George Washington to Colonel Elisha Sheldon, 1 July 1781
To Colonel Elisha Sheldon
Head Quarters Peekskill 1st July 1781
sir
Agreable to the Memorandom given Yesterday to Colo. Jameson directing the March of the Troops under your Command, I presume you will be at Bedford by the Time given, which is Tomorrow (the 2d)—by 12 oClock at Noon—at Bedford you will expect to be joined by the Duke de Lauzun, with the Legion under his Comand, who is to be there at the Time mentioned for your Arrival1—but should the Duke, by any Accident be r[e]tarded in his March & not come up by that Time, you will be pleased to let Lt Colo. Jameson proceed with the Infantry & mounted Troops of your Comand agreable to his Directions of Yesterday, on their Way to Clapps, which Place they must Reach by Sunsett2 yourself, remaing at Bedford untill the Duke Arrives, with whom you will proceed on your March to Clapps, where you will be joined by Genl Waterbury & the Troops under his Comand3—The Duke will have my Instructions, conveyed to him by Colo. Hull, to take the Comand of the whole Body of Troops which will be assembled at Clapps, & to conduct their subsequent Movements & Operations4—You will therefore put yourself & Troops under his Direction & Orders—As the Duke will be a Stranger to the Ground which will be the Scene of your Operations, you will be pleased to cooperate with him with Chearfulness, & lend him every Assi[s]tance, Information, Council & Advice that shall be in your Power5—Colo. Hull, who conveys my Instru[c]tions to the Duke, will also accompany him in the Enterprize—his particular Knowlege & late Experience in that Part of the Country, will, I hope, be peculiarly usefull.6 I am &ca
G.W.
Df, in Jonathan Trumbull, Jr.’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. The memorandum given Lt. Col. John Jameson has not been found. The legions of French brigadier general Lauzun and Sheldon arrived at Bedford, N.Y., on 2 July (see Rochambeau to GW, 1 July, n.2).
GW’s aide-de-camp Tench Tilghman had written Sheldon from headquarters near Peekskill on 28 June: “You will be pleased immediately to send two well mounted Dragoons to Danbury and two to Haights Tavern upon the plains between Danbury and this place—They will only be kept at those stations two or three days for a special purpose—Their orders must be for one of them to be always ready to mount by night or by day as dispatches may arrive at their station. The Qr Mr at Danbury will provide for those who are there. Those at Haights must give a receipt for their Expences and the Qr Mr Genl will have directions to discharge the Account. … P.S. You will be pleased to put your Corps both Horse and Foot in perfect readiness to move and come down here yourself” (DLC:GW; addressed to Sheldon “near Robinson’s Mills”). Hait’s (Haight’s) tavern was in Somers, New York.
2. Clapp’s tavern was located in New York about nine miles southwest of Bedford and four miles northeast of White Plains.
3. See GW to David Waterbury, 30 June and this date.
4. See GW to Lauzun, this date.
5. For the entire operation, see GW to Benjamin Lincoln, this date.
6. See GW to Lauzun, this date, n.9.