To George Washington from Major General William Heath, 7 December 1779
From Major General William Heath
Robinsons House [N.Y.] Decr 7. 1779
Dear General,
The day before yesterday I received a packet from the General Assembly of the State of Massachusetts bay Containing several papers, (of which the enclosed are Copies) and a number of Warrants for Officers they have promoted and by which they are to act untill they receive Commissions from the board of war, to whom there is a Certificate among the papers. The assembly desire that I would deliver the warrants, and transmit the Certificate to the board of war.1
From the tenor of these papers, I am led to Suppose this mode of promotion is consonant to the late resolves of Congress, but, in all Cases I think it my duty to report to your Excellency, and in Cases of doubt crave your directions, which I do in this instance. Among the warrants is one promoting Major Cogswell to the Lieutenant Colonelcy of Colo. Bigelow’s Regiment; this, by the late arrangement is superceding major Hull who Stands Second major in the line of the State. Yet it appears that upon a rehearing of the matter the General assembly confirmed the promotion in favor of Major Cogswell, as your Excellency will See by the papers. All the officers mentioned in the Certificate for Colo. Bigelow’s Regt except Major Ballord & Ensign Warren2 were on the late arrangement & have received their Commissions. I request your opinion & direction respecting Major Cogswell’s warrant & Certificate.3
The State of Massachusetts have sent on £65,000 for the purpose of reinlisting their Soldiers.4
No news in this quarter except Colo. Armand’s having a few days Since taken a Capt. Cruser & 2 or 3 men of Bearmores Corps. Cruser I am informed broke his parole the last year. Colo. Armand will take him into the Jersies to be disposed of as may be thought proper.
Colo. Armand informs me that by all Accounts from the Inhabitants below the Lines, the Enemy are embarking Troops—their destination unknown. He also thinks they are meditating an expedition Somewhere.5
General Howe just now writes me “Accounts variously sent up concur in making it probable that the Enemy mean Some movement, but what, is all a mistery as yet. their bringing over Some Horses and rough Shoeing them Seems to indicate Some attempt this way, tho’ it may probably be only to amuse.”6
I wish to be informed whether it be your Excellencys intentions for the light Infantry to join their respective Regiments in winter quarters.7 I have the honor to be, with the greatest respect Your Excellencys Most obedt Servt
W. Heath
P.S. the Copy of Major Hull’s petition being borrowed, I would request the return of it.8 By the late arrangement Major Maxwell, I think, was arranged & Commissiond in Colonel Bigelows Regt & the State have appointed Major Ballord to the Same. Should not one of them be order’d to Colo. Baileys, vice Major Peters promoted?9
W.H.
LS, DNA: RG 93, manuscript file no. 31536; ADfS, MHi: Heath Papers.
1. Heath apparently retained some originals of the enclosures, which likely included two letters from Massachusetts Council president Artemas Ward to Heath dated 26 Nov. and a document headed “State of Massa. Bay In Council November 26th 1779” (all MHi: Heath Papers).
Maj. William Hull wrote Heath from Boston on 28 Nov. to contest the Massachusetts General Court’s decision to rank him behind Maj. Thomas Cogswell. Hull’s final paragraph reads: “As your Honour was Presid’t of the Board of Officers, which determined my Rank, and as this Matter is reserved for your Approbation, I rest fully satisfied, that I shall have your Influence, that I am not deprived of my Right, but that, that Justice is done me which my Station & Services intitle me to” (MHi: Heath Papers; see also David Cobb to Heath, same date, MHi: Heath Papers).
2. John Warren (1753–1824) served as sergeant in the 15th Massachusetts Regiment until his promotion to ensign in November 1779. Warren transferred to the 5th Massachusetts Regiment in January 1781, became a lieutenant in May 1782, and remained in the army until June 1783.
3. Heath presented this query with more details in a struck-out portion of his draft, which in part reads: “Major Hull was at Boston, soon after the Promotion, and Petitioned for a reconsideration or hearing on the Subject, which was granted the result, a Second Confirmation, in favor of Cogswel⟨l⟩ The matter was intirely novel to me when I first Saw the papers, but I Since find that Major Cogswell has long though[t] himself Injured even from the ti⟨me⟩ Lt Colo. [Isaac] Sherman was appointed a Major what effects it will produce I cannot tell I find it makes much Clamour among the Officers at west point, who observe that no officer will be Secure in his Rank if Such Promotions are to be made.”
