1To George Washington from Richard Peters, 20 July 1776 (Washington Papers)
I have it in Direction from the Board of War to request your Excellency would give them your Advice on the enclosed Application from Mr William Goddard whom as well as every Person qualified to fill the several Stations in the Army they would wish to provide for consistent with Regularity & the Good of the Service. You will percieve that Mr Goddard applies for a Lieut. Colonelcy which depends...
2To George Washington from Richard Peters, 22 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
I have put under the Care of the Bearer’s, Part of the Philadelphia Light Horse, five hundred thousand Dollars to be sent to Ticonderoga for the Use of the Northern Army. As it might save Expence & be more expeditious, I have desired the Gentlemen, to call at Head Quarters & take your Excellency’s Opinion & Directions as to the Propriety of sending the Money by Water; the River being now...
3To George Washington from Richard Peters, 12 September 1776 (Washington Papers)
By Direction of Congress to the Board of War I have procured two of the Philadelphia Light Horse to conduct the Generals Prescott & Macdonald to your Excellency to be exchanged agreeable to the Resolve of Congress for the Generals Sullivan & Lord Sterling. I have directed the Gentlemen of the Escorts to stop short at some safe Place on the Road & send off an Express to your Excellency for your...
4To George Washington from Richard Peters, 16 September 1776 (Washington Papers)
The Board of War have directed me to lay the foregoing Memorial of the Second Lieutenants of the Virginia Regiments before your Excellency for your Opinion & Advice thereon which the Board request you will communicate to them as soon as convenient. I have the Honor to be Your most obedt humble Servt ALS , DLC:GW . Congress read this undated and unsigned petition from the second lieutenants of...
5To George Washington from Richard Peters, 15 October 1776 (Washington Papers)
The Board of War have endeavoured to form an exact Acct of Ordinance Stores, in the several Departments, as well as of those in the Magazine under their immediate Notice here, But from the Want of accurate Returns they have not yet been enabled to accomplish their Design. If these Returns were made monthly the Board would be enabled in some degree to anticipate the Wants of Amunition in the...
6To George Washington from Richard Peters, 24 October 1776 (Washington Papers)
The Board of War have directed me to enclose you the Plan they intended to present to Congress for preventing Abuses in Regiments or Companies recieving more Rations than they are entitled to; an Evil which has been complained of perhaps with too much Foundation. It frequently happens that sick Soldiers are either left behind at Posts or Places thro’ which their Regiments or Companies are...
7To George Washington from Richard Peters, 24 October 1776 (Washington Papers)
By Order of the Board of War I have the Honour to inform your Excellency that the Congress have this Day given them direction to order the two Virginia Regiments now at Chester, immediately to Trentown, there to wait your Excellencys Commands; and at the same time to acquaint you of the Situation of the People of this State, that having as comprehensive a View of the State of Affairs as...
8To George Washington from Richard Peters, 19 November 1776 (Washington Papers)
I am directed by the Board of War to inform your Excellency that they have given Orders for the immediate Collection of all the Prisoners in New Jersey, Pennsilvania—and those in the more Southren States. They are to be sent to Fort Lee agreeable to your Excellencies Desire, but a considerable Time will elapse before the Whole can possibly arrive. There are a great Number in Virginia whose...
9To George Washington from Richard Peters, 23 November 1776 (Washington Papers)
I am directed by the Board of War to acquaint your Excellency that agreeable to your Request Directions were given to those who had the Charge of Prisoners immediately to march them in Companies to Fort Lee. But having received Information that that Post has been evacuated they have countermanded the Orders & directed that they be sent to Brunswick of which I beg Leave to advise your...
10To George Washington from Richard Peters, 28 November 1776 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from Richard Peters, 28 Nov. 1776. In his letter to Peters of 4 Dec. , GW acknowledged receiving “Yours of the 28th last Month.”
