From George Washington to Brigadier General Anthony Wayne, 15 October 1779
To Brigadier General Anthony Wayne
Head Quarters West Point Octor 15th 1779
Dr Sir,
I received last night your favor of the 14th and am glad to find you have got so good and secure a position.
The Carolina Troops have returned and Major Murfree will resume his command in the Infantry.1 This circumstance makes it unnecessary for Lt Colo. Vose or any other Field Officer to be sent down.
I will give orders for the Artificers and Tools you mention—& for a conductor and Ammunition Waggon.2 I have received no farther advices as yet of Count D’Estaing or with respect to his Southern operations, and am anxiously waiting for them. I am Dr Sr With great regard & esteem Yr Most Obet servt
Go: Washington
LS, in Richard Kidder Meade’s writing, PHi: Wayne Papers; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. GW signed the cover of the LS.
1. GW had recently countermanded his marching orders for the North Carolina brigade (see GW to Thomas Clark, 1 and 3 Oct.).
2. In a letter of this date written at West Point, N.Y., to Brig. Gen. Henry Knox, GW’s secretary Robert Hanson Harrison quoted Wayne’s 14 Oct. request to GW for artificers, a conductor, and an ammunition wagon. Harrison then wrote: “His Excelly requests that you will supply Genl Wayne with these as far as they respect your department—and such as are to be furnished by any other—you will be pleased to note—that He may be ordered them” (DLC:GW).
In a letter to Q.M. Gen. Nathanael Greene, dated 16 Oct. at headquarters, GW’s aide-de-camp Tench Tilghman, after quoting the paragraph of Wayne’s letter to GW of 14 Oct. requesting artificers, a conductor, and an ammunition wagon, wrote: “General Knox will appoint the Conductor and has furnished an Ammunition Waggon and travelling Forge with proper tools, the Corps is to provide its own Armourers. If it is customary for you to appoint Artificers to attend the several Corps, His Excellency desires you to detach the usual number and of the kind which General Wayne mentions, to attend the Light Infantry” (PPAmP).