George Washington to the Board of War, 6 June 1781
To the Board of War
Head Quarters New Windsor 6th June 1781.
Gentlemen
I was yesterday honored with your favor of the 25th ulto.1 Your first and second reasons for removing the Convention troops from their present places of confinement are unobjectionable; but I think they will be equally safe in Pennsylvania as they would be in Massachusetts, and, all circumstances considered, I am opinion that they had best be halted for the present in that State—The Board having been good enough to take my advice upon the subject I will give my reasons for preferring their remaining in Pennsylvania to going further Northward—The first is, the accumulation of expence—trouble and danger of escape by lengthening the march—The second the impossibility of supplying them with Bread in N. England by land transportation, and the inconveniency and expence of doing it by water, even should we procure passports from the British Commander in Chief—The third and a very essential one is, that in our expected operation in this quarter all the Beef which the Eastern states will be able to procure will be necessary for the subsistence of the French and American Armies2—and therefore no additional consumption, if it can possibly be avoided, ought to be imposed upon the Magazines which we are endeavouring to establish. Pennsylvania has furnished a very inconsiderable part of the Meat or Flour required of her by the Resolve of the 4th November last and may upon that account with more prop[r]iety be called upon to support the Prisoners, but independant of that, part of her supplies, taking the general plan of Campaign into contemplation, may with less inconvenience be applied to the purpose I have mentioned than those more northerly or southerly.3
Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
On 12 June, Congress read a report from the board “enclosing a letter of 6, from the Commander in Chief, respecting the Convention prisoners” (, 20:630). The board’s report, also dated 12 June, related that they have “taken no measures for guarding the prisoners farther than Easton in Pennsylvania, leaving to the Commander in Chief either to order a detachment from the army, or call upon the States for militia as guards from Easton to Rutland. As he is of opinion that the prisoners should be halted in Pennsylvania, he has doubtlessly omitted taking measures for furnishing guards and therefore the prisoners will of course halt in that state—and magazines of meat and flour should be immediately laid up for their support. We therefore beg the directions of Congress on the subject” (, 20:630). Congress then affirmed GW’s view on relocating Convention Army prisoners (see Samuel Huntington to GW, 15 June, and n.2 to that document; see also Board of War to GW, 22 June, n.9).
1. See Board of War to GW, 25 May.
2. For the effort to obtain beef from New England, see GW to William Heath, 9 May, n.9.
3. See Huntington to GW, 12 Nov. 1780, and n.1 to that document.