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George Washington to Continental
Congress, July 14, 1776
I have inclosed a General return of the Army here which
will shew the whole of our Strength. All the detached posts are included.[31]
A Letter from the Eastward by last night's post, to Mr.
Hazard[32] Post Master in this City,
advises that two Ships has been taken and carried into Cape Ann; one
from Antigua, consigned to General Howe with 439 Puncheons of Rum. The
other a Jamaicaman with 400 Hogsheads of Sugar, 200 puncheons of Rum,
39 Bales of Cotton, Pimento, Fustick, etc., etc. Each mounted 2 Guns;
Six Pounders. About 3. O'Clock this afternoon I was informed that a Flag
from Lord Howe was coming up and waited with two of our Whale Boats
untill directions should be given. I immediately convened such of the
General Officers, as were not upon other duty, who agreed in Opinion
that I ought not to receive any Letter directed to me as a private Gentleman;
but if otherwise and the Officer desired to come up to deliver the Letter
himself, as was suggested, he should come under a safe conduct: Upon
this I directed Col. Reed to go down and manage the Affair under the
above general Instruction: On his return he informed me, after the common
civilities the Officer acquainted him, that he had a Letter from Lord
Howe to Mr. Washington, which he shewed under a superscription "to
George Washington Esquire." Col. Reed replied there was no such
person in the Army, and that a Letter Intended for the General could
not be received under such a direction. The Officer expressed great
concern, said it was a Letter rather of a Civil than Military Nature;
That Lord Howe regretted he had not arrived sooner; That he (Lord Howe)
had great Powers. The anxiety to have the Letter received was very evident,
tho' the Officer disclaimed all Knowledge of its Contents; However Col.
Reeds Instructions being positive, they parted. After they had got some
distance, the Officer with the Flag, again put about and asked under
what direction Mr. Washington chose to be addressed,[33]
to which Col. Reed answered his station was well known, and that certainly
they could be at no Loss how to direct to him. The Officer said they
knew It and lamented It, and again repeated his wish that the Letter
could be received. Col. Reed told him, a proper direction would obviate
all difficulties, and that this was no new Matter. This Subject having
been fully discussed in the course of the last year of which Lord Howe
could not be ignorant, upon which they parted. I would not upon any occasion sacrifice Essentials to Punctilio,
but in this Instance the Opinion of others, concurring with my own,
I deemed it a duty to my Country and my Appointment, to insist upon
that respect, which in any other than a public view I would willingly
have waived. Nor do I doubt but from the supposed nature of the Message
and the anxiety expressed, they will either repeat their Flag, or fall
upon some mode to communicate the Import and consequence of It.[34]
I have been duly honoured with your two Letters, that of
the 10th. by Mr. Anderson, and the 11th. with its inclosures. I have
directed the Quarter Master to provide him with every thing he wants
to carry his scheme into Execution. It is an Important one, and I wish
it success, but I am doubtfull that it will be better in Theory than
practice.[35] The passage of the Ships of War and Tenders up the River,
is a matter of great importance, and has excited much conjecture and
speculation; to me two things have occurred as leading them to this
proceeding; first, a design to seize on the narrow passes on both Sides
the River, giving almost the only Land Communication with Albany, and
of consequence with our northern Army, and for which purpose they might
have Troops concealed on board, which they deemed competent of themselves
as the defiles are narrow, or that they would be joined by many disaffected
Persons in that Quarter; others have added a probability of their haveing
a large Quantity of Arms on board, to be in readiness to put into the
hands of the Tories immediately on the arrival of the Fleet, or rather
at the Time they intend to make their attack: The second, is to cut
off entirely all Intercourse between this and Albany by Water and the
upper Country, and to prevent Supplies of every kind going and coming.
These matters are truly Alarming and of such Importance, that I have
wrote to the Provincial Congress of New York and recommended to their
serious consideration, the adoption of every possible expedient, to
guard against the two first, and have suggested the propriety of their
employing the Militia or such part of them in the Counties in which
these defiles are to keep the Enemy from possessing them till further
Provision can be made, and to write to the several leading Persons on
our side, in that Quarter, to be attentive to all the Movements of the
Ships and the Disaffected in order to discover and frustrate whatever
pernicious Schemes they have in view.[36]
In respect to the second conjecture of my own and which
seems to be generally adopted, I have the Pleasure to inform Congress,
That If their design is to keep the Armies from Provision, that the
Commissary has told me upon Inquiry he has forwarded supplies to Albany,
now there and above it, sufficient for 10,000 Men for four Months. That
he has a sufficiency here for 20,000 Men for three Months and an Abundant
Quantity secured in different parts of the Jersey for the flying Camp,
besides having 4,000 Barrells of Flour in some Neighbouring part of
Connecticut. Upon this head there is but little occasion for any apprehensions, at least for a Considerable Time. I have &ca. P.S. I have sent orders to the Commanding Officer of the
Pennsylvania Militia to March to Amboy as there remaining at Trenton
can be of no good Service.[37] Note: Students may want to use the following calendar
as an aide in preparing their timeline of General George Washington’s
letter to Continental Congress dated Sunday July 14th, 1776
[31] This return, dated July 13, showed
a strength of 10,319 rank and file present and fit for duty, with 963
officers. There were nearly 1,500 sick and nearly 2,000 on command.
The artillery regiment was 426 strong, with 54 officers.
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