91General Orders, 22 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
Varick transcript , DLC:GW .
92From George Washington to John Hancock, 22 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
I do myself the Honor to transmit Congress, a Copy of a Letter I received yesterday Evening by Express from Genl Livingston—Also Copies of three Reports from Colo. Hand. Though the Intelligence reported by the Spy on his return to Genl Livingston, has not been confirmed by the Event he mentions, an Attack last night, there is every reason to beleive that One is shortly designed. The falling...
93To George Washington from John Hancock, 22 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
Congress not having Come to a full Determination upon the Subject of your Letter by the Express, he is still Detain’d, I shall so soon as the Resolutions are perfected Dispatch him with them —Your favr of 20th I have rec’d, & is before Congress with its Inclosures. I have now only to Inclose you several Resolves pass’d yesterday in Congress, to which beg Leave to Refer you. I have the honour...
94From George Washington to Major General William Heath, 22 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
As the Enemy must pass this place before they can attempt the Posts above, and as your Troops there, are new augmented, I would have you pick out a body of about Eight hundred or a thousand light active men, and good Marksmen (Including the light Infantry and Riflemen) ready to move this way upon the appearance of the Shipping coming up, or upon the commencement of the Canonade of any of our...
95To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 22 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
I have the Honor this moment to receive yours of the last Evening Inclosing Copy of a Letter from Genl Livingston. I can Assure your Excellency that every thing in my Power shall be Done to be in Readiness, either to receive the Enemy here or to afford you Aid, Fort Washington is in Good order, but our works here are not yet Compleated, and we are as yet Entirely without any Cannon...
96To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 22 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
I have the honor this moment to receive your Orders for augmenting the Detachment designed for your Aid—Genl Mifflin, Clinton & myself an Hour or Two Ago had determined upon the same Plan, and think our Selves happy in having the same order’d by your Excellency—The Detachment shall be got ready with all Expedition, & Officer’d with the best Officers which we have, Genl Mifflin will command...
97To 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...
98To George Washington from Major General Artemas Ward, 22 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
Your Excellency’s letter of the thirteenth Instant came to hand last Evening; and agreeable to your Directions I shall order Capt. Burbeck with his Company of Artillery, and the Company of Artificers, to march as soon as possible for Norwich and from thence to go by water to Norwalk, and New york. I am Your Excellency’s most Obedient Humble Servant Postscript: Major Wadsworth, was appointed...
99To George Washington from Abraham Yates, Jr., 22 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
The Convention of this State have received Information from one of the Deputies of the City and County of New York, of a Report Prevailing amongst the Army, “that if the fortune of War should oblige our Troops to abandon that City, it should be immediately burnt by the retreating Soldiery, and that any Man is authorized to set it on fire.” The Convention will chearfully submit to the fatal...
100General Orders, 23 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
The Commissary General is directed to have five days Bread baked, and ready to be delivered: If the Commissary should apply to the commanding officers of regiments, for any Bakers, they are to furnish them without waiting for a special order. The General was sorry yesterday to find, that when some troops were ordered to march, they had no provisions, notwithstanding the Orders that have been...
101From George Washington to John Hancock, 23 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
I beg leave to inform Congress that Yesterday morning & in the course of the preceeding night, a considerable body of the Enemy amounting by report to Eight or Nine thousand, and these all British, landed from the Transport Ships mentioned in my Last at Gravesend Bay on Long Island, and have approached within three miles of our Lines, having marched across the Low, cleared Grounds, near the...
102From George Washington to Major General William Heath, 23 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
Yesterday Morning the Enemy landed at Gravesend Bay upon Long Island, from the best Information I can obtain, to the Number of about Eight Thousand. Colo. Hand retreated before them, burning as he came along, several parcels of Wheat, and such other Matters as he judged would fall into the Enemy’s Hands. Our first Accounts were, that they intended, by a forced March, to surprize Genl...
103To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 23 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
I am so unhappy as not to receive your Letter Untill this moment, having been all this forenoon with the Engineers viewing the Ground & laying out the works, But upon Sight of your Letter I have ordered the Detachment Here to Parade and march for Mount Washington as Soon as Possable, And the Detachment at that place which Consists of near Eight Hundred to march forward agreable to your...
104From George Washington to the New York Convention, 23 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
I am favoured with yours of the 22d acquainting me with a Report now circulating “that if the American Army should be obliged to retreat from this City, any Individual may set it on fire.” I can assure you Gentlemen, this Report is not founded upon the least Authority from me. On the contrary I am so sensible of the Value of such a City and the Consequences of its Destruction to many worthy...
105To George Washington from Major General John Sullivan, 23 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
This Afternoon the Enemy formed & attempted to pass the Road by Bedford a smart fire between them and the Rifle Men ensued, the Officer sent off for a Reinforcement which I ordered down Immediately, a number of Musketry came up to the Assistance of the Rifle Men whose fire with that of our field peices caused a Retreat of the Enemy our Men followed them to the House of Judge Lefferds, where a...
106General Orders, 24 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
All the intrenching tools are to be collected, and delivered in to the store. Officers who have given receipts will be called upon, as they are answerable for them if there should be any deficiency. The General has appointed William Grayson Esqr. one of his Aide-du-Camps; he is to be obeyed and respected accordingly. In Case of action, any orders delivered by Col. Moylan Quarter Master...
