From George Washington to James Wilkinson, 6 December 1779
To James Wilkinson
Head Quarters Morris town 6th Decemr 1779
Sir
The Army having taken its position for the Winter in the Vicinity of this place1 you will repair hithe[r] as expeditiously as possible to take charge of and issue the Cloathing which has been stopped here—The four Massachusetts Brigades at West point and the New Hampshire Brigade at Danbury, having recd their proportion of the Cloathing at Newberg you are to apply to the Quarter Master for the means of transporting the remainder to this place for the troops who have not been served—let the Blankets be among the first goods sent off—except two hundred which are to be delivered to Doctor McKnight at Fishkill for the use of the Hospitals upon the North River2—There are a parcel of shoemakers and Taylors tools in the store—You will leave a proportion for the troops above, and bring the remainder forward.
You will undoubtedly take measures for having a proportion of shoes and what continental Cloathing may hereafter come in, deliverd to the Cloathiers of Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and the Artillery remaining at West point, and Dragoons in Connecticut.
Your presence here being absolutely necessary you will be pleased to come on yourself and leave the management of the removal to your Assistant.3 I am sir Yr most obt.
Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. For the winter encampment at Jockey Hollow near Morristown, see GW to Nathanael Greene, 30 Nov., and n.2 to that document.
2. GW wrote Charles McKnight, Jr., from Morristown on this date: “I have directed the clothier General to deliver 200 blankets to your order. You will be pleased to take proper measures to have 80 sent up to Director of the hospital at Albany and to see the remainder distributed proportionably among the hospitals under your particular charge. As this article is so scarce you will use the utmost œconomy in the application” (Df, in James McHenry’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW).
3. Delays in forwarding clothes to the winter encampment caused great distress (see GW to Wilkinson, 19 Dec.).