"Be pleased to furnish General Putnam with a non Commissioned
Officer and Six Dragoons to be relieved as often as you shall think
proper." -- Washington to Col. Elisha Sheldon , Jan. 8, 1779.
This letter is in the Washington Papers.
To Major General Israel Putnum
Head Quarters at Fredericksburg, November 27, 1778.
Sir: You are appointed to the command of the Brigades of Poor,
Parsons and Huntington which are to be quartered this Winter at
Danbury. You will keep a succession of small parties down towards
the enemy's lines, mostly towards the Sound as Genl. Mcdougall will
guard the North River to watch their motions, prevent small parties
from penetrating too great a distance into the Country, and to gain
any intelligence which may be collected: But the Officers are to
be charged in the most express manner, not to meddle with or bring
off any Cattle, or Horses, [unless they should be found driving
into the Enemys lines; or in eminent danger of being taken by them;
in either of which cases they may be brought off but are not to
be considered as the private property of the Party; but delivered
to the Commissary and Quarter Master for the use, of the Public]
who are to pay the owners when brought off to prevent their falling
into the hands of the enemy, nor are they to take any other kind
of property from any persons under pretence of its belonging to
Tories. You are not on any account to suffer persons, Inhabitants
of the United States to go within the enemy's lines without they
produce a written licence from the Governor or Civil Authority of
the State to which they belong [agreeably to a mode pointed out
by Congress.] As many inconveniencies arise from Flags of Truce
being sent from a variety of Quarters, you are desired, if applications
are made to you on that subject, to refer them to [me unless
such application is made by the Governor, or the Executive power
of the State in which you are, in that case the request is to be
complied with in the first Instance.]
No small parties are by any means to be permitted to go upon
Long Island. The most shameful abuses have been committed [and
injurious consequences arisen] from such parties, who make no
discrimination between the inhabitants, many of whom, altho' obliged
to remain there, are well affected to our Cause. Should there be
any necessity of sending particular Officers over for intelligence,
[you must make choice of such as you can be responsable for,
that the end may be answered.] Nevertheless should the enemy,
by advancing a party upon the Island to any considerable distance
from the main Body, put themselves in such a situation as to afford
a prospect of making a stroke at them with success, I would not
mean by the foregoing to prevent such an enterprise from taking
place. Even in that case, the Officer commanding should be charged
to attend to his military object solely, and not, by suffering his
Men to run up and down after plunder, lose any advantage which he
might have gained.
If the Enemy make a demonstration of acting upon the North
River [and] you [shd.] receive information [thereof]
from General Mcdougall; [A Brigade] of the troops at Danbury
are to proceed immediately towards the posts in the Highlands [and
another held in readiness to follow, or act otherwise as circumstances
may require.] They may probably at the same time make a move
as if towards Danbury: but it will in my opinion be only to create
a diversion in favor of their real design upon the Highlands, the
loss of which would be of the utmost consequence [to the United
States] while Danbury is no [more an] object [than
Bedford or any other little Village.] As the good order and
discipline of the Troops during the Winter will depend upon a proper
number of Officers being constantly in Quarters with the Men, you
will, in granting Furloughs endeavour to observe the following Regulations
as near as possible. No Regiment to be without two Field Officers
at one time but in extraordinary Cases. No Company to be without
two Commissioned Officers at a time but in like Cases. No Regiment
to have more than twenty Men upon Furlough at a time, that Number
to be proportioned among the Companies. When the Weather will permit,
you are to see that the Brigade Inspectors attend to the Manoeuvre
and discipline of their respective Brigades upon the plan introduced
the last Campaign. You are to take every measure to prevent and
severely punish marauding or any insult to the persons or destruction
of the property of the inhabitants by the Soldiery. Particular attention
is to be paid to keeping a stock of Fire Wood which will take off
every pretence for consuming Fences or out Houses. As soon as the
Brigades have fixed upon their Ground for hutting and have drawn
the timber necessary for building, the Quarter Master is to be directed
to send away as many draught and other Horses as can possibly be
spared. They are to be sent to such places as are out of the communication
between the North River and Boston, that they may not consume the
forage necessary for the teams transporting provision and Stores.
Monthly Returns are to be made regularly to the Adjutant Genl.
To Major General Israel Putnum
Head Quarters, November 25, 1778.
