To George Washington from John Cleves Symmes, 17 April 1780
From John Cleves Symmes
Morris Town, the 17th April 1780
Sir
I have the honor to inform Your Excellency, that William Loudon of the Artillery, who was Indicted for the Murder of Richard Savage; Upon trial, was acquited of the Murder, and found guilty of Manslaughter: he has been allowed his Clergy, and burned in the hand pursuant to his Judgment: and having gone through every stage of the Civil Law, is now remanded to the Provost Guard, where he waits Your Excellencies pleasure.1 I have the Honor to be with much respect, Your Excellencies devoted Most Obedient humble servant.
John Cleves Symmes.
ALS, DLC:GW. Symmes was an associate justice on the New Jersey Supreme Court.
1. Sgt. Ebenezer Parkman, Jr., who served with the artificers at Morristown, wrote in his diary entries for 17 and 23 Jan. 1780: “The Drum Majr of Artillery Stabd a Man, who Soon Died[.] This was while the Army Lay at Morris Town … the Man who was Stabd was dug up for the Jury to Examine” (MWA: Parkman Family Papers). For the official case record, see “State of New Jersey v. William Lowden” (Nj-Ar: Supreme Court Case Files, 1704–1844); see also 22.
William Louden (Loudon, Lowden; c.1759–1796), who came from Scotland, served as drum major in the 2d Continental Artillery Regiment from December 1778 until he transferred to the 1st New York Regiment in April 1781. He remained in the army until the end of the war. While living in Chesterfield, N.H., not long after leaving the army, Louden had “had one of his Arms torn off by the bursting of a Cannon” fired in salute to former Maj. Gen. John Sullivan, according to an affidavit that Louden’s widow filed 28 March 1837 in an effort to draw a pension (DNA: RG 15, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800–1900).
Richard Savage (d. 1780) began as a private in the 2d Continental Artillery Regiment and advanced to matross in late summer 1777. Savage’s service record reads: “Died the 18th Jany” (DNA: RG 93, Compiled Service Records of Soldiers who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War).