From George Washington to Brigadier General William Smallwood, 18 July 1777
To Brigadier General William Smallwood
Head Quarters Camp at Clove [N.Y.] July 18th 1777
Sir,
A long time since, you wrote to me, asking my directions whether you should come on to join the army, with second division1 of the troops of your state; or should stay behind to forward the remaining recruits—in answer to which I recommended to you to2 accompany the second division.3 I expected ere this to have had the pleasure of seeing you at Camp, and I am intirely at a loss to conceive what can have been the cause of your detention to so late a period. Your presence at the head of your brigade in this interesting season cannot be dispensed with, and I therefore request, that if you should not be on your way before, you will immediately on the receipt of this hasten to the army with all the dispatch you possibly can make. I am Sir Your most Obedient servant
Go: Washington
DfS, in Alexander Hamilton’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. In revising the draft Hamilton inadvertently struck the words “the first or.”
2. The remainder of this sentence was inserted above the line to replace the following text: “defer your coming till the marching off of the second division and to accompany that.”
3. For the correspondence that GW is referring to, see Smallwood to GW, 24 April, and GW to Smallwood, 3 May 1777.