27 October 1782-20 November 1782

Campbell, John, fl. 1782-1787

Manuscript document

Title: [Return of forage issued]

Lists the date issued, to whom, the quantity, and whether it was Indian corn, oats, rye, peas or hay.

GLC02437.10513

2 January 1783

Bushnell, David, 1740-1826

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Bushnell signs as Captain, Sappers and Miners. Gives his account of a situation involving Captain Lieutenant Taulman and Kirkpatrick. The two soldiers disobeyed his orders concerning their baggage and he had to arrest them. Refer to GLC02437.01788 for Knox's reply.

GLC02437.10514

19 October 1781

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to George Washington

Indicates that he has received an inaccurate (imprecise) report of the (captured) cannons and mortars at the lines during the siege of Yorktown, which he blames on the confusion there. Thought the report would still be useful, knowing Colonel Tench Tilghman's destination. Has not yet received word of the artillery captured at Gloucester. Tilghman, an aide-de-camp and military secretary to Washington, was on his way to Philadelphia to announce the formal surrender of Lord Cornwallis, which happened that day. See GLC02437.01245 for a related item.

GLC02437.01241

26 October 1781

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Board of War and Ordnance

Reports that Lord Cornwallis' surrender at the Battle of Yorktown precludes the need for the additional ordnance requested from Williamsburg (see GLC02437.01204). Indicates that by order of General George Washington, some arms will be kept on deposit in Virginia and sent to General Nathanael Greene. This eliminates the need for Colonel Robert Harrison to obtain ammunition from the Board of War & Ordnance for Greene.

GLC02437.01264

29 October 1781

Washington, George, 1732-1799

Manuscript letter

Title: to Thomas S. Lee

Asks Governor of Maryland Lee to intervene on the behalf of Captain Thomas Shilds, who Henry Knox ordered to gather supplies for the siege of Yorktown. Shilds was authorized to impress material and he confiscated wooden planks from a man named William Adams, who consequently brought a suit against Shilds. Clerical copy in the hand of Samuel Shaw and signed by him for Washington. See GLC02437.01200 for a related document.

GLC02437.01273

1 November 1781

Cobb, David, 1748-1830

Autograph letter signed

Title: to General Kingsley

Communicates orders from General George Washington to expeditiously load all the stores that are being transported to Head Of Elk, Maryland onto vessels. Anything that cannot fit should be loaded onto French ships. The ordnance being transported had been used in the siege of Yorktown. Probably intended for Henry Knox. Docket written in Henry Knox's hand. Cobb was an aide-de-camp to Washington.

GLC02437.01279

4 November 1781

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Manuscript letter

Title: to Edward Carrington

Places Colonel Carrington in charge of the establishment of a artillery magazine in Virginia for the use of the Southern Army, as ordered by George Washington. Instructs on how to proceed in transporting ordnance from Yorktown to Westham and obtaining assistance from Governor of Virginia Thomas Nelson. Detailed explanations of how to store and maintain the munitions. Indicates that the Deputy Field Commissary of Military Stores Thomas Jones will be in charge of the stores and discusses regulations regarding ordnance distribution, accounting procedures, and payment processes. Discusses what…

GLC02437.01284

11 November 1781

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Clement Biddle

Thanks him and Mrs. Biddle for their kindness to Mrs. Knox and their young daughter while in Philadelphia. Comments that Biddle's knowledge of his orders during the siege will excuse his inability to write frequently. Stresses his interest in ensuring that American battalions are filled with troops. Describes the recent illness and death of Mr. Custis, George Washington's stepson, while he was at camp with Washington as an aide. Mentions that General and Mrs. Washington were present for his "last gasp." He is waiting for General and Mrs. Washington and Mrs. Custis to arrive, but "Mrs. Knox…

GLC02437.01287

19 November 1781

Carrington, Edward, 1749-1810

Manuscript letter signed

Title: to Thomas Nelson

Refers to a letter he forwarded to Nelson from General George Washington regarding a shipment of military stores to be deposited at Westham. If unable to find storage there, he was to ask Nelson for help finding storage in Richmond. Comments he waited several days to see Nelson but must now depart to attend to the General Affairs Division. Introduces Captain Singleton as the person Nelