1. Maj. Caleb Gibbs, who commanded GW’s guards, wrote the firm of Chaloner and White, assistant commissaries for purchases at Philadelphia, from Morristown on Saturday, 15 April: “On monday next the Min⟨ister⟩ of France sets off for this place and I ha⟨ve⟩ to Request You would be so kind as to forw⟨ard⟩ with all possible dispatch th⟨e s⟩everal Articles I wrote for some time since the receipt of your last, for the use of His Excellency’s family—Particularly the Article of Beer (which we use a great deal of) Loaf sugar, currants Cranberries &c. & in fact we are very scanty in almost every thing that I wrote for at that time.

“Let me intreat you Gentlemen if it is a thing possible, to forward the things on that they may arrive by the time or soon after the arrival of the Minister which will be on Wednesday next.

“I rest assured that every thing will be done in your power” (PHi: Chaloner and White Collection; GW signed the cover of this letter). For earlier correspondence related to provisions for GW’s military secretaries and aides-de-camp, see General Orders, 18 Feb., source note. French minister La Luzerne arrived at GW’s headquarters in Morristown by Thursday, 20 April (see GW to Jedediah Huntington, that date, and the source note to that document; see also the postscript to Steuben to GW, 28 March, and n.7).

2. Steuben previously wrote GW on 6 April. He again wrote GW from Philadelphia on Wednesday, 12 April: “It affords me a peculiar pleasure to inform you that my endeavours are like to succeed in the manner I could wish—the Committee will be named this day & will have such power & such instructions as will give satisfaction to your Excellency and the Army in general.

“The Minister is fixed for Monday to leave this place he will stay that night at Trenton the next at somerset & is as to arrive at Hd Quarters Wednesday morning” (LS, DLC:GW). For the “Committee at Headquarters,” see GW to Samuel Huntington, 3 April, source note.