From George Washington to Colonel Thomas Tash, 13 October 1776
To Colonel Thomas Tash
Head Quarters 13th Octo. 1776
Sir
Since I wrote you by Lt Colo. Welch upon the Subject of fixing on Quarters for your Troops,1 I have received from the Committee of Safety for this State such an Account of its alarming Situation owing to the numbers of disaffected, together with the little Confidence that can be placed on the Militia of some of the Counties,2 that I find it necessary to order a part of the New Hampshire Troops to their Assistance, and do therefore direct you to march your Regiment with all possible dispatch to Fish Kills, where you will receive further directions from the Committee—I think it will be proper to send an Officer forward to give the Committee notice of your coming, that they may Assign you the places where it will be most suitable to post your Men.3 I am sir Your most Obed. Servt
G.W.
⟨P.⟩S. do not delay ⟨y⟩our march a moment, nor the sending an Officer ⟨to⟩ the Convention of this State now setting at The Fish Kills.4
LB, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. This letter has not been found. Joseph Welch (Welsh; 1734–1829) of Plaistow, N.H., served as a member of the New Hampshire provincial congress during 1775, and he was named one of the colony’s two paymasters for its Continental troops in June of that year. The following August Welch became major of Col. Josiah Bartlett’s militia regiment, and on 17 Sept. 1776 he was appointed lieutenant colonel of Colonel Tash’s regiment of reinforcements. During the fall of 1777 Welch commanded a regiment of New Hampshire volunteers who reinforced the northern army at Saratoga.
3. Tench Tilghman informed William Duer on this date of GW’s orders to Tash (NHi: Duer Papers), and Robert Hanson Harrison conveyed the same information in his letter to Duer of 14 Oct. (NN: Emmet Collection). Duer replied to Tilghman on 14 Oct. that Tash’s regiment “will be of great service to prevent at least a Revolt, though It will not be strength enough to occupy the Passes through the Highlands” (NHi: Duer Papers).
4. Tash’s regiment marched from Greenwich, Conn., on the morning of 14 Oct. (see Tilghman to Duer, 15 Oct., NHi: Duer Papers). Five or six companies arrived at Fishkill by 16 Oct., only to be sent back to the “South Entrance of the Highlands” (Duer to Tilghman, 16 Oct., NHi: Duer Papers).