George Washington to Colonel Elias Dayton, 30 June 1781
To Colonel Elias Dayton
Head Quarters Peekskill 30th June 1781
sir
Immediately on the Receipt of this you ⟨will⟩ be pleased to collect all the Troops of your Brigade (except the Compy at Wyoming)1 & put2 them in motion o⟨n⟩ their March towards Kingsbridge. As the Operations of the Campaign are on the Point of Commencing, you will use your utmost Diligence that the Troops come on with Dispatch.3
It will be v⟨erry⟩ inconvenient (to say no more) to be loaded with Baggage; you will therefore move on as Light as possib⟨le—⟩ giving me Notice of your Movements & Approach; ⟨that⟩ I may be able to give you any further Orders, ⟨that⟩ they4 may be found necessary—I am sir Your most Obedt Servan⟨t⟩
Go: Washingt⟨on⟩
LS, torn right edge, in Jonathan Trumbull, Jr.’s writing, ViMtvL; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. Except for the closing and signature, mutilated material on the LS is supplied in angle brackets from the draft, which also is in Trumbull’s writing.
1. For the New Jersey company at Wyoming, Pa., see GW to Alexander Mitchell, 30 Dec. 1780.
2. Trumbull wrote this word on his draft but “up” on the LS.
3. For these operations, see GW to Benjamin Lincoln, 1 July, and the source note to that document.
4. This word does not appear on the draft.