From George Washington to George Clinton, 5 April 1780
To George Clinton
⟨Head Quarters Morris Town 5th April 1780.⟩
Dear Sir
I have lately ⟨been concerting measures⟩ with Governor Livingst⟨on for the arrangement⟩ and disposition of the Mili⟨tia of this State,1 in⟩ case the enemy, thinking to ⟨take advantage⟩ of the reduction of our num⟨bers by the expirations⟩ of the times of service of ⟨our troops and from⟩ other causes, should move ⟨out against us—⟩Should such an event take p⟨lace, I would wish⟩ that the commanding Offic⟨ers of the Militia⟩ of the County of Orange, in ⟨your state had⟩ orders to assemble at Clarks Town ⟨and Kakeate⟩ to watch the motions of the Enemy⟨’s Right⟩ and to give them all possible annoy⟨ance—⟩I make no doubt but General Howe ⟨has already⟩ concerted a plan with your Excellency fo⟨r assem⟩bling the Militia of the upper part ⟨of the⟩ State at the shortest notice, should the ⟨Enemy⟩ operate suddenly against the posts in the ⟨High⟩lands2—Another embarkation is certainly preparing at New York, supposed to be a reinforcement ⟨for General Clinton3—but as a measure of this⟩ kind will more than probable ⟨occasion a fu⟩rther detachment from this ⟨Army,4 the⟩ force remaining in New York ⟨will be⟩ proportionably stronger than ours⟨—Our la⟩test accounts from Charlestown are ⟨of the 4⟩th March, tho’ it seems from a pub⟨lication⟩ in Rivingtons paper that the Enemy ⟨had made⟩ no material progress upon the ⟨11th—at⟩ which time Genl Robertson left ⟨south⟩ Carolina.5
I was duly honored with your Excellen⟨cy’⟩s favors of the 21st Feby and 10th March.6 I have the honor to be with very great Esteem Yr Excellency’s Most obt and humble Servt
Go: Washington
LS (partially burned), in Tench Tilghman’s writing, N-Ar: Papers of George Clinton; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. Burned portions of the LS are supplied in angle brackets from the draft manuscript, which is in the writing of GW’s aide-de-camp Tench Tilghman.
1. GW likely discussed militia matters in person with New Jersey governor William Livingston, who was then in Morristown.
2. Clinton replied to GW from Poughkeepsie, N.Y., on 18 April: “Previous to the receipt of your Excellency’s Letter of the 5th Instant I had the honor of conferring with Genl Howe on the Measures necessary to be taken for drawing forth the Militia to his Assistance in case of a sudden Attempt against the Posts in the Highlands and orders were issued to them—agreable to the Plan agreed on. The Militia of Orange County were, on the Signals of alarm being given, to have repaired to West Point; But I have now agreable to your Excellency’s Request directed them, in case of any capital movement of the Enemy into New Jersey, to rendezvous at Clark’s Town and Kakiate and govern themselves agreable to the Directions contained in your Excellency’s Letter” (LS, DLC:GW; ADf (partially burned), N-Ar: Papers of George Clinton). For earlier correspondence on militia deployment involving Clinton and Maj. Gen. Robert Howe, see Howe to Clinton, 15 March, and Clinton to Howe, 24 March, in , 5:541–43, 553–54; see also Howe to GW, 25 March, and n.3 to that document.
3. For intelligence on this embarkation, see Howe to GW, 20 March, and Johann Kalb’s second letter to GW, 29 March, found at Kalb’s first letter to GW, same date, source note.
4. GW had decided to send reinforcements southward and waited only for congressional confirmation of his action (see councils of war, 27 March and 1 April; GW to Samuel Huntington, 2 April; and Huntington to GW, 6 April, and n.2 to that document).
5. GW is referring to an item that appeared in James Rivington’s Royal Gazette (New York) for 22 March (see GW to Huntington, 28 March, n.5).
6. Clinton’s earlier letter to GW reported legislative measures to supply provisions to the army in response to GW’s circular to the states dated 16 Dec. 1779.