To George Washington from Major General Nathanael Greene, 17 November 1779
From Major General Nathanael Greene
Widow Cones [N.Y] Nov. 17th 1779.
Sir
Your Excellencys letter of this morning over took me on this side of Kings ferry—but as it was late and the weather cold I could not give it an answer until I got to this place.1
I shall follow your Excellencys directions punctually in laying out the ground for hutting the Army, providing the make of the ground will admit of it. But it will be necessary in order to have your Excellencys instructions strictly complyed with, to have it in-serted in General orders, before the Troops move from their present encampments that who ever deviates from the mode shall be obliged to pull their huts down, which are built upon a different construction from the plan they are laid out. It would have a good effect if your Excellency was to send such an order to every division of the Troops before they come upon the ground where they are to hut: or, indeed before they take up their line of march for Winter quarters.2
Shoud Your Excellency find it necessary to change the route of the Pennsylvania and Maryland Troops by Junes Tavern, it will not interfere with any regulations I have made provided the officers commanding those divisions are notified, of the routes being changed.3
I shall want only a small party of about 50 or 100 men to lay out the Encampment; and therefore shall call on General Sullivan for only this number.4
As soon as I have fixt upon a proper piece of ground for hutting the Troops I shall notify your Excell⟨y⟩ of the place and the circumstances. But i⟨t⟩ is very difficult to find a piece of ground with all the requisites for hutting the Army to advantage. I expect therefore it will take me sometime to search the Country thoroughly; and afte⟨r⟩ all I despair of geting a position perfectly to my liking, or that will be entirely satisfacto⟨ry⟩ to your Excellency.5 I am with great respect Your Excellencys Most Obedient humble Sert
Nath. Greene
ADfS, DNA:PCC, item 173.
Before his departure from West Point for New Jersey to select a winter encampment location, Greene wrote Maj. Richard Claiborne on 16 Nov.: “You will remain with the Army to Receive and execute the Genls [GW’s] orders. As soon as the General notifys you of his intention to put the Troops in motion, you will immediately communicate the same to the Waggon Master General and direct him to call in the Teams. You will attend once a day at Headquarters to receive the Generals orders” ( 5:88).
1. “Widow Cones” may have been Greene’s misrendering of the “Coon” family home located about eight miles from King’s Ferry, N.Y., and roughly eighteen miles south of West Point ( 5:91).
2. GW complied with Greene’s request in the general orders for 19 November.
3. GW retained the original route of march for the Pennsylvania and Maryland troops (see GW to Greene, this date, n.7, and General Orders, 19 and 25 Nov.).
4. Having returned from Maj. Gen. John Sullivan’s expedition against the Six Nations, Lt. Rudolph Van Hoevenbergh, encamped at Pompton, N.J., wrote in a journal entry for this date: “Gen’l Green the Quarter Master Gen’l came to our Camp on his way to Lay the Hutting grounds and Col. Gansvort Reg’t was order’d to escort him” ( 283).
5. Finding a suitable winter encampment proved vexatious (see Greene to GW, 14 Nov., and n.1 to that document).