To George Washington from Major General Arthur St. Clair, 31 January 1780
From Major General Arthur St. Clair
Spring Field [N.J.] Janry 31st 1780
Sir
In consequence of your Excellencys wish to have a small Body of Horse engaged during the Ice’s remaining passable,1 I came here to consult with Mr Caldwell upon the most proper method of carrying it into Execution—He is of Opinion that it may be done, but with some difficulty: and that it can scarcely be expected that they will provide their own Forage—however we shall make the Attempt; and only wait for Mr Marsh’s return who is now at Morris Town—I should be very glad your Excellency would determine what their Allowance will be, as without some express Stipulation there is little prospect of their engaging—In the mean time upon an Application to Governour Livingstone, to order them out, a Company of Militia Horse that is formed in this County might be employed as Patroles.2
The Signals for calling out the Militia have been very much neglected, and are down in some Places and I cannot find who has the Care of them—I have requested Mr Caldwell to have them reestablished and proper Persons appointed to give the Alarm in case of Necessity, but I am not certain but this may interfere with some Regulation of the State, which some time ago, put that Matter into the Care of the Militia Generals, and it has gone into the Hands of the subordinate Officers in Gradation untill it is no Bodys Business.3
A small Party of Refugees slipt in last Night about nine oClock betwixt our Guards, and carried off several of the Inhabitants, two Sleighs & Horses and a Yoke of Oxen, and retired immediatly they came over near Moss’s Mills4 and returned by the same Route but too suddenly to be overtaken—they were conducted by one of the Hatfields, and these Fellows have so perfect a knowledge of this part of the Country that it is next to impossible to prevent things of this kind: at the same time it is extremly mortifying that they should happen with impunity.5
I shall pay strict Attention to the Forage Magazines as possible, they are however much dispersed, which at the same time that it renders them more difficult to be preserved, makes them less an Object to the Ennemy. the principal One is I understand at Quibble Town.6
Colonell Hazen wishes to know if it is probable that he will be soon relieved, as some of his Party are in want of Shoes and some other Articles of Cloathing which, in case it was not, he would send up for. I Am Sir Your Excellencys most obedient Servant
Ar. St Clair
Colonell Hazen has found himself under the Necessity to arrest Colonell Howard, so that the Battallion has no field Officer.7
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. See GW to St. Clair, 30 January.
2. On 3 Feb., Daniel Marsh informed the New Jersey Council that St. Clair had asked him to raise twenty light cavalry at Continental expense “to patrol in front of the detachment of the Army stationed between Newark and Amboy.” The council authorized Marsh to raise at state expense an additional twenty-five cavalrymen, “either from Captain [Obadiah] Meekers Company of light Dragoons or such others of our Militia, as he can voluntarily procure for that purpose to patrol during the Night on the Shores between Newark & Amboy for one Month unless sooner discharged, in order to watch the Motion of the Enemy and to give immediate Notice thereof to the Inhabitants & Continental Troops” ( 145–46). The inhabitants of the towns of Elizabeth and Newark and the counties of Essex and Middlesex had petitioned the Council for militia guards ( 144–45). Apparently the state also paid for the original twenty light horse when the Continental pay proved insufficient to recruit them (see St. Clair to GW, 7 Feb.).
3. In April 1779, the New Jersey Council had charged militia major general Philemon Dickinson with setting up alarm beacons, and on 26 Dec. 1779, the council appointed militia major general Nathaniel Heard to superintend the beacons and other alarm signals ( 111, 142–43). On 30 Jan., James Caldwell reported to Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene that the militia officers appointed by the council to superintend the system of alarm guns had so neglected their duty “that there is not now a Cartrige to fire an Alarm Gun” ( 5:329–31).
4. St. Clair is referring to the mill operated by the Morss family (see Moses Hazen to GW, 29 Jan., n.1).
5. On 7 Feb., The New-York Gazette and the Weekly Mercury reported: “On Sunday Evening the 30th ult. a Party of 13 mounted Refugees, went to Raway … in New-Jersey, where they surprised Lieutenant Wynants [Winans] of the Rebel Militia, and 8 Privates of Col. Jacques’s Regiment that had been on a Party of Pleasure with some young Ladies: They dismissed the Ladies, but brought away 4 Men, 4 Sleighs, and 9 Horses, without the least Hurt to themselves.”
6. GW had cautioned St. Clair about the protection of these forage magazines in his letter of 30 January.
7. For the court-martial of Lt. Col. John Eager Howard, see General Orders, 22 March.