From George Washington to Lieutenant Colonel Moses Rawlings, 30 January 1779
To Lieutenant Colonel Moses Rawlings
Head Quarters Philadelphia 30th Jany 1779.
Sir.
I transmit you a Copy of a Resolve of Congress authorising you to recruit the three remaining Companies of your Corps—to the full establishment1—You will therefore appoint an officer to repair immediately to Head Quarters, where he will2 be furnished with money for the purpose—If you have any fund which you could apply in the mean time to that service, it would be an advantage to enter on the business instantly.3
I have only to add that the bounty now allowed to soldiers who enlist for the War—is two hundred dollars—besides Clothing and Land as before4—and that I remain Sir Your most obedt Servant
Go: Washington
P.S. Let me know the precise number of Men you now have in the three Companies.
LS, in John Laurens’s writing, PPRF; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. The postscript of the LS is in GW’s writing. GW also franked the cover of the LS, which Laurens addressed: “To Colonel Rawlins—Fort-Frederick Maryland.”
1. The copy of this resolution of 23 Jan. that John Jay had enclosed in his letter to GW of that date is in DLC:GW. The copy enclosed in this letter to Rawlings has not been identified (see , 13:104).
2. At this place on the draft manuscript, Laurens wrote “that he may” rather than “where he will.”
3. At this place on the draft manuscript, Laurens first wrote “without delay.” He then struck out those words and wrote “instantly” above the line.
4. Congress’s act of 23 Jan. on this subject authorized GW to set the amount of the Continental bounty given to soldiers enlisting or re-enlisting for the duration of the war at whatever amount he judged proper up to $200 (see GW to John Jay, 27 Jan., n.1; see also , 13:108).