Dear Sir:
I this morning received your favour of the 24th. Instant. I
am well pleased with your Orders to Genl. Poor to proceed immediately
to Danbury, and to Colo. Badlam for escorting Lieut. Col. Ezra Badlam,
of the Second Massachusetts Regiment. in his room the Rear divisions
of the Convention troops to Fish Kill. There has never been any
regulation of Congress, authorising Officers and Soldiers on furlough
to draw their Rations in the Country, and it can never be done without
endless inconveniences. The proceedings of Congress suppose a different
idea, and under that part of the Establishment of the Army which
took place the 2d. of July, Officers have subsistence money allowed
them in lieu and in exclusion of Rations even when in Camp. You
will find your instructions within, and perceive thereby, that I
have prohibited all seizures of property by our parties under the
idea of it's belonging to Tories. Under this pretext there have
been many enormities committed, disgraceful to our arms and injurious
in the extreme. These instructions are dated November 27, whereby
it seems that they were either not inclosed or else this letter
was not sent forward until that date. Your instructions do not mention
the manner, in which the three Brigades under your command are to
be quartered; but wishing the Army to be as little burthensome as
possible to the Inhabitants of the Country, and that the Troops
composing it's several divisions may lie compactly together, in
order to their greater security, and better discipline and government,
It is my desire that they should hut themselves as they did last
Winter at Valley forge, where ever they can. This will be done by
the divisions which quarter on the West side of Hudsons River, and
I persuade myself that you and all the Officers with you will give
proper attention to the manner of constructing the Huts. There were
several last winter at Valley forge, which by the care of the Officers
were not only comfortable but commodious, and in which the Men lived
exceedingly well and preserved their health. These are considerations
very important, and I have only to add, the sooner the Troops can
be fixed the better. I am, etc.
I have been favoured with your Letter of the 16th. Inst.
I confess I expected that the Connecticut Troops were to receive
their Cloathing from Major Bigelow, and was surprised to find, that
there was even a wish or an idea to the contrary. I have ever held
and, I hope, I ever shall, all the troops of the Army in the same
point of light, and as far as it has been in my power they have
had equal justice in every instance. In the case under consideration,
the Cloathing in the hands of Major Bigelow was allotted to the
Connecticut troops, not by any compulsion or wish of mine, but on
the most pressing and importunate solicitation of General Parsons,
and Other Officers. They feared, that it would be made subject to
a common Maj. John Bigelow, Assistant Commissary of Clothing. distribution,
and such was the anxiety to obtain it for the Connecticut troops,
that arguments were used to shew, that they, from many considerations,
had an exclusive claim to it, or at least one superior to any Others.
These are facts well known to Genl. Parsons and to other officers,
and, at the same time that they must remove every idea of a
discrimination on my part injurious to them, which I am happy to
beleive never had place in your mind, they must preclude every possible
ground of complaint, or right to claim a change, even if the Cloathing
drawn by the other troops should be much better. However, notwithstanding
all this, as it is my wish to prevent the least possible pretext
for uneasiness and to place all the Troops on the same footing,
as far as it can be done, I shall be willing to give orders for
compleat suits of French Cloathing for all the inlisted men in the
Two Connecticut Brigades, under the usual restrictions, provided
there shall remain sufficient, after the other Troops are served,
who as matters stand I am obliged to consider as entitled to a preference,
on your assurances, that all the Cloathing they have already received
on Continental account from Major Bigelow or that is now in the
Taylors hands, as a supply for the Winter and the ensuing campaign
shall be returned to the public Cloathier. This exception I am obliged
to make, and these assurances I must require and obtain, in justice
to the States and to the rest of the Army. You I am certain will
think them right, and will punctually comply with whatever you undertake.
We have been fortunate in our supplies of Cloathing, compared to
what we have hitherto been, but yet oeconomy and an ingenuous conduct
are essential to make it serve and to promote equality. Among
the many arguments which were adduced to show how extremely improper
it would be to deprive them of these Cloaths it was urged that they
had employed their own Taylors, their own Officers to superintend
the business, and that the Cloaths were made to suit the uniforms
of the respective Regts. I am, etc.
To MAJOR GENERAL ISRAEL PUTNAM
Head Quarters, November 17, 1778.
Dear Sir:
You will, as soon as possible after receipt of this, put the
two Massachusetts Brigades under your command in motion, with their
Artillery and Baggage, and proceed with them to Danbury, where you
will receive further orders. General Poor, with his Brigade, is
to conduct the Convention troops from Enfield to Fish Kill landing.
I have written to him particularly on the subject and therefore
it is unnecessary to detail his instructions here. The two Massachusetts
Brigades cannot arrive too soon at Danbury, provided they do not
march so fast as to injure themselves. I am, etc.
P. S. There have been several claims exhibited against a Lt.
Trowbridge of the 2d. Connecticut Batallion, by Men in his Company,
such as bounty and billeting money, and pay; and besides this, it
seems he was considerably indebted to the public. It is said that
you gave him a discharge from the service. I shall be glad if you
will inform me, whether he lodged with you proper certificates of
his being clear of debt previous to his dismission and whether he
was at that time or is now in circumstances to pay the claims against
him.