- The Writings of George Washington.
- 1776.
- To the President of Congress. 1
- To Governor Livingston.
- To Major-general Greene.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Lieutenant-general Howe.
- To Major-general Lee. Instructions.
- To Governor Trumbull.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Major-general Heath. Instructions.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Major-general Lee.
- To the President of Congress.
- To John Augustine Washington.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Major-general Lee.
- To Governor Livingston, New Jersey.
- To Major-general Lee.
- To Major-general Lee.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the Board of War.
- To Governor Livingston.
- To Major-general Lee.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Major-general Lee.
- To Lund Washington.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Governor Trumbull.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Major-general Gates.
- To Brigadier-generals Lord Stirling, Mercer, Stephen, and De Fermoy. Instructions.
- To Governor Trumbull.
- To Major-general Lee.
- To the Council of Safety of Pennsylvania.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Lieutenant-general Howe.
- To Major-general Heath.
- To John Augustine Washington.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Major-general Heath.
- To Colonel Joseph Reed, Or Colonel John Cadwalader, 1 At Bristol.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- 1777.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Robert Morris, George Clymer, and George Walton, a Committee of Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Major-general Putnam.
- To Major-general Heath.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Major-general Lincoln.
- To Lieutenant-colonel Edward Antill.
- To Lieutenant-general Earl Cornwallis.
- To Colonel George Baylor.
- To Governor Trumbull.
- To Colonel Nathaniel Gist. Instructions.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Lord Howe.
- To Lieutenant-general Howe.
- To Joseph Reed.
- To Joseph Reed.
- To General Heath.
- To Major-general Schuyler.
- To Major-general Heath.
- To the Council of Safety of Pennsylvania.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Governor Cooke.
- To Lieutenant-general Howe.
- To John Parke Custis.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Joseph Reed.
- To Governor Trumbull. 2
- To Governor Livingston.
- General Washington’s Proclamation.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Major-general Sullivan.
- To the Governor of North Carolina. 1
- To Governor Trumbull.
- To Major-general Heath.
- To Major-general Heath.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Brigadier-general Arnold.
- To Brigadier-general Parsons. 2
- To Major-general Schuyler.
- To Governor Trumbull.
- To Brigadier-general Knox.
- To Brigadier-general Maxwell. 2
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Governor Trumbull.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Joseph Reed.
- To John Augustine Washington.
- To Patrick Henry, Governor of Virginia.
- To the Council of Massachusetts Bay.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Robert Morris.
- To Governor Trumbull.
- To Brigadier-general Andrew Lewis.
- To Lieutenant-colonel Robert H. Harrison. Instructions.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Governor Trumbull.
- To Major-general Gates.
- To Brigadier-general Wooster. 1
- To Major-general Schuyler.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Major-general Sullivan.
- To Major-general Greene. Instructions.
- To Major-general Mifflin.
- To Robert Alexander.
- To Governor Trumbull.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Elias Boudinot.
- To Governor Cooke.
- To Brigadier-general Arnold.
- To Brigadier-general Parsons.
- Proclamation Respecting Deserters.
- To General Heard.
- To Colonel Reed Or Colonel Cox.
- To Lieutenant-general Howe.
- To Major-general Heath.
- To Brigadier-general Mifflin.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Governor Trumbull.
- To Patrick Henry, Governor of Virginia.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Richard Henry Lee.
- To Brigadier-general Glover.
- To Doctor James Craik. 2
- To Major-general Lincoln.
- To Brigadier-general Mcdougall.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Colonel Alexander Spotswood.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Brigadier-general Mcdougall.
- To Governor Trumbull.
- To Major-general Greene. Instructions.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Monsieur Malmedy. 2
- To the President of Congress.
- To Richard Henry Lee.
- To Governor Henry.
- To Brigadier-general Parsons.
- To Major-general Gates.
- To Brigadier-general Mcdougall.
- To James Warren.
- To Governor Trumbull.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Major-general Putnam.
- To Governor Trumbull.
- To Major-general Greene.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Brigadier-general Parsons.
- To Governor Henry.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Richard Henry Lee.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Appolos Morris.
- To Colonel Samuel B. Webb.
- To the President of Congress.
- To John Augustine Washington.
- To Lieutenant-general Howe.
- To Joseph Reed.
- To Major-general Schuyler.
- To Major-general Arnold. 1
- To M. Danmours.
- To Major-general Schuyler.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Joseph Reed.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To John Augustine Washington.
- To Governor Trumbull.
- To the President of Congress.
- To General Lee. 2
- To Governor Rutledge.
- To General Sullivan.
- To Governor Trumbull.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Major-general Putnam.
- To De Coudray.
