From George Washington to Peter Scull, 15 April 1779
To Peter Scull
Head Quarters Middle Brook 15th April 1779
Sir
Inclosed you have the Commission of Major Howell of the 2d New Jersey Regt who resigned the 7th instant1—Be pleased to fill up the Vacancy with the eldest Captain in the line and send forward the Commission. The Captain Lieutenant of the Regiment from which the Captain is taken to succeed Major Howell will be intitled to a Company—be pleased also to make out and send a Commission for him—one for the Officer succeeding to the Capt. Lieutenancy and one for the Ensign to be promoted to a Lieutenancy—in consequence of the above.
Lieut. Colo. Grosvenor’s (of Connecticut) Commission is to be dated 13th March 1778 and Lieut. Colo. Johnsons the 15th April 1778.2
The arrangement of the 2d Connecticut Regt is not yet compleated. I am &.
P.S. I return you the Commissions of six Ensigns of the 11th Virginia Regt to be amended, they all having the Rank of 2d Lieuts. Instead of the word such after the words to take rank as, insert second Lieutenant and the Comms. will be sufficient—I also inclose the Commn of Ensign John Eppes Scott resigned 13th Decemr 1778.3
Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
2. For the rank dispute concerning Thomas Grosvenor and Jonathan Johnson, see GW to the Board of War, 4 March; Israel Putnam to GW, 4 March; and GW to Putnam, 9 March. For the issuance of their commissions, see Scull to GW, 19 April, and GW to Putnam, 23 April.
3. John Eppes Scott of Brunswick County, Va., was commissioned an ensign in the 15th Virginia Regiment in January 1777. By the time GW wrote this letter, Scott apparently was no longer an ensign but a second lieutenant in the 11th Virginia Regiment, with a commission dating from July 1777. He continued in the service, being promoted to first lieutenant in May 1779 and not leaving the army until February 1781. He died in Georgia.