107From George Washington to John Hancock, 24 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
The irregularity of the Post prevents your receiving the early and constant Intelligence it is my Wish to communicate. This is the third Letter which you will, probably, receive from me by the same Post. The first was of little or no consequence, but that of yesterday gave you the best Information I had been able to obtain of the Enemy’s Landing, and movements upon Long Island. Having occasion...
108To George Washington from John Hancock, 24 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
The late Conduct of Lord Drummond is as extraordinary, as his Motives are dark and mysterious. To judge the most favourably of his Intentions, it should seem, that an overweening Vanity has betrayed him into a criminal Breach of Honour. But whether his Views were upright, or intended only to mislead and deceive, cannot at present be a Matter of any Importance. In the mean Time, I have the...
109To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 24 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
In Order to Ease Head Quarters as much as Possible, And on Account of our Distance from thence, General or Garrison Court Martials have been Appointed at this Post for the Tryal of Offenders, Brigadier General Mifflen has Sent me the Inclosed this Day, But I pause Untill I Know your Excellency’s Pleasure (which I Desire you would be pleased to Signify as Soon as Convenient) whether the before...
110From George Washington to Major General Philip Schuyler, 24 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
I received Your Favor of the 18th with its several Inclosures on Thursday by Mr Allen. My Letter of the 13th does not, nor was It meant to contain the most distant Hint of Your Entertaining Doubts or Suspicions of my Not having communicated to Congress, such Parts of your Letters as were Material. It was only designed to answer Yours, where You say, since my Arrival here, You had not written...
111From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 24 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
On thursday last the Enemy landed a body of Troops supposed to amount, from the best accounts I have been able to obtain, to eight or nine thousand men at Gravesend Bay on Long Island, ten miles distant from our works on the Island, and immediately marched through the level and open lands to Flat-Bush where they are now incamped. They are distant about three miles from our Lines, and have...
112General Orders, 25 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
A special Court Martial to sit this day at twelve OClock, at Mrs Montagnies for the tryal of Lieut: Col. Zedwitz, charged with “carrying on a treasonable correspondence with the enemy”; to be composed of a Brigadier General and twelve Field Officers—General Wadsworth to preside. The General Order against working on Sunday is revoked the time not admitting of any delay. The same number of...
113Orders to Major General Israel Putnam, 25 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
It was with no small degree of concern I percieved yesterday a scattering, unmeaning & wasteful fire, from our people at the enemy, a kind of fire that tended to disgrace our own men as soldiers, and to render our defence contemptible in the eyes of the enemy; no one good consequence can attend such irregularities, but several bad ones will inevitably follow on it; Had it not been for this...
114General Orders, 26 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
Six hundred men properly officered, from General Wolcot’s Brigade, to parade to morrow morning, at six o’clock, on the Grand Parade, without arms for fatigue: Four hundred to take directions from General McDougall, and two hundred from Lieutt Fish; and the same number to be continued ’till the works are completed; to leave work at young flood, and go on again at the ebb. The General is very...
115To George Washington from Timothy Edwards, 26 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
Upon my return home from the treaty at the German-Flatts, the 17 Inst., I communicated the contents of your letters, of the 7th & 10 Inst., to the Indians of this place, then at hand—On the 23 Inst:, being generally collected from their various dispersions, they resolved to join the army under Major Genl Schuyler—The main body of them propose to march tomorrow—As some are yet at their hunting...
116From George Washington to John Hancock, 26 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
I have been duly honoured with your favors of the 20th & 24th and am happy to find my Answer to Ld Drummond has met the approbation of Congress. whatever his views were, most certainly his conduct respecting his parole is highly reprehensible. Since my Letter of the 24th, All most the whole of the Enemies fleet have fallen down to the Narrows, and from this circumstance—the Striking of their...
117From George Washington to Major General William Heath, 26 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
I have now before me your letters of the 23rd & 24th of this Inst.; with respect to the detachment I directed on the 23rd, I concieve it to be highly expedient that they be kept in the most perfect readiness to act as the circumstances of affairs may render necessary; the present appearance of things seems to indicate an intention in the enemy to make their capital impression on the side of...
118To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 26 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
I have just had the Honor to receive your’s of this day’s Date, & shall continue in the most perfect readiness, the Detachment designed for your Aid if Occasion should require it—I will further confer with the Brigadier Generals & Engineers, on the Probability of the Fire Rafts answering the Purpose of a floating Bridge, It is my own, as well as Genl Clinton’s Opinion that they will, and it...
119To George Washington from Major General Philip Schuyler, 26 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
I am honored with your Excellency’s Favor of the 21st Instant inclosing Colo: Stark’s Letter to General Gates. On the 16th Instant I wrote to Congress, desiring that the Money to be allowed for Rations in this Department might be determined—That I had refused to do it until ordered by your Excellency or by Congress, and gave my Reasons for it —I have not yet been honored with their Answer—I...
120From George Washington to Major General Artemas Ward, 26 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
I am now to Acknowledge the Recpt of yours of the 15th and 19th Instant and am much obliged for your care and dispatch in forwarding the Two Sea Morters which I wish may come safe to hand, The number and Strength of the Enemy and the many different posts we have to occupy together with the late Manœvre’s of General Howe render it utterly impossible for me to relieve you by sending a General...