George Washington letter signed ("Go: Washington"). Two pages of a bifolium, 8.25" x 13", "Head Quarters, Morristown" [New Jersey]; March 20, 1777. With integral address sheet, in the hand of Tench Tilghman. Docketed. General Washington transmits information about the enemy's potential movement and issues with recruitment returns. Letter, in the hand of Tench Tilghman (1744-1786), aide-de-camp to Washington during the Revolutionary War, to Brigadier General Alexander McDougall, Peekskill, New York, in which Washington shares information about a possible British movement of troops and complains about fraudulent recruitment returns. It reads, in full: "Dear Sir The late collection of Waggons [sic], by the Enemy, upon Long and Staten Islands, some of which are already brought over to Amboy, plainly indicate a Move, whenever the State of the Roads will permit. Several accounts, by Deserters and others, also agree, that Materials have been brought from New York for constructing a floating Bridge, which can be for no other purpose than laying across the Delaware. These forward preparations of the Enemy ought to put us in mind of our backwardness, and tho I have no doubt of, and have no reason to complain of your exertions, I cannot help mentioning these things to you, that you may impress the Officers, with the Necessity that there is, for having their Quotas of Men brought into the Feild [sic] as early as possible. I find that nothing will procure a just state of the recruiting Service, but obliging the Officers to make actual Returns. They draw Arms, Cloaths and Money under pretence of having a great Number of Men, and when they are obliged to make a Return, they fall shamefully short of my expectations. Of this I have a recent instance from Connecticut, one of the Colonels drew four hundred Arms from Peekskill, under pretence of having as many Men, and Genl parsons, by a late return makes his Regiment consist of but Eighty. Be pleased also to see that the Men returned, are collected, for I find another practice prevailing, of inlisting the Men, paying them the Bounty, and suffering them to ramble about the Country, by which means they enlist with half a dozen Officers. I am Dear Sir Yr. most obt. Servt. Go: Washington" In this letter to Brigadier General Alexander McDougall, Washington, as Commander in Chief of the American forces, informs McDougall that all indications point to an imminent movement of British troops under General William Howe (1729-1814) once the state of the roads permits. This leads Washington to bring up his continued concern regarding the enlistment of badly needed recruits. By the winter of 1777, Washington's army was plagued by expiring enlistments and desertions. Congress reorganized the army in late 1776, changing the standard enlistment period from one to three years. Despite this measure, the Continental Army struggled to retain personnel throughout the war. Constant recruitment and continual desertions resulted in administrative trials for Washington and his staff. Washington, who was suffering from low numbers of regular soldiers, was continually frustrated with what he suspected was untrustworthy or outright fraudulent reports of recruitments, which compromised his ability to measure current troop strength. It was hard enough for Washington to replenish the ranks of regular soldiers since Congress often did not provide him with enough funding to pay bounties, or, if he had the money, it was not enough to compete with the bounties offered by individual states for their defense. When individual states added their own bounties to supplement Congress's outlay, troops had to return home to collect it, and some never returned to service. Washington suspected that officers were collecting them for enlistments that never materialized. He ends this letter to McDougall by sharing information concerning a recent instance of this practice in Connecticut. Washington referred to a regiment under the command of Colonel Charles Webb (1724-1794), which claimed 400 men enlisted and requested as many arms. Washington suspected the number of recruits was inflated. When Washington wrote this letter to McDougall, he had established his headquarters in Morristown, New Jersey. After significant American morale-boosting victories over the British at Trenton (December 26, 1776) and Princeton, New Jersey (January 23, 1777), Washington marched north to Morristown, where he set up winter headquarters for himself and the Continental Army on January 6, 1777. The hills surrounding the camp provided a perfect vantage point for Washington to spy on the British army located in New York City. It was also positioned strategically to allow the Americans to monitor the roads used by the British troops. This letter reveals Washington's continual frustrations as Commander in Chief with inaccurate or even fraudulent recruitment numbers as he awaits a move by General Willian Howe's British Army. It is accompanied by a print of Rembrandt Peale's painting of Washington in uniform. Condition: Two pinholes along the integral fold at the intersections of horizontal folds. One area of loss to blank portion of address leaf from seal removal upon opening. Light scattered soiling and foxing. HID03101062020 © 2022 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved

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