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Front Page  Titles (by Subject) TO COLONEL WADE, AT WEST POINT. - The Writings of George Washington, vol. VIII (1779-1780)
TO COLONEL WADE, AT WEST POINT. - George Washington, The Writings of George Washington, vol. VIII (1779-1780) [1890]Edition used:The Writings of George Washington, collected and edited by Worthington Chauncey Ford (New York and London: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1890). Vol. VIII (1779-1780).
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- The Writings of George Washington.
- 1779.
- To the Rev. Dr. William Gordon.
- To Thomas Jefferson, Governor of Virginia. 1
- To Samuel Purviance.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Dr. John Cochran, Surgeon-general.
- To Lund Washington. [extract.]
- To President Reed.
- To the President of Congress.
- To John Parke Custis.
- Circular to States.
- To Major Henry Lee.
- To Major-general Greene. 1
- To the President of Congress.
- To John Jay.
- To the Marquis De Lafayette, Paris.
- To Count D’estaing.
- To John Beatty, Commissary-general of Prisoners.
- To Major Benjamin Tallmadge.
- To Major-general Lincoln.
- To Governor Trumbull.
- To the Marquis De Lafayette, Paris.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Count D’estaing.
- To Count D’estaing.
- To the Marquis De Lafayette.
- To the President of Congress.
- To President Reed.
- To Benjamin Harrison.
- To Edmund Pendleton.
- To Major-general Gates.
- To Henry Laurens.
- To Brigadier-general Duportail and Lieutenant-colonel Hamilton.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Major-general Robert Howe.
- To Governor Jefferson.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Governor Jefferson.
- To Major-general Lincoln, In South Carolina.
- To Governor Clinton.
- To Brigadier-general Woodford.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Major-general Sullivan.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Brigadier-general Woodford.
- To Major-general Heath, At West Point.
- To Governor Livingston.
- To Major-general Greene.
- 1780.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Colonel Daniel Brodhead, At Fort Pitt.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the Magistrates of New Jersey.
- To Governor Trumbull.
- To Lord Stirling. Instructions.
- To the Board of War.
- To John Parke Custis.
- To Major-general Greene.
- To Messrs. Gerry, Livingston, and Mathews.
- To Major-general St. Clair. Instructions.
- To Elbridge Gerry, In Congress.
- To Major-general Schuyler.
- To the Chevalier De La Luzerne.
- To Major Benjamin Tallmadge.
- To Baron Steuben, At Philadelphia.
- To Governor Livingston.
- To Lieutenant-colonel Willett.
- Circular Letter to the States.
- To the Board of War.
- To Major-general Lincoln, In South Carolina.
- To Don Juan De Miralles.
- To Lord Stirling. [private.]
- To the President of Congress.
- To Major-general St. Clair, and Lieutenant-colonels Edward Carrington and Alexander Hamilton. Instructions.
- To the Marquis De Lafayette.
- To Baron De Kalb.
- To Lord Stirling.
- To the President of Congress. 1
- To John Mathews, In Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Philip Schuyler, In Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Baron Steuben.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Major-general Lincoln.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Colonel John Laurens, At Charleston.
- To President Reed.
- To Major-general Howe.
- To the Reverend Doctor William Gordon.
- To James Duane.
- To James Duane.
- To Governor Jefferson.
- To Major-general Heath, At Boston.
- To Governor Rutledge.
- To the Marquis De Lafayette, At Philadelphia.
- To Brigadier-general Wayne.
- To the Marquis De Lafayette.
- To Philip Schuyler.
- To Philip Schuyler, John Mathews, and Nathaniel Peabody, a Committee From Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To President Reed.
- To the Hon. Committee of CoÖperation.
- To Joseph Jones, In Congress.
- To the Chevalier De La Luzerne.
- To Major-general Howe.
- To the Committee of CoÖperation.
- To Governor Livingston.
- To Major-general Howe. 1
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To President Reed.
- To Robert R. Livingston, In Congress.
- To Governor Weare.
- To President Reed.
- To Fielding Lewis.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Major-general Greene, Quartermaster-general.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the Marquis De Lafayette. Instructions.
- To Count De Rochambeau.
- To Major-general Greene.
- To the Marquis De Lafayette.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Joseph Jones.
- To Sir Henry Clinton.
- To the Marquis De Lafayette.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Count De Rochambeau.
- To Major-general Heath.
- To Brigadier-general Fellows, Massachusetts Militia.
- To the Marquis De Lafayette.
- To Major-general Heath.
- To Major-general Arnold. Instructions.
- To Count De Rochambeau.
- To John Parke Custis.
- To Major-general Arnold.
- To Joseph Jones.
- To the Chevalier De Ternay.
- To the Committee of Co-operation.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Count De Rochambeau.
- To Governor Trumbull.
- To Count De Rochambeau.
- Circular Letter to the States North of Virginia.
