Major General William Heath to George Washington, 18 June 1781
From Major General William Heath
Roxbury [Mass.] June 18th 1781
Dear General
I have been1 honored with yours of the 7th instant.2
I have not for a moment neglected the business of my mission, or ceased my solicitations to effect it, and have the pleasure to assure your Excellency, that there is a disposition in all the New England States, to afford every aid and support you have required, as far as is within their power.3
This Commonwealth, have passed the most spirited resolutions for completeing their Battalions,4 To ensure the Seven thousand rations of Fresh Beef pr Day, for the month of July, and the remainder of the Campaign, they have passed a resolution requiring the several Towns to collect monthly, three Hundred and seventeen thousand pounds of live Beef, which quantity it is supposed after the deduction of hides and tallow and the wastage in driving &c. will afford the seven thousand pounds pr Day at the Army,5 Blank Executions are Sent out, that in case of any delinquency, the deficiency may be levied by distraint immediately,6 To ensure a supply between this time and the opperation of the resolve, a Sum of money, partly in Specie, is Sent to mr Phelps the Superintendant to enable him to Continue his purchases,7 I think the Supply of Fresh Beef is certain in Massachusetts, From Rhode Island your Exccellency has already heard,8 From Connecticut and New Hampshire I expect to hear by tomorrows post.9
Your Excellencys letter of the 7th with a pressing solicitation, I have laid before the Assembly here, and shall by the post Send coppies to the Other three States,10 The Rum has been under Consideration to Day, a Quantity will be procured and forwarded immediately,11 (in all my former applications I had represented the necessity of it, both for the Comfort, and health of the troops)12 and flattered myself twenty Hogsheads from Connecticut had long Since arrived at the Army,13 I had also requested Governor Greene to forward a part of that at Rhode Island, the Quantity I am soliciting is One Hundred and twenty Hogsheads pr month.14
Between Two and Three thousand frocks and Overalls, will go on from this State in a few Days, I have, and shall continue to urge, on all the States, the necessity of a competent Supply.
Messrs Otis and Henley had Opened all the packages of Cloathing from Spain, by order, as they inform me of a member of the Board of war (Genl Cornell) before I was honored with your letter, and they add, that it was fortunate that they did, as Some of the packages were wet, The waist Coats Breeches a number of Hatts &c. went forward the last week, I have directed the remainder of the whole to be packed and forwarded as soon as possible.15
The Ordnance, with the military Stores are going on, the marine mortars, will be a heavy, and expensive Jobb,16 the Commonwealth, most chearfully grant every aid in their power, but the present fluctuateing state of the currency, and embarrassed state of their finances, with the almost instant complication of calls, for provisions, cloathing, transportation and completeing their Battalions, the latter of which is attended with very great expence, taken all together, are a burden, which trys all their feelings, and it affords a most pleasing satisfaction, to See with how much Chearfullness, and fortitude they bear it, A convention of Committees from the four States, are to meet at Providence, on monday next, in order to establish a System for a regular Supply for the Campaign.17
Your Excellency will doubtless before this reaches you, have heard of the success of the Army of our great and good Ally in the East Indies, and the probability of Great Britain’s being Striped of her invallueable possessions in that Quarter of the Globe;18 we have no other news of consequence that can be depended on.19 I have the honor to be with the highest respect & Esteem your Excellency’s most Obedient Servant
W. Heath
ALS, DLC:GW; ADfS, MHi: Heath Papers.
1. Heath began his draft “I was a day or two Since”; he struck out that phrase and wrote “I have been” instead.
2. Heath presumably means GW’s letter to him dated 8 June (see also n.10 below).
3. See GW to Heath, 8 and 9 May, especially n.9 to the latter document.
Heath had written Massachusetts governor John Hancock from Roxbury on 17 June: “Enclosed I have the Honor to lay before your Excellency a Letter received yesterday pr express from His Excellency General Washington, from the tenor of the Letter it appears that the Commander in Chief has Settled his plan for the Campaign upon the presumption of the Success of my application to the New England States for Supplies and that a failure in the Smallest degree on the part of the States will involve the army in the deepest distress, and probably frustrate every advantage we might otherwise obtain, I am exceedingly happy in the grant of fresh Beef made by the Honorable the General Assembly of this Commonwealth and hope the most certain and effectual measures will be adopted to ensure a Seasonable Collection, and regular forwarding of it to the army, and that measures will also be taken to ensure a Supply between this time, and the operation of the late resolve, By his Excellencys Letter not only the Salted provisions in the County of Berkshire but those also at Springfield are to be forwarded immediately to the Army … I therefore request that all the Salted provisions in the County of Berkshire and at Springfield (except Such at the latter place as may be necessary for the marching parties) may be immediately Sent on to Clavarack—I am Sorry to find that the Troops who were destitute of Rum when I left the army Several weeks Since Still continue so, and that numbers through hard fatigue and the want of refreshments are falling sick while our Country and our Tables abound with [a] variety of Liquors. I assure myself the Guardians of the Country will never leave their army to faint under fatigue and fall into Hospitals through the want of the most Indifferent refreshments, I intreat that a Quantity of Rum may be immediately put in motion for the relief of the army.
