George Washington to Brigadier General James Clinton, 16 June 1781
To Brigadier General James Clinton
Head Quarters New Windsor June 16th 1781
Dear Sir
In my Letters of the 5th & 10th Inst. I intimated to you the necessity of keeping the Reinforcements lately sent to the Northward as much together as possible, and in such constant readiness for a movement, as that they might be recalled, if necessary, on the shortest warning:1 I must now inform you, that the Operations which have been concerted between His Excellency the Count de Rochambeau, and myself against New York,2 will probably compel me to withdraw not only these Troops, but also the remainder of Van Schaick’s, and the whole of Cortland’s Regiments.3
I give you this previous Notice, that proper measures may be taken on the occasion, that the Inhabitants may not be disappointed in their expectations, and that the greatest possible number of the Men for the Campaign, and Levies for the three Years service, may be drawn together to relieve the Garrison’s at the several Posts, and defend the Frontiers, whenever all the Continental Troops shall be ordered from thence.4
You will be pleased to observe, nothing but absolute necessity will induce me to order the Regular Troops from the Northward—and I request therefore, it may be understood that when the Measure becomes indispensably necessary, there is not any thing which can divert me from it.5 I am, Dear Sir With great regard Your Most Obedt S⟨ervan⟩t
Go: Washington
LS (photocopy), in David Humphreys’s writing, DLC:GW, ser. 9; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
3. GW subsequently recalled all these Continental troops to his army (see GW to Clinton, 30 June).
4. For these New York levies, see Samuel Huntington to GW, 4 April, and n.1 to that document, and George Clinton to GW, 28 April, and n.2 to that document.
5. Clinton replied to GW on 21 June. Clinton also wrote his brother, New York governor George Clinton, from Albany on the same date that “it appears evidently our duty to expedite the raising and forwarding the force destined for the Frontier by every possible exertion, for at present the whole strength of the Levies will not amount to four hundred men, and it is highly probable that a removal of the regular Troops from this place will be attended with an immediate Incursion of the Enemy on the Frontier.
“This has induced me to give directions to change the Plan of the Fort to be erected at the German Flatts, lest we should not have time to finish it & be obliged to leave it in an undefensable State. I have requested the Engineer to contrive in such sort as may answer a temporary use, with little work, and which may be capable of further improvement when circumstances will admit.
“Tho I had reason to believe the Gen’l. had given you an Intimation of this, yet I thought it my Duty to mention it to you officially, that you make take such measures for complying with his request & preserving the Safety of the Frontier as you may think Circumstances may require, and your Situation may admit of” (, 7:36–38, quote on 37–38; see also GW to George Clinton, 21 June).