From George Washington to Major General Philip Schuyler, 10 June 1776
To Major General Philip Schuyler
New York June 10th 1776.
Dear Sir
Mr Watts in behalf of Lady Johnson, applies for Leave to remove her from Albany to her Friends in this Part of the Country, I see no Impropriety in the Measure, but unacquainted with the Motives which may have govern’d You in this Matter, I do not Care to give an order for such Removal; but leave It to You to direct, with this Assurance, that I have not the least Objection to gratify in this particular the Wishes of Lady Johnson & her Friends,1 With Esteem & regard I am Dr Sir Your Most Obedt
Go: Washington
LB, NN: Schuyler Papers.
1. For Mary Watts Johnson’s removal from her home at Johnstown to Albany some days earlier, see Schuyler to GW, 26 May 1776 (first letter), n.4. Mrs. Johnson appealed directly to GW in her letter of 16 June for permission to join her friends in New York City, but GW continued to refuse to intervene in the matter, and the issue was finally referred to the New York provincial congress (see Schuyler to GW, 10, 15 June, and GW to Schuyler, 20–21 June 1776).
Robert Watts (1743–1814), a New York City Loyalist, was a brother of Mrs. Johnson and a son-in-law of Lord Stirling. Although his property was confiscated in 1779, Watts chose to remain in New York after the war rather than move to Canada.