“I am directed to represent to the States that almost every article of Summer Clothing in the public Store which was of any vallue has been Sent on to the Southern army, and that there is no other possible alternative but for the troops to be Supplied by their own States or become literally naked.
“as for forwarding to the Army a Quantity of wollen Clothing now in the public Store in Boston, I fear it will not be in the power of the D.Q.M.G. to effect the transportation without the aid of the State I therefore pray that Such assistance as may appear to be necessary may be afforded.
“I am fully Sensible of the great exertions already made by this Commonwealth, and the very pecul[i]ar embarrassments under which it at present labors, these give me pain when Duty compels to further exertions, but when the aspect of the public affairs afford a flattering omen principals both of Interest and policy conspire to urge them, as the most sure and Speedy means to obtain peace and happiness. … P.S. after the enclosed Letter which is the original has been laid before the Honble the General Assembly, I would request the return of it” (MHi: Heath Papers; see also 5:208–10, and GW to Heath, 8 June). The Massachusetts legislature adopted a resolution on 23 June that directed Oliver Phelps, superintendent of purchases for the state, “to collect and send forward to Claverack, all the salted provisions belonging to this Commonwealth, which now are in the county of Berkshire, and also at Springfield, except such quantity at the latter place as may be necessary for the marching parties” (, pp. 636–39, quote on 637).
4. The Massachusetts legislature adopted resolutions on 16 June to meet the state’s recruitment obligation for the Continental army. Bounties encouraged enlistments for three years or the war’s duration. A failure to fulfill quotas by 30 June could result in a draft or fines (see , pp. 621–24; see also General Orders, 1 Nov. 1780, and Document IV with The Wethersfield Conference and Aftermath, 14 May–16 June, editorial note).
5. Heath probably refers to resolutions the Massachusetts legislature adopted on 22 June to supply the Continental army with cattle because “the Commander in Chief of the army hath represented, in the most pressing terms, the necessity of an immediate supply of provisions, to enable him to carry on the operations of the present campaign with vigour, and, by the blessing of Heaven, with success” (, pp. 639–46, quote on 639).
6. A resolution passed on this date established a template for printed impressment forms to serve on localities that failed to furnish sufficient beef (see , 629–30).
7. The Massachusetts legislature adopted a resolution on 19 June that authorized Phelps to access “three thousand pounds in specie … and the further sum of four thousand pounds in money of the new emission, for the purpose of purchasing beef for the army” (, p. 631). For the new emission bills, see Philip Schuyler to GW, 12 March 1780, and notes 3–4 to that document.
8. See Heath to GW, 7 June 1781, and n.1 to that document.
9. Connecticut governor Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., wrote Heath on 20 June, and New Hampshire council president Meshech Weare wrote Heath on 25 June (see Heath to GW, 27 June, and notes 2–3 to that document; see also Heath to GW, 15 May, n.5).
10. Heath sent copies of GW’s letter to him dated 8 June (see the source note with that document; see also notes 2 and 3 above).
11. The Massachusetts legislature passed resolutions on 23 June that included a direction for “Mr. Charles Miller, agent of this Commonwealth for purchasing rum … without loss of time, to apply to such person or persons as are or may be possessed of that article, and willing to lend the same, for a quantity of rum on loan, not exceeding 74,363 gallons in the whole; and that the said agent be directed to send forward to the Continental army, for their use, monthly, for the space of six months, a quantity of rum, not less than 12000 gallons for each month.” His compensation would be what “the General Court … shall think reasonable and just” (, pp. 636–39, quotes on 637). For other measures adopted to assist Miller, see , pp. 680, 704–5; see also Heath to GW, 4 July, n.3.
12. Heath closed a parenthesis at this point on his draft but wrote a comma on the ALS.
13. For Heath’s rum appeal to Connecticut, see his letter to GW, 15 May, and n.1 to that document.
14. For Heath’s rum appeal to Rhode Island governor William Greene, see his letter to GW, 29 May, and n.3 to that document; see also notes 4 and 6 to that document.
15. See Ezekiel Cornell to GW, 24 May; see also Heath to GW, 24 June.
16. See GW to John Hancock, 2 June.
17. For the convention that commenced on Tuesday, 26 June, see Heath to GW, 4 July, and n.1 to that document; see also Heath to GW, 15 May, n.5, and 7 June, n.2.
18. The Independent Ledger, and the American Advertiser (Boston) for this date printed an item under the heading “IMPORTANT ADVICES. LONDON, March 29” and the dateline “East-India House, March 28, 1781” about victories over Great Britain’s East India Company during the previous summer in southern India by forces under French ally Hyder Ali, sultan of Mysore. The Boston Gazette, and the Country Journal for this date also printed the article, which already had appeared in Providence and Newport newspapers. GW subsequently shared this report (see his letter to Lafayette, 29 June).
19. In his reply to Heath on 8 July, GW commended his efforts to procure supplies and ordered his return to the army (MHi: Heath Papers).