George Washington to Colonel Timothy Pickering, 10 June 1781
To Colonel Timothy Pickering
Head Quarters New Windsor June 10th 1781
Dear Sir
I wish to know whether General Du Portail has made any Arrangements with you respecting Planks for Plattforms, and in that case, what Measures have been taken in consequence; General Du Portail will be able to inform what number of feet will be wanted, and General Knox, at what Mills, and by what Mode they may be procured.1
I enclose a Copy of the Estimate of Articles, which will be required from your Department by the Engineer, and which you will please to have provided.2
The preparation of the Boats is still an object of great concern to me. I desire an immediate and accurate Return of all the Public Boats from Albany to Dobbs’ ferry may be made, properly Classed, and specifying 1st those actually fit for service. 2nly such as are repairable & repairing, and 3dly those which are irrepairable. It is my intention, that the whole of the Boats now fit for use, should be instantly collected at West Point.3 The Adjutant General, upon your requisition, will furnish a party for the purpose.
If the Tar necessary for the repair of the others, which was expected from Albany has not Yet arrived; I should not hesitate on such an occasion, to take it, where ever to be found, upon the Governor’s Impress warrant, or my own.4 A few Artificers (if necessary) might be drawn from the line, to give a rapid completion to this interesting business.5 I am, Dear Sir, Your Most Obedt Servt
Go: Washington
P.S. If you should know of an Opportunity to Boston before the Post goes, be good enough to inform me of it.
LS, in David Humphreys’s writing, DNA: RG 93, manuscript file no. 25429; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. GW signed the cover of the LS, which is addressed to Pickering at Newburgh, New York.
Pickering replied to GW from Newburgh on this date: “I have been honoured with your Excellency’s letter of this date, and will pay due attention to the contents.
“I had no notice for the demand for planks till Gl Knox mentioned it to day: He will inform your Excellency how I proposed to obtain a part of them. I shall send an express to Colo. Hughes at Albany to morrow morning on that account; and one for Boston to morrow forenoon on the score of tents, having obtained from Congress an order for all the duck in Mr Bradford’s hands” (LB, DNA: RG 93, Records of Quartermaster General Timothy Pickering, 1780–87). Congress had directed to Pickering on 28 May “all the duck of whatever description, belonging to the United States, in the hands of the continental agent at Boston” (, 20:551). Previous orders for John Bradford, Continental agent at Boston, to deliver duck for tents had proven ineffective (see , 18:962 and 20:452–53).
Pickering wrote GW’s aide-de-camp David Humphreys from Newburgh on 5 June: “Having had information of upwards of a thousand pieces of duck in the hands of Mr Bradford Continental agent at Boston, I communicated the same to the board of war: Congress thereon passed an order. … I transmitted it to Colo. Hatch, who immediately presented it to Mr Bradford; but he declined delivering any of the heavy duck, as not suitable for tents. Of raven’s duck, ticklenburg &c. he deld Colo. Hatch enough for about seven hundred tents; and these the sailmakers (& he engaged all he could get) have assured him they will make up in one month from the day he wrote, May 16th.
“Immediately on the receipt of this letter from Colo. Hatch I wrote to the board of war a state of the facts, and requested an order might be procured for exchanging the heavy for light duck, as it secured from a hint dropped by Mr Bradford that he should sell it to defray the expences of the navy: but Colo. Hatch has possession of the whole, it being in one of his stores; & I have desired him to keep it till the determination of Congress shall be known. Ravens duck is two fifths lighter, has more yards in a piece, is wider, & last winter was cheaper, than Russia duck; and at the same time will last longer in tents.” Pickering also related that over 2,000 common tents, 12 marquee, and a number of wall and horsemen tents had been at Newburgh, Fishkill, and Fishkill Landing in early May. An additional 940 tents would be purchased or manufactured at Boston. “I have also an expectation of being authorized to exchange part of the heavy duck for lighter kinds suitable for tents” (DLC:GW; see also Jabez Hatch to Pickering, 16 May, DNA:PCC, item 147).
1. See GW to Henry Knox, 8 June, and n.2 to that document.
2. The enclosure may have been a “Return of what is necessary in the Engeneering Departement for the proposed operation,” which Brigadier General Duportail prepared at New Windsor on 2 June. It called for “plancks for platteformes about 12 inches broad and 2 inches thick” as well as 150 “Cannons of different Caliber and mortars … which are necessary whether to batter the ennemy’s lines on new york island or long island or to secure the Communications and some other things.” Among the items necessary for the French army were approximately 30,000 feet of plank, 72,000 feet of “saucissons (large fascines)” for batteries, and 4,000 “gabions for batteries or trenches” as well as 10,000 “fascines for the same. . . . a man Can make a gabion in one day. so 500 men will make the 4000 gabions in 8 days[.] A man Can make 36 feet of saucisson in one day. so 500 men will make the number Required in 4 Days[.] 500 men will make the 10000 fascines in 6 days.” The French army also needed 30,000 sandbags, 5,000 shovels, 2,500 pickaxes, 1,200 axes, and 800 bill hooks. Regarding the last four items, Duportail remarked: “if the french army had not enough for them, we must have more than it is Required here” (DLC:GW; see also The Wethersfield Conference and Aftermath, 14 May–16 June, editorial note).
3. Pickering wrote GW from Newburgh on 25 June: “Inclosed is the return of boats which I mentioned this morning. I recd it last evening & have not had opportunity to take a copy. which I shall be glad to do in a day or two. … P.S. Those mentioned to be laid up at Wappins Creek Mr Sheafe expected to have repaired by this day” (LB, DNA: RG 93, Records of Quartermaster General Timothy Pickering, 1780–87). The enclosed return has not been identified. For boats repaired at Wappinger’s Creek, N.Y., see GW to Samuel Darby, 28 June.
4. New York governor George Clinton impressed tar (see Pickering to GW, 8 June, and n.7).