prefer that mode on many accounts, as you may easily conceive, to unlimited powers. But what I principally now want to be assured of is, whether they do or do not approve the conduct of the former commissioners, and the principles which they seemed desirous of establishing. With much truth and affection, I am, &c.1

SIR,

TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

HEAD-QUARTErs, Newburg, 19 August, 1782.

Congress have been already furnished with copies of all letters, which had passed between the commanders-in-chief of the British forces in New York and myself, respecting the murder of Captain Huddy previous to the last of July. I have now the honor to enclose Sir Guy Carleton's letter of the 1st instant, (in reply to mine of the 25th [30th ?] ultimo,)

1" What can Induce Congress to restrain the Issues of the full Number of Rations to any Officer in the Army, which his Rank entitles him to?-when if they mean fair, it is to the public a mere matter of moonshine, whether the Financier pays the Value of them to that Officer if he does not draw them-or to the Contractor if he does?

"Can these things fail to irritate-and irritating, are they not pregnant with mischief? Is it policy-is it Justice to keep a sore constantly gangreened, when no good End is, or possibly can be answered by it? Should men, who have indured more, & received less of their pay than any other Class of people in public Service, have so little Consideration or Attention paid to their Interests or Comforts?

"Would to God, false policy, Inattention or something else, may not be productive of disagreement which will prove irreconcilable."-- Washington to the Secretary at War, 21 August, 1782.

2 Washington, on the 25th, named Heath and two aids to meet a British officer of equal rank at Phillips House, on August 5th, to receive the proceed

and that of the 13th, which accompanied the proceedings of the general court-martial for the trial of Captain Lippincott. The proceedings, together with such other documents as relate to that unfortunate transaction, I also transmit by this opportunity.

As Sir Guy Carleton, notwithstanding the acquittal of Lippincott, reprobates the measure in unequivocal terms, and has given assurances of prosecuting a further inquiry, it has changed the ground I was proceeding upon, and placed the matter upon an extremely delicate footing.

It would be assuming in me to ascribe causes to actions different from those, which are ostensibly and plausibly assigned; but, admitting that General Carleton has no other object but to procrastinate, he has, by disavowing the act, by declaring that it is held in abhorrence, by not even sanctioning the motives, which appear to have influenced Lippincott to become the executioner of Huddy, and by giving the strongest assurances that further inquisition shall be made, so far manifested the appearance of an earnest desire to bring the guilty to punishment, that I fear an act of retaliation upon an innocent person before the result of his inquisition is known, would be considered by the impartial and unprejudiced world in an unfavorable and perhaps unjustifiable

ings of the court-martial on Captain Lippincott. Sir Guy Carleton, however, wished to send with the papers Chief-Justice Frederick Smith to make additional explanations, and Attorney-General Kempe to "enter into such explanations as might tend to remove all reciprocal complaints in the province of New Jersey." Washington very properly declined to complicate what was merely a military question, with another that belonged to the civil government.

point of view; more especially as the great end proposed by retaliation, which is to prevent a repetition of injuries, has been in a manner answered. For, you will please to observe, by the extract of General Clinton's letter of the 26th of April to Governor Franklin,' that he had expressly forbidden the Board of Directors to remove or exchange in future any prisoners of war in the custody of their commissary without having first obtained his approbation and orders.

The same reasons, which induced me to lay the first steps I took in this affair before Congress, urge me to submit it to them at its present stage. It is a great national concern, upon which an individual ought not to decide. I shall be glad to be favored with the determination of Congress as early as possible, as I shall suspend giving any answer to Sir Guy Carleton, until I am informed how far they are satisfied with his conduct hitherto.

I cannot close this letter without making a remark upon that part of Sir Guy's, in which he charges me with want of humanity in selecting a victim from among the British officers so early as I did. He ought to consider, that, by the usage of war and upon the principles of retaliation, I should have been justified in executing an officer of equal rank with Captain Huddy immediately upon receiving proofs of his murder, and then informing Sir Henry Clinton that I had done so. Besides, it was impossible for

1 President of the Board of Directors of the Associated Loyalists, and immediately responsible for the hanging of Huddy.

me to have foreseen, that it would be so very long before the matter would be brought to some kind of issue. I have the honor to be, &c.1

SIR,

TO MAJOR-GENERAL KNOX.

INSTRUCTIONS.

You are hereby appointed to the command of West Point and its dependencies. But, as the army will lie for some time upon. Verplanck's Point, you will consider yourself as relieved till further orders from the care of attending to that post, Stony Point, and Dobbs's Ferry, which are part of the dependencies, except so far as relates to their being constantly supplied with the proper quantity of ordnance. I have so thorough a confidence in you, and so well am I acquainted with your ability and activity, that I think it needless to point out to you the great outlines of your duty. I recommend the following matters to your attention.

To visit the redoubts frequently; to see that they are kept in proper order; that the garrisons allotted to them are alert, and that they make it an invariable rule to sleep within the works. They should each be furnished constantly with ten days' wood and water; and, if the contractors keep up such a magazine of salt provision upon the Point, as they ought to do by contract, the detached works should be provided with ten days' provision also. The rolls to be frequently called. No officer to be absent without your leave, and no non-commissioned officer or soldier without the leave of a field-officer.

The quarter-master having reported a scarcity of tents, you will be pleased to remove the tenth Massachussets regiment into the barracks, that their tents may be delivered up. No buildings, either public or private, are to be erected without your knowledge; and, when applications are made to you for that purpose,

Read in Congress August 26th. Referred to Rutledge, McKean, and Duane. October 15th, Witherspoon and Wright were added.

you will, if they are admitted, direct the commanding engineer to point out the situations, that they may not interfere with the defences of the place. The public buildings now carrying on, and the alterations and repairs of the works, will engage your particular attention. You know the necessity of bringing them to a certain state before the frost sets in. Given at Head-Quarters, at Newburg, the 29th of August, 1782.'

The late New York papers announce the evacuation of Charleston, as a matter which would certainly take place soon after the 7th of August. I have, upon this information, written to Major-General Smallwood and Colonel Butler to send forward to this army the recruits of Maryland and Pennsylvania, which are at Annapolis and Carlisle. I enclose the letters under flying seals to you, that you may take the sense of Congress upon the matter, before the orders are carried into execution.

Congress having determined what troops should compose the southern army, I do not think myself absolutely at liberty to withdraw those, which are

I The army moved from Newburg, on the 31st of August, to Verplanck's Point, where an encampment was established. This change was in consequence of an agreement with Count de Rochambeau to form a junction of the American and French armies at that place, and also to be nearer to the enemy in case any hostile attempts should be made from New York; although, from the inactivity and pacific declarations of Sir Guy Carleton, such attempts were not anticipated.