To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 17 April 1778
From Henry Laurens
York Town [Pa.] 17th April 1778
Sir
I had the honor of addressing Your Excellency the 14th by Barry.
I am now to present & refer Your Excellency to two Acts of Congress which will accompany this.
1. of the 14th for empowering the Commissary of purchases to appoint & remove subordinate Officers & for divers establishments & regulations in that department.1
2. of the 15th for appointing the Honorable Major General Gates to the Command of the whole Northern department of the Army & for maintaining the possession of Hudson’s River.2 I have the honor to be With the highest Esteem & Respect Sir Your Excellency’s Most obedient & Most humble servant
Henry Laurens, President of Congress.
ALS, DLC:GW; LB, DNA:PCC, item 13. A notation on the letter-book copy indicates that the letter was carried “by [Patrick] McClosky.”
1. The enclosed copy of this resolution is in DLC:GW; see also , 10:345–48, which includes two regulations not in the copy transmitted to GW.
2. The resolution of 15 April ordering Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates to take command at Fishkill, N.Y., also empowered him “to provide such a number of gallies, gun boats, fire rafts, chains, cassoons & chevaux de frize, and erect such fortifications as he may judge necessary . . . and also to carry on operations against the enemy, if any favourable occasion should offer”; authorized him to call for militia from New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island, if the British left that state; and directed him “to afford every assistance in his power, in forwarding the draughts and other reinforcements destined for the main army” (DLC:GW; see also , 10:354–55).