Major General Arthur St. Clair to George Washington, 24 June 1781
From Major General Arthur St. Clair
Philadelphia June 24th 1781
Sir
I have now the Satisfaction to inform your Excellency that a Bill passed the Legislature of this State Yesterday from which there is Reason to expect that a considerable Reinforcement will be added to its Line—The Principle of it is to oblige the Classes of the Inhabitants to find a Man each, and in case of Delinquency the County Commissioner is required to provide one, without limitation of Price—the whole demanded is twenty seven hundred—much short of the Deficiency in the Quota, but they could not be brought to fix upon a greater Number, and it has indeed cost very great Pains to bring them to this.1 could these however be sent immediatly into the Field they might be of great Use, but I fear they will be much delayed on Account of Cloathing and Camp Equipage—The State has not, and I beleve cannot procure, either; nor is there any Cloathing in the public Store here, nor Camp Equipage with the Quarter Master.
Letters from General Weedon of the 16th say that Lord Cornwallis was falling back towards Richmond, and the Marques following him—he had advanced to Goochland Court House2—but there are Reports of a later Date that place Lord Cornwallis on the south side of James River & the Marquis on the North with five Miles only betwixt the Main Body of either Army.3
I beg leave to put your Excellency in mind of Mr Bighams Court Martial, which was somehow forgot when I left Head Quarters.4 I have the Honor to be with the greatest Respect Sir Your Excellencys most obedient Servant
Ar. St Clair
Mr Morris has proposed to furnish the whole of the Supplys demanded by Congress from that State provided the Assembly will give him the Management of the Paper Money that will be brought into the Treasury by the Tax Bill just passed and issue no more of any kind, and it is not doubted they will close with him.5
ALS, DLC:GW. St. Clair signed the cover, which is addressed to GW at New Windsor. GW replied to St. Clair on 10 July (see St. Clair to GW, 4 July, n.4).
1. Brig. Gen. William Irvine sent GW a printed copy of the law (see Irvine to GW, 27 June, and n.2 to that document). For the troop quota assigned Pennsylvania, see General Orders, 1 Nov. 1780.
2. The letters from Brig. Gen. George Weedon have not been identified.
3. For these operations in Virginia, see Lafayette to GW, 3 June 1781, and n.1 to that document, and 18 June, and n.4 to that document. Lt. Gen. Charles Cornwallis did not move his army south of the James River until early July.
4. For Lt. John Bigham’s court-martial, see General Orders, 29 May.
5. See Robert Morris to the Speaker of the Pennsylvania Assembly, 26 June, in , 1:180–83. For the supply requisition, see Samuel Huntington to GW, 12 Nov. 1780, and n.1 to that document.