American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-02-19
An Unpublished Letter Of Gen. wash
ingtOn.

Tho Poughkeepsie On. W Eagle says
Col. William III. Tallmadge, of that city,
has letter written by Gen. Washing
ton handsomely framed and hung up in
his room. 1t has never before been given
to the public. 1t reads as follows:
CoRYELEs FERRY, 30th July, 1777
SIR: / have desired Gen. Gates TO give
you immediate information of the arrival of
the cnemy's fleets on the Delaware, upon
which you are to move down to Philad. !;
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 communi-
cate this to the officers commanding the dif-
fercnt corps and desire them always to hold
themselves in readiness to move at moments
warming.
+. S.-When you begin your march send
one of your aids forward to Gen. Gates
TO Know to what post you are to march.
am, sir, your most obedient servant,
G. WASHINGTON.
Benson ]. LOSING, the historian, writes
in relation to it rs follows:
MY Dear Sir: SO thank you for the
copy of Washington's letter. Coryells
Ferry was on the Delaware, above Tren-
ton.
at was indeed critical time in the
history of the war. Washington's head
quarters were at Ramapo, in Rockland
County. Burgoyne was making his way
toward the upper Hudson, and was already
in possession of Lake Champlain. 1t was
supposed that the army under Gen.
Howe would be borne up the Hudson
River by the feet of Admiral Howe, to
meet Burgoyne, and so holding possession
of the Hudson Valley, upper and lower,
separate New England from the
rest of the colonies: Washington
New York for some time, until at
length their fleet and army sailed out of
the bay, when he suspected (what hap
penedj that instead of going up the Hud-
son they were going to attack Philadel-
phia. He was at Coryell's Ferry for a
day or two, while trying to gain informa-
ton of their real destination. He sus-
pected they would enter Delaware River
and move Immediately upon Philadelphia.
peake Bay, sailed up to its head at Elk
ion. where the troops landed and attempt
ed 10 take Philadelphia (the seat of the
Continental Government in the rear.
Washington, appraised of the movements,
moved his army from the vicinity Of the
Hudson into Pennsylvania, and on the
18th of September fought the battle of the
Brandywine, in which he was defeated.
" At the time this letter was written
Gen. Gates was in Philadelphia, angry
and suilen because Gen. Schuyler had
been reinstated in the command of the
Northern army; and already, no doubt,
contemplating the conspiracy for the over
throw of Washington which he Gates
planned and entered into at the close of
that year.
CAS- soon as Washington knew that the
British fleet and army had gone out upon
the ocean, he moved his own army to the
Delaware River. They were stationed
in divisions ut the time he wrote the letter
in your possession, at three ferries, ready
to pass over into Pennsylvania at a mo-
ment's warning. These ferries were Cor
yelPs, Trenton and Howell's. There he
halted until the destination of the British
time he left a division of the army to pro-
tect the posts in the Highlands of the I
Hudson, in case the British should sud-
penly return and ascend that river"