- To Major-general Heath.
- To James Bowdoin, President of the Council of Massachusetts.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Count De Rochambeau.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Brigadier-general Wayne. [private.]
- To the President of Congress.
- To Count De Rochambeau.
- To John Mathews, In Congress.
- To Major-general Lincoln.
- To Count De Guichen.
- To the Chevalier De La Luzerne.
- To John Rutledge, Governor of South Carolina.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Major-general Greene. Instructions.
- To Abraham Skinner, Deputy Commissary-general of Prisoners. Instructions.
- Conference At Hartford.
- To Colonel Wade, At West Point.
- To Lieutenant-colonel John Jameson.
- To Governor Clinton.
- To Major-general Heath.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Major-general Greene.
- To Major-general St. Clair. Instructions.
- To John Mathews, In Congress.
- To James Duane, In Congress.
- To Brigadier-general John Cadwalader.
- To Major-general Greene.
- To Major-general Greene. Instructions.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Major-general Gates.
- To Benjamin Franklin, Minister Plenipotentiary At the Court of France.
- To Colonel James Wood.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Lieutenant-colonel John Laurens. 2
- To Major-general Greene.
- To the President of Congress.
- To President Reed.
- Circular to States.
TO COLONEL WADE, AT WEST POINT.
Head-Quarters, Robinson’s House,
25 September, 1780. Sir,
General Arnold is gone to the Enemy. I have just now received a line from him, enclosing one to Mrs. Arnold, dated on board the Vulture. From this circumstance, and Colo. Lamb’s being detached on some business, the command of the Garrison, for the present, devolves on you. I request, you will be as vigilant as possible; and, as the Enemy may have it in contemplation to attempt some enterprise, even to-night, against these posts, I wish you to make, immediately after receipt of this, the best disposition you can of your force, so as to have a proportion of men in each work on the west side of the River. You will see me or hear from me further to-morrow.
I am, dear Sir, &c.
According to his previous arrangements Washington left the camp on the 18th of September, and the same evening crossed the Hudson at King’s Ferry. Arnold went down the river, and met him there, but returned the next morning to Robinson’s House. Washington pursued his journey to Hartford, had an interview with the French commanders as proposed, and reached West Point in the morning of the 25th, on his way back to camp. Meantime André had been captured, and Arnold had deserted to the enemy.
“From some intelligence I have received, I think it necessary, that the Regiment at present under your command should march without a moment’s delay. You will therefore, I request, on receipt of this, put it in motion, and with one half you will occupy the north and middle redoubt on the Heights above this place, as soon as possible. The other half of the Regiment will proceed to the landing-place above Mandeville’s, near the old Connecticut encampment, and will cross the river, immediately after their arrival to West Point.”—Washington to Lieutenant-Colonel Ebenezer Gray, 7 o’clock p.m., 25 September, 1780.
“I wish to see you here immediately, and request that you will come without the least delay.”—Washington to Col. James Livingston, 25 September, 1780.
He also wrote to the officer commanding a wood-cutting party at Staatsburg: “I request that you will, on receipt of this, march with the wood-cutting detachment under your command to Fishkill, where you will remain till further orders.” To Major Low, of the Massachusetts levies, who was stationed at Fishkill, he wrote: “You will be pleased to march early to-morrow morning with all the militia under your command, and proceed to the landing opposite to West Point. You will send an officer to this place, by whom you will receive further orders. Colonel Gouvion, the bearer of this, will apply to you for an officer and a small party of men. These you will furnish.” Colonel Gouvion was sent to arrest Joshua H. Smith, who was then at Fishkill, and the guard was destined for that object, and to conduct him to West Point. To General Greene, then at Tappan, he wrote:
“I request, that you will put the division on the left in motion as soon as possible, with orders to proceed to King’s Ferry, when, or before they arrive there, they will be met with further orders. The division will come on light, leaving their heavy baggage to follow. You will also hold all the troops in readiness to move on the shortest notice. Transactions of a most interesting nature, and such as will astonish you, have been just discovered.”
As soon as the escape of Arnold was ascertained, Hamilton was despatched from Robinson’s House to Verplanck’s Point, with orders to intercept and seize Arnold, should he not already have passed below King’s Ferry. In writing to Washington, after his arrival at Verplanck’s Point, Hamilton said;
“You will see by the enclosed, that we are too late. Arnold went by water to the Vulture. I shall write to General Greene, advising him, without making a bustle, to be in readiness to march, and even to detach a brigade this way; for, though I do not believe the project will go on, it is possible Arnold has made such dispositions with the garrison, as may tempt the enemy in its present weakness to make the stroke this night, and it seems prudent to be providing against it. I shall endeavor to find Meigs, and request him to march to the garrison; and shall make some arrangements here. I hope your Excellency will approve these steps, as there may be no time to be lost.”—MS. Letter, September 25th.
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