Controversy had slowed completion of the Massachusetts line arrangement (see General Orders, 23 July, and n.1 to that document, and 2 Aug.; and GW to Heath and a Board of General Officers, 3 Aug.; see also Cogswell to GW, 24 July, and GW’s first letter to John Jay, 5 Aug.). This new complication must have been dismaying (see Heath to GW, 23 Oct., and n.2 to that document). GW replied at length when he wrote Heath on 13–17 December.
4. Henry Gardner wrote Heath from the Massachusetts Treasurer’s Office in Boston on 28 Nov.: “Pursuant to a Resolution of the General Assembly of the State I send forward to your Care by Lieut Coll Cogswell Sixty five Thousand Eight hundred Sixteen pounds being Part of the five hundred Thousand Dollars Ordered by this State to reengage this State’s Proportion of the Continental Army. …
“I Trust Sir the Genl Assembly have Forwarded the Resolution above Referred to by which you will be Able to govern yourself in the Destribution of the Money.
“Since packing up the Money abovementioned I have Rieced the Residue of the 500 000 Dollars & will transmit on the shortest Notice” (MHi: Heath Papers).
5. Colonel Armand wrote Heath from Sing Sing, N.Y., on 4 Dec. (misdated “Nber”) about his unsuccessful attempt to catch “lt. Col. [Isaac] Hatfield.” Armand instead “at last” captured “one of His Captains Named Isaac Curzer … and two privates belonging to the same Corps. …
“The Captain Isaac Curzer, was once taken By our people, and brok his parolle when the Ennemy Came to fort planks [Verplanck] point this summer. then He took that opportunity to go a way from fashkill, and sign His party. He Say that He was persuaded to do it by two others persons who wint a way with Him. He desire I should leat Him go on parole. …
“it is a very Great ta[l]k amongs the people near the ennemy that, many of them are embarked and ready to sell [sail] out, on sixety ships of transport with some frigates. they say alsso that Most all the rest of Others troops are to follow them very Soon. but it is most certain that an expedition is upon Hands on their Side” (MHi: Heath Papers).
Isaac Curser (Cursa; 1733–1822), a Loyalist from Westchester County, N.Y., served as a lieutenant in the New York Refugees and Militia from March 1777 until his promotion to captain in 1779. He remained a prisoner after his second capture until exchanged in late 1780 or early 1781. Curser moved to Nova Scotia after the war.
6. Maj. Gen. Robert Howe wrote these lines in his letter to Heath on this date. That letter also reads: “I should be glad to know whether the 500 Light Troops we heard were to come over to this side, may be expected—for it appears to me that a Field Officers Command, so far from support will leave the Country Expos’d to ravage and without Horse, which in this Season they cannot have, they will not be Safe themselv’s—The want of Bread had like to have been attended with Serious ill consequences, which Glover and I assisted by every Officer, with some difficulty got over. I am glad of the Supply which is come up, & am happy to hear that more may be expected” (MHi: Heath Papers). Heath replied to Howe on the same date: “Your favor of this day came Safe to hand, thank you for the intelligence communicated perhaps the Enemy mean to amuse or they may intend foraging, and it is not improbable that they intend a blow at Some of our advanced parties to avoid this those parties Should frequently change their quarters & never remain too long on one post. … I do not know whether any light Troops are to be expected from the other side of the River, but expect information ’ere Long” (MHi: Heath Papers). Heath had written Howe from Beverly Robinson’s farm on 5 Dec.: “By my arrival here bearing in mind the distressed Condition of your Division for Bread I had recourse to every expedient I could devise to Obtain releif, I wrote to the differant Commissaries in the most pressing terms, and to Governor Clinton, I am happy to find by an answer from the Commissary that Eight Hogshe[a]ds of Flour is gone down to your releif this Day by Land, and the Other Commissarys have orders to forward a quantity by water, Four Hogsheads of rum are also ordered down from west point. I hope the Troops will not again experiance Such Scantiness of Bread” (MHi: Heath Papers).
7. GW subsequently disbanded the Light Infantry (see GW to Anthony Wayne, 28 Dec.; see also Wayne to GW, 7 Jan. 1780, DLC:GW).
8. Heath presumably is referring to Hull’s letter to him dated 28 Nov. (see n.1 above).
9. Maj. Hugh Maxwell’s assignment to Col. John Bailey’s 2d Massachusetts Regiment settled the conflict.