The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1876-03-02
An Unpublished Letter Of Washington.

lfoughkeepse Eagle.J
Colonel William III. Tallmadge of this
city has letter written by Gen. Wash
ington handsomely framed and hung up
in his room. 1t has never been given to
the public. 1t reads as follows:
"CoRYELL's FERRY, 30th July, 1777.
"Sr: have desired General Gates to
give you immediate information Of the ar
rival of the enemy's fleet on the Delaware,
upon which you are to move down to Phila-
delphia, with all the troops at Trenton. My
former directions were to wait order Of
march from me, but you are now to attend
to those of General Gates. Be pleased to
communicate this to the officers command
ing the different corps and desire them al
waysto hold themselves in readiness to move
at moments warning.
"P. S.-When you begin your march send
one OF your aids forward to General Gates
to know to what post you are to march. am,
sir, your most obedient servant,
G. WASHINGTON"
Benson J. Losing, the historian, writes
in relation to it as follows:
my Dear Sir: thank you for the copy
of Washington's letter. CoryelPs Ferry
was on the Delaware, above Trenton.
alt was, indeed, critical time in the his
tory Of the war. Washington's headquarters
Burgoyne was making his way toward the
upper Hudson, and was already in possession
of Lake Champlain. 1t was supposed that
the army under General Howe would be
borne up the Hudson river by the fleet oil
| Admiral Howe, to meet Burgoyne, and Sc
| holding possession of the Hudson Valley
upper and lower, separate New England
| from the rest of the colonies. Washington
had heen watching the British at New York
| tbai Qnt n nl
army sailed out of the bay, when he sus
pected (what happened) that instead Of go
ing up the Hudson they were going TO attack
Philadelphia. He was at CoryelPs Ferry fol
| a day or two, while trying to gain informa
ton of their real destination. He suspected
they would enter the Delaware river an(
move Immediately upon Philadelphia. The!
went further; they went to Chesapeake Bay
sailed up to its head at Elkton, where thu
troops landed and attempted to take Phila
delphia (the seat of the Centennial govern
ment) in the rear. Washington, appraised o
the movements, moved his army from tn
vicinity of the Hudson into Pennsylvania
and on the 18th of September fought tn
battle of the Brandywine, in which he wa
defeated.
"At the time this letter was written Gen
Gates was in Philadelphia, angry and sullel
because General Schuyler had been rein
stated in the command of the Northern
army; and already, no doubt, contemplating
the conspiracy for the overthrow of Wash
ington which he (Gates) planned and Ell
tered into at the close of that year.
GAS soon as Washington knew that tn
British fleet and army had gone out upon tn
ocean, he moved his own army to the Della
ware river. They were stationed in divisions
at the time he wrote the letter in your pos
session, at three ferries, ready to pass owe
into Pennsylvania at moments warning
These ferries were Coryells, Trenton an
HowelPs. There he halted until the destina
ton of the British forces was certainl
known. At the same Time he left division
of the army to protect the posts in the High
lands of the Hudson, in case the British
should suddenly return and ascend tn
| river"