From George Washington to Major General Benedict Arnold, 26 August 1780
To Major General Benedict Arnold
Head Quarters Bergen County [N.J.] 26th Augt 1780
Dear Sir
Our necessities will oblige us to draw down part of the Flour and Rum from West Point—The Commy General of Issues who is fully acquainted with our wants and expectations will be as sparing as possible of his draft upon your Magazine.
I have this moment recd yours of the 23d. I will take the Contents into consideration and give you an answer in my next.1 I am Dear Sir Yr most obt Servt
Go: Washington
LS, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
Arnold replied on 31 Aug., informing GW that he had ordered 550 barrels of flour to King’s Ferry, N.Y., but was sending no rum (DLC:GW).
1. GW wrote Arnold on 30 Aug. from headquarters in Bergen County: “I return you the proceedings of the Court Martial transmitted in yours of the 23d. The confirmation of the sentence and expediency of carrying it into execution lays with you as General Officer commanding in a separate State—You will also be better able to judge than I can, from being on the spot, of the necessity of making examples of these kind of people, who I am informed make a practice of coming out without Officers for the purpose of carrying off the Horses and Cattle of the inhabitants, and who cannot therefore plead the priviledges of prisoners of War. … I have recd the Plumbs for which I am exceedingly obliged” (LS, in Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. The final eleven words, written in a postscript, appear only on the LS).