To George Washington from Brigadier General William Maxwell, 3 November 1779

From Brigadier General William Maxwell

Morris Town 3d Novbr 1779

Sir

Your Favour of the 1st Inst. I received this morning on this side of Pumpton, where my Brigade quartered last night. I am extreamly sorry if my march on the upper road should any way disconcert Your measures, Yet I am in good hopes that on Your finding how soon the Troops are arived at Suffrans they will in no way stop any of Your operations. Since the Armey Marched from Easton all Your Excellencys letters to General Sullivan, (the first excepted) fell in to my hands, and they all tended to push the Armey as quick as possable to Suffrans unless the Enemy was in this State which I was convinced they were not.1 If I get Waggons to morrow Morning which I make no doubt of I can be in the neighbourhood of Westfield in the evening.

You will please to observe that had I turn⟨ed⟩ off by any other rout, when I was at Sussex Cour⟨t⟩ House, it must have delayed the Armey two d⟨ays⟩ longer in geting to Suffrans, so that I hope You will not experience the disapointments suspected. This I am shure of that I did every thing in my power to prevent any delay on our part. My Brigade Turned off by Ringwood a fine road I went myself to General Sullivans at Suffrans Yesterday Morning and the whole of the Troops would be in there by 2 oclock. I shall endeavour to put all Your Orders into execution with respect to my destination. I shall acquaint General Sullivan with such part of Your Excellencys Letter as respects Aldens and the Rifle Corps.

Colonel Hooper who has rendered us every service in his power, expected to wait on Your Excellency the day I left Warwick and in form You of our Departure and Rout.2 I am Sir With the utmost respect Your Excellencys Most Obedient Humble Servant

Wm Maxwell

ALS, DLC:GW.

1. Troops involved in Maj. Gen. John Sullivan’s expedition against the Six Nations had departed Easton, Pa., during the latter portion of October. Maxwell’s brigade left that place on 26 Oct. (see Sullivan Expedition Journals, description begins Frederick Cook, ed., and George S. Conover, comp. Journals of the Military Expedition of Major General John Sullivan against the Six Nations of Indians in 1779 With Records of Centennial Celebrations. Auburn, N.Y., 1887. description ends 274). During this period, GW wrote Sullivan on 14, 20, 25, 27, 28, and 31 October.

2. Maxwell arrived at Warwick, N.Y., on 31 Oct. and left that place on 1 Nov. (see Sullivan Expedition Journals, description begins Frederick Cook, ed., and George S. Conover, comp. Journals of the Military Expedition of Major General John Sullivan against the Six Nations of Indians in 1779 With Records of Centennial Celebrations. Auburn, N.Y., 1887. description ends 274).

Robert Lettis Hooper, Jr., deputy quartermaster general, had been ordered to assist troops returning from Sullivan’s expedition (see Nathanael Greene to Hooper, 23 Sept., in Greene Papers, description begins Richard K. Showman et al., eds. The Papers of General Nathanael Greene. 13 vols. Chapel Hill, N.C., 1976–2005. description ends 4:404–5).

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Source Project: Washington Papers
Title: To George Washington from Brigadier General William Maxwell, 3 November 1779
Author: Maxwell, William
Recipient: Washington, George
Date: 3 November 1779

Reference

Cite as: “To George Washington from Brigadier General William Maxwell, 3 November 1779,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-23-02-0136. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 23, 22 October–31 December 1779, ed. William M. Ferraro. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2015, pp. 146–147.]

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