From George Washington to Major General Artemas Ward, 19 July 1776
To Major General Artemas Ward
Head Quarters N. York 19th July 1776.
Dear Sir.
In my Letter of the 7th Instant I mentioned the propriety of forwarding a quantity of Powder and lodging it between this and Boston. I am now more fully convinced of the Necessity of such a measure, and would wish You to forward with all convenient speed, five Hundred Barrels to be stored at Norwich in Connecticut ’till further Orders, In a post[s]cript to my Letter of the 9th Inst. I was of opinion it would be much easier for the troops bound from Boston to the Northward to proceed this way for the benefit of water Carriage, this being entirely cut of by the Ships up Hudsons River, you will speed their March by the nighest and most convenient Rout, The several Articles wrote for in my letter of yesterday you will please to forward to Norwich wt. Orders for them to be sent on by Water provided the Enemies Ships should not stop the Communication, in which case land Carriage must be procured.1 I am sir Your Most Hume servt
Go: Washington
P.S. In speaking of the troops marching to the Northward I have reference to the three Regiments bound to Ticonderoga, the other two I hope will be on their way for this place before this reaches You.
Since writing the within your Letter of the 15th Inst. came to hand. if the Three Regiments you mention have March’d they may proceed to this City, if not one of [them] will March for Ticonderoga, the Two remaining to follow2 to the last mentioned place—by Divisions—as fast as a field Officers proportion is well enough—as they will be much the properest (having had the small-Pox) for that Department. Yr &ca
Go: Washington
LS, in Samuel Blachley Webb’s writing, NjMoHP; LB, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. Samuel Blachley Webb wrote Ward on 18 July: “His Excellency General Washington haveing occasion to ride out early this morning, has dictated and ordered Me to acknowledge & answer your two Letters of the 11th Inst. which came safe to hand by yesterdays Post, he is not a little displeased at the Agents takeing the liberty of removeing or rather disposeing of the Cargoes of the prizes without your knowledge, and begs you immediately to forbid a thing of the kind again, he is surprized that out of upwards of 400 Prisoners only 73 Arms have been sent on, as he supposed every man must have his Arms with him, he begs your Attention in collecting from the Agents & others all the Arms that have been taken and forward them immediately to this place, where they are much wanted, inclosed is a List of articles he has taken from the Invoices and would have you send on as soon as may be, By express yesterday we learn of the arrival of the Northern Army at Crown point where those infected with the Small Pox will immediately be sent to a distant Hospital, that the Troops from your State bound that way need not be under any Apprehension of danger from that Disorder. The Enemy on Staten-Island remain as when I last wrote” (MHi: Ward Papers).
The enclosed list indicates that GW wished to receive: “From Ship George All the Fuzees, Small Arms & Bayonetts, Shoulder Straps, Gun Straps—Leather Bullet pouches, hair knapsacks, Canvass Knapsacks, Belts, Flints, Marquees, and Soldiers Tents, Common Tent Poles, Tin Canteens, Camp Kettles, Blankets, Watch Coats, Soldiers Cloathing, Stockings[,] Black Plumes—From Ship Anne All the Check’d & Striped Hollands, Check Shirts, Writing Paper, thread Stockings, Check Trowsers, Mens Shoes, Ticken Trowsers, Mens Hatts—From Ship Lord Howe All the Small Arms, Bayonetts, & Cartouch Boxes, Cast of[f] Canteens & Kettles—Soldiers Blanketts, Cutlasses, Canvass Knapsacks, Marquees—[From] Brig Annabella All the Small Arms, Shoes, Soldiers Tents, Sheet Lead[,] pack Saddles, Cartouch Boxes, Leather Bullet Pouches, Shoulder Straps, Gun Straps, Cutlasses, Bayonetts, Belts” (DLC:GW).
2. The LB reads: “if not one of them to March for Tyconderoga, the two remaining (Sick) to follow.”