11To George Washington from Richard Peters, 6 February 1777 (Washington Papers)
The Board of War had deliver’d to them a sett of recruiting Instructions given by your Excellency to Colonel Hartley, in which they perceive an Oversight, whereof they have directed me to inform you, that the mistake may proceed no further. There is no distinction held up to the Recruits, between those who inlist for three years, and those who engage during the War. In the hurry in which your...
12To George Washington from Richard Peters, 21 February 1777 (Washington Papers)
I am directed by the Board of War to inform you that it is the Opinion of Congress that the Men of the Corps of Virginia Light Horse under the Command of Major Bland receive the usual Bounty on their reinlisting for three Years or during the War into the Continental Service. General Ward having declined the Command of the Eastern Department I have it in Direction to enclose a Copy of his...
13To George Washington from Richard Peters, 29 April 1777 (Washington Papers)
I do myself the Honour of acknowledging the Receipt of yours of the 17th instant to the Board enclosing a List of Officers appointed in the new Levies by your Excellency. I send you a Number of Returns of Stores in the Commissary Generals Departments of Provisions & Military Stores. Neither of these are accurate. I am certain the Military Stores are not exactly ascertained & I most ardently...
14To George Washington from Richard Peters, 7 May 1777 (Washington Papers)
I do myself the Honour of transmitting you the enclosed Papers by Order of the Board by whom I am directed to inform you that all the Military Stores Arms &c. in Possession of the Continental Agents at Boston, Portsmouth, & Providence are ordered to Springfield in Connecticut [Massachusetts] as a Place of greater Security where they are to be subject to your Excellency’s Directions. The Agents...
15To George Washington from Richard Peters, 11 May 1777 (Washington Papers)
By Order of the Board I have the Honour of enclosing the Resolution of Congress herewith sent. I have written to Governor Livingstone & General Putnam & as soon as their Answers are recieved they will be communicated to your Excellency. Congress are desirous to be informed what Number of Men are now under your Excellency’s Command in New Jersey as nearly as Certainty can be arrived at in the...
16To George Washington from Richard Peters, 20 May 1777 (Washington Papers)
I do myself the Honour of enclosing all the Resolves of Congress I know of relative to the recruiting Allowance. Much Complaint has been made as to its Sufficiency for the Support of both Officers & Soldiers. It was at the Time the Resolves were passed perhaps equal to the Expence incurred by recruiting Officers. At these Times when all the Necessaries of Life are so enormously advanced the...
17To George Washington from Richard Peters, 30 May 1777 (Washington Papers)
By Order of the Board I do myself the Honour of troubling your Excellency for Information on the Subject of our Prisoners who are with the Enemy. I am directed to enquire whether a Commissary has been sent in to supply them or in what Situation that Business now is & what Steps have been taken which have fallen within your Observation for the Relief of their Wants. The Board are desirous of...
18To George Washington from Richard Peters, 16 June 1777 (Washington Papers)
Immediately on my Arrival I attended to the several Things mentioned by your Excellency. Two hundred Spears are sent on by General Mifflin. I have ordered three hundred more to be made but the Workmen are going out with the Militia & complain of the Want of seasoned Stuff for the Shafts. They will I hope however be shortly completed. Should you choose any Alteration from those sent the...
19To George Washington from Richard Peters, 19–23 June 1777 (Washington Papers)
I have endeavoured by Direction of the Board of War repeatedly to procure exact Accounts of the Reciept & Distribution of Military Stores Arms &c. recieved by the several Agents into their Custody on Continental Acct. but have not yet been able to do it with any Degree of Precision. I intend however to persevere & when I have recieved Satisfaction on this Head shall transmitt to your...
20To George Washington from Richard Peters, 28 June 1777 (Washington Papers)
By Order of the Board I enclose you a Letter from Monsr De Coudray which is submitted to your Consideration. The Board are of Opinion that the whole of the Artillery imported in the Amphitrite should be together, with the Grand Army, & the Officers who came from France should accompany the Cannon that they may give the necessary Directions concerning them. But as your Excellency is the most...
