From George Washington to Major General Nathanael Greene, 31 May 1780
To Major General Nathanael Greene
Head Quarters Morris Town 31st May 1780
Dear Sir
Although I am convinced, from your late frequent representations and my own knowledge, of the distress in which your department is involved for want of money, and consequently of your inability to make almost any new provision of the many articles necessary for the operations of this Campaign,1 yet there are some matters which may be put in a state of readiness, through the means of the Artificers whom we have in service, aided by the materials on hand. Of these are our Carriages—old Camp Equipage and Boats—To the latter I would wish you to pay a particular attention, directing them to be completely provided with Oars—Boat Hooks and setting Poles.
We shall probably have occasion for the materials necessary for laying Bridges of Boats—as Cables—Anchors—Plank and Scantlin—Should it not be in your power to engage these Articles, it may not be amiss to be enquiring where they may be most readily procured, that you may, in case you should either be furnished with the means of purchase by the treasury or by the authority of the States, know where to apply for them without loss of time2—This mode may perhaps be extended, with advantage, to many other Articles in your line—for should the States comply with the specific demands made upon them by the Committee of Congress, they will in all likelyhood be obliged to seek for assistance and information from the Heads of the several departments.3
There is a matter which I would wish you seemingly to turn your attention to, with a view of distracting the enemy by an appearance of making preparations for an embarkation of troops—To this end, be pleased to give your deputies in Philada, Boston, and other considerable ports, directions to enquire what quantity of shipping can be procured and upon what terms—This they may do in an open manner, and as the owners, will naturally want to know the destination they may hint at Penobscot—Hallifax or Newfound-land.4
Inclosed you have an estimate of sundry Articles in the Artillery and Engineering line which will be wanted in the execution of the intended cooperation.5 Should it not be in your power, circumstanced as you are, to procure or make Contracts for the Timber, you had best deliver in an estimate to the Committee, with the whole quantity apportioned on the States of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, which from their convenience of Water Carriage can easily send it to the places where it will be wanted6—I think you have the greater part of the tools already provided—The Sand Bags are very essential, and must be procured in considerable quantities if possible.7
Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. For the most recent representation of the difficulties facing the quartermaster department, see Greene to GW, 21 May, and n.1.
2. GW needed such materials for a potential assault on New York City with the expected French expeditionary force (see Greene to GW, 23 May, and GW to Robert Howe, 15 May, and n.4 to that document; see also GW’s first letter to Howe, 25 May, and n.5 to that document).
3. GW is referring to the first circular from the Committee at Headquarters to the states on 25 May (see GW to the Committee at Headquarters, that date, n.1).
4. No correspondence from Greene on this deception operation has been identified.
5. GW’s aide-de-camp Alexander Hamilton wrote the undated draft of the enclosed “Articles wanted in General Greenes department towards the intended cooperation, in the Artillery and Engineering line” (DLC:GW). Articles requested included 500 18-foot “Sleepers” for cannon platforms; 200 12-foot sleepers for mortar platforms; 3,200 planks; 500 mallets to drive pickets; 10,000 spades and shovels; 5,000 pickaxes; 2,000 axes; 2,000 “Bill-Hooks to make fascines and Gabions”; and sandbags, “as many as possible to be made of the tents unfit for service if they are not otherwise more necessary.”
Writing at Morristown on 30 May, Lieutenant Colonel Gouvion had identified articles and their quantities in a “Return of the preparations to be Made,” which GW’s aide-de-camp Richard Kidder Meade docketed: “Colo. Gouvions Estimate of Gabions &c.” (DLC:GW). In addition to the articles named in the above paragraph, Gouvion’s return listed 60,000 fascines, 300,000 pickets (pointed stakes), 11,000 gabions, and 500 “Moles to Ramm the earth of the Batteries.” A note reads: “if in the Begining of the attack we had on hand the third part of the preparations here mentioned it should so Sufficient because 400 fatigue men Keept constantly at work Could make the fascines and gabions faster than we could employ them” (DLC:GW).
Another return dated 8 June of “platform plank on the North River” also is in DLC:GW.
6. No estimates from Greene to the Committee at Headquarters have been identified, but he later wrote GW on 8 July with an estimate “of the number of Tents and other articles wanted for the Army” (DLC:GW; see also , 6:72–73).
7. GW wrote Greene on 4 July for information on the “prospects of procuring the several Articles mentioned in my letter of the 31st May” (DLC:GW). Greene replied on 6 July that he had given orders “for repairing the Boats, and having them in readiness,” but he expressed uncertainty regarding the means of procuring “Oars and Boat-Hooks” (DLC:GW).