- To Major-general Schuyler.
- To Major-general Schuyler.
- To Lieutenant-general Sir William Howe.
- To Governor Trumbull.
- To Major-general Schuyler.
- To the Brigadier-generals of Militia In the Western Parts of Massachusetts and Connecticut.
- To the Committee of Congress. 2
- To Major-general Heath.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Major-general Schuyler.
- To Lord Stirling.
- To Major-general Schuyler.
- To Major-general Putnam.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Major-general Gates.
- To Governor Trumbull.
TO GOVERNOR TRUMBULL.
Headquarters,Morristown,
6 March, 1777.
Sir,
I flattered myself, that I should never again be under the necessity of trespassing upon the public spirit of your State, by calling upon her for another supply of militia; but, such has been the unaccountable delay in the recruiting of the Continental battalions, chiefly owing to the long time, which unhappily elapsed before the officers were appointed, that I see no prospect of keeping the field till the new levies can be brought into it, but by a reinforcement of militia. For want of proper laws in the southern governments, their militia never were well regulated; and since the late troubles, in which the old governments have been unhinged, and new ones not yet firmly established, the people have adopted a mode of thinking and acting for themselves. It is owing to this, that, when a summons is issued for militia, those only turn out that please, and they for what time they please, by which means they sometimes set off for their homes in a few days after they join the army. From this state of facts, you will perceive, that I put no great dependence on the militia from the southward, and I must therefore once more entreat you to endeavor to prevail upon two thousand of the militia of your State to march immediately to Peekskill, and there wait for further orders; their time of service to continue at least six weeks after they arrive there.
I am persuaded, from the readiness with which you have ever complied with all my demands, that you will exert yourself, in forwarding the aforementioned number of men, upon my bare request. But I hope you will be convinced of the necessity of the demand, when I tell you in confidence, that, after the 15th of this month, when the time of General Lincoln’s militia expires, I shall be left with the remains of five Virginia regiments, not amounting to more than as many hundred men, and parts of two or three other Continental battalions, all very weak. The remainder of the army will be composed of small parties of militia from this State and Pennsylvania, on which little dependence can be put, as they come and go when they please. I have issued peremptory orders to every colonel in the regular service, to send in what men he has recruited, even if they amount to but one hundred to a regiment. If they would do this, it would make a considerable force upon the whole. The enemy must be ignorant of our numbers and situation, or they would never suffer us to remain unmolested; and I almost tax myself with imprudence, in committing the secret to paper; not that I distrust you, of whose inviolable attachment I have so many proofs, but for fear the letter should by any accident fall into other hands, than those for which it is intended.
If your militia should make any objection to coming this way on account of the smallpox, you may assure them, that, if there is the least danger of taking that disorder here, they shall come no farther than Peekskill (I mean those that have not had it), where they may take the places of the Continental Yorkers, who I am obliged to keep in garrison there, having no other troops to secure the forts and passes upon the North River. I am, &c.
“I think you were right in not putting any thing to the risque of a miscarriage, for until we get our new army properly established, it is our business to play a certain game, and not depend upon militia for any thing capital.”—Washington to General Spencer, 11 March, 1777.
A militia bill was depending in the New Jersey legislature, admitting of a composition for actual service from £3 to £20. “In this situation of things,” wrote the governor, “I despair of being able to execute the requisition of Congress. . . . I cannot make our assembly sensible of the importance of an effectual militia law; or if they be, they are so unduly influenced by the fear of disobliging their constituents, that they dare not exert themselves with the requisite spirit for the exigencies of war.” To this Washington replied:—
“How can an assembly of gentlemen, eye-witnesses of the distresses and inconveniences, which have their principal source in the want of a well regulated militia, hesitate to adopt the only remedy that can remove them; and, stranger still, think of a law, that must necessarily add to the accumulated load of confusion? For Heaven’s sake, entreat them to lay aside their present opinions; and, waving every other consideration, let the public good be singularly attended to. The ease they design their constituents, by competition, must be delusive. Every injurious distinction between the rich and the poor ought to be laid aside now. The enemy cannot remain much longer in their present situation. Their peace, for some days past, indicates preparations to move. When they do, your Assembly may perhaps wish, that their militia were in the field. I have endeavored to cut off the communication between Bergen and New York, having received intelligence of it a few days ago.”—To Governor Livingston, 8 March, 1777.
“In my opinion, the present time is of infinitely greater worth than is generally supposed. Vain and useless will all our civic institutions, however wise, prove, unless the state of independence, in which alone they can operate, is secured, and as this must necessarily depend on the success of our arms, military preparations should possess an eminent degree of our deliberations and care.”—Washington to Governor Livingston, 9 March, 1777.
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