To George Washington from Captain Bartholomew von Heer, 22 May 1780
From Captain Bartholomew von Heer
Reading [Pa.] May 22d 1780.
The Commander in Chief:
Your Excellency’s Order I have recd the 20. inst: by a Dragoon of my Troop, who has accidentally passed the House of Qr Mr Mitchell in philada the Day before 6 o’Clock at no on, Sent in particular Bussiness for the Troop to philadelphia, he charged him with a Letter to me sent by your Excellency’s Authority; It has surprised me very much, That the Letter dated the 11th has not arrived Sooner to my post.1
Likewise the Letter dated the 30. of march pr., what has ordered me with my Troop to Burlington, have not received untill the 21th of April from Board of War, where I have opened the Letter & intended to return to the station to move my Troop immediately agreable to your Excellency’s Order.2
But Board of War contremanded it, as Major Lee hath not march from there; I Shou’d therefore wait for further Orders, upon which Letter I Sent an Answer immediately to your Excellency; But now Seeing your Excellency’s Letter addressed to Burlington or philadelphia makes me believe, my Letter has not been favoured forward by Board of War, hoping, your Excellency will not take it as a neglect of mine.3
As your Excellency’s mentioned, I Shou’d march forward with my Troop, or Sent an Officer with all the Horses fit for Service, have therefore chosen out all the Best Horses & Men of the Troop under the Command of Lieut. Mytinger & strubing as speedy as it has laid in my power.4
Likewise I have flattered the Men so much as possible to take patience, as they have not received payment from the first of December till to this Day; But I expect having a complete Confidence of all my Men, That they will behave & do their Duty to all, they ordered to.
I have made Application to Board of War & Congress for Cloaks to the Men; and Cloathing for myself & the Officers agreable to their Resolve But nothing has followed till to this Day, & the Men are in great Want of the Cloaks, as they have no Blankets.5
Therefore I wou’d wish, your Excellency wou’d be plaised to grantt an Order to the officers for the Cloaks either to the Board of War, or to the Cloathier Genrl, as it is an Articul, that the Men cannot do without.
I Shall have the Honour to wait upon your Excellency’s Orders with the remainder of the Troop till to the first of June, whene they will be complete with the Necessaries, they are in Want of. I remain with the greatest Respect Your Excellency Most humble & obediant Servant
Barthw von Heer Capt. Light Dragoons
p.s. I have inclosed a Return of the Troop, what present at Camp & remained in Reading.6
LS, DLC:GW. A note on the cover of this letter reads: “by Lieut. Mytinger.” No reply from GW has been found.
1. GW’s letter of 11 May to Heer, commander of the Maréchaussée Corps, directed him to march his troops to Morristown “immediately” for “a very particular service.”
2. GW’s letter to Heer of 30 March directed him to march his corps to Burlington, N.J., “as expeditiously as possible” to replace Maj. Henry Lee, Jr.’s partisan corps, which GW had directed to join the southern army (see GW to Lee, or the Officer Commanding his Corps at Burlington, N.J., and to the Board of War, both 30 March).
3. See Heer to GW, 21 April, and GW to Heer, 11 May.
4. Heer is referring to Lt. John Jacob Mytinger and Lt. Philip Strubing.
A native of Geneva, Switzerland, Philip Strubing received a commission as a lieutenant in the Maréchaussée Corps in September 1779. He served until the end of the war, when he petitioned Congress to assist his return to Europe and to confer on him a “Commission as A Captain by Brevet in the Army” (DNA:PCC, item 41). Congress granted his requests in April 1784 (see , 26:231, and , 21:472). Strubing eventually returned to the United States and resided in Berks County, Pa., where he reportedly commanded that county’s “troop of light dragoons” (Daily Advertiser [New York], 3 Nov. 1788).
5. Heer’s applications to Congress and to the Board of War have not been identified, but a memorial from Heer was read in Congress on 18 March (see , 16:260). In that undated memorial, Heer informed Congress that he had “in vain applied to the Honourable Executive Council & the Assembly of pensilvania” for “his proportion of the Clothing & stores allowed to their officers, As his pay & Rations alone will not enable him to Support his Rank” (DLC:GW, filed under 18 March 1780; see also Heer to GW, 15 April).
6. Heer enclosed a “Monthly Report Of a Troop of Light Dragoons commanded by Capt. von Heer,” completed at Reading on this date. One captain, one clerk, one sergeant, one corporal, and ten privates were “Present fit for Duty.” Two lieutenants, two sergeants, two trumpeters, four corporals, and thirty-seven privates were “absent on Command” (DLC:GW).