George Washington Papers

Board of War to George Washington, 26 June 1781

From the Board of War

War Office [Philadelphia] June 26. 1781

Sir

The Board beg Leave to trouble you with a Copy of a Motion respecting Van here’s Corps which was referred to us by Congress.1 We have been informed that the principal Part of this Corps is made up of German Deserters & were doubtful about the Propriety of establishing them in the Line of the State as their Enlistments are contrary to the Resolves of Congress & evidently improper. Beside we concieved that the Corps was intended only to perform the Duty for which they were originally raized2 & adding them to the Pennsilvania Line would be immediately annexing them to the Southern Army as that Line by Resolution of Congress is to compose Part of that Army.3 This we did not choose to do without your Consent & Opinion upon the whole Matter.4 We have the Honour to be with the greatest Respect & Esteem Your very obedt Servants

Richard Peters
By Order

ALS, DLC:GW.

1The board enclosed a document docketed “Motion of the delegates of Pennsylvania June 25. 1781.” The motion requested that Capt. Bartholomew von Heer’s corps, called the Maréchaussée Corps, “be considered as part of the Quota of Troops to be furnished to the Army of the United States by the State of Pennsylvania” (DLC:GW; see also JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends , 20:695). For the state troop quotas, see General Orders, 1 Nov. 1780.

2Congress had established the Maréchaussée Corps to patrol near Continental army pickets (see GW to Nathanael Greene, 6 June 1778).

3See JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends , 19:177; see also Samuel Huntington to GW, 20 Feb. 1781 (first letter), and n.1 to that document.

4GW replied to the board on 9 July that Heer’s troops would complete their service soon and be discharged (DLC:GW; see also Ward, Washington’s Enforcers description begins Harry M. Ward. George Washington’s Enforcers: Policing the Continental Army. Carbondale, Ill., 2006. description ends , 150–51).

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