, editorial note).