21To George Washington from Richard Peters, 8 July 1777 (Washington Papers)
The Generals & Officers in the Northern Department complain heavily of a great Want of Arms & Cloathing for the Troops under their Command. The Field Officers of the New Hampshire Regiments have represented the Matter in the strongest Terms, & yet the greatest Quantities of both Arms & Clothes have arrived in their State. Mr Langdon, the Agent for the States at Portsmouth, gives himself credit...
22To George Washington from Richard Peters, 10 July 1777 (Washington Papers)
Col. D’Armand of the Corps late Ottendorff’s has applied to the Board for forty Musketts & ten Rifles to supply the like Number lost by the Soldiers. The Bo⟨ard thought it⟩ wrong to comply with this requisition on the Application being made to them in the first Instance without passing under your Excellency’s Notice who must be the best acquainted with the Propriety & Necessity of the...
23To George Washington from Richard Peters, 15 July 1777 (Washington Papers)
I have the Honour of your Letter of the 12th instant which I have communicated to the Board. General Sullivan has written concerning an Hudson Burr condemned at Sourland by a Court Martial as a Spy but says your Excellcy would not ratify the Proceedings desiring that the Man might be sent to Philada where he is now under Confinement, that the Board might discharge him if they knew Nothing...
24To George Washington from Richard Peters, 16 July 1777 (Washington Papers)
War Office, Philadelphia, 16 July 1777 . “The Bearer Mr Dupré is a very ingenious Armourer & was appointed by the State of North Carolina in that Capacity to the North Carolina Brigade & has employed several Assistants under him, who are also attached to the Brigade. But as there is no Continental Establishment for Persons in his way, the Board have given it in direction to me, to mention the...
25To George Washington from Richard Peters, 23 July 1777 (Washington Papers)
As no precise Account had ever been transmitted of the Strength & Situation of the Division under General Putnam I had it in Direction to write to him for Returns of the Numbers of Men, & the Situation of their Arms & Clothing, their Supplies & their Wants. I have the Honour of enclosing the Answer I received which is by no Means satisfactory to the Board who expected General Putnam would have...
26To George Washington from Richard Peters, 26 July 1777 (Washington Papers)
I was directed by the Board of War to send 200,000 Dollars for the Use of the Northern Department, but as the State of the Country is not certainly known it is thought safest to direct Robert Dunwiddie, who accompanies it to call on your Excellency for Advice & if necessary Assistance. The Money is guarded by a Party under the Comand of Lieut. who it is supposed cannot proceed to Albany &...
27To George Washington from Richard Peters, 3 August 1777 (Washington Papers)
The Officers of Regiments & Companies are separately & constantly applying for Arms & Necessaries. A few have produced the Ajut Generals Signature to their Returns of Deficiencies. The Demands are so great that there are not a sufficient Number in the Store to supply them. Each is anxious to get the whole of his Demand & let others shift as well as they can. There should be some Plan fallen...
28To George Washington from Richard Peters, 5 August 1777 (Washington Papers)
The Board have given Orders to the Commissary General to make a Return to your Excellency of every Thing in his Department as they have put all Arms Acoutrements & military Stores under your immediate Direction. All Arms repaired are under the Care of Col. Flower, but Orders for the Reparation of Arms must issue to Mr Thomas Butler—Chief Armourer, who has also Directions to put himself & his...
29To George Washington from Richard Peters, 6 August 1777 (Washington Papers)
The Board have employed the Bearer Mr James White to furnish a temporary Supply of Vinegar, Beer & Vegetables to the Army while they stay in their present Situation. As this Gentleman is not in the Commissary’s Department there will be some clashing unless your Excellency puts the Matter upon its proper Footing. Mr White will want Authority to get Waggons to hall the Articles he supplies & he...
30To George Washington from Richard Peters, 9 August 1777 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from Richard Peters, 9 Aug. 1777. On that date GW’s aide-de-camp Richard Kidder Meade wrote to Peters from GW’s headquarters: “I have it in Command from his Excellency to acknowledge his reciept of your letter of this date His Excellency is sensible that the abuse which has come under the Notice of the Board of War is but too prevalent. Repeated orders have been issued to...