From George Washington to Jonathan Sturges, 16 May 1776
To Jonathan Sturges
New York May 16th 1776
Sir
Your favour of the 14th with an1 Acct of the apprehending of Sundry Tories by order of your Committe & the takeing of others by Capt. Harden is now before me.2 Your Zeal & activity upon this occasion is truly commendable and with great pleasure I will lend any aid in my power, that shall be thought within the line of my department, to root out or Secure such abominable pests of Society, but as you have neither pointed out the names or places of abode of the persons alluded to, by your Informants, on Long Island, I must beg the favour of a more explicit description from you; and in the mean while, will set on foot a proper enquiry into this mater of some Gentlemen here, acquainted with the Island, & concert some Plan for defeating the designs which you think are in agitation.3 I shall add no more at present than that I am Sir Yr Most Obed. Humle Sert
G.W.
LB, in Caleb Gibbs’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. Gibbs addressed the letter-book copy “to Jonth. Sturges Esqr.,” and Tench Tilghman later added the erroneous title, “Chairman of the Committee of Suffolk,” referring to Suffolk County on Long Island. Sturges was chairman of the Fairfield, Conn., committee of inspection.
1. Gibbs inadvertently wrote “and” in the manuscript.
3. GW referred the Fairfield committee’s letter to the New York provincial congress. See GW’s second set of orders to Israel Putnam, 21 May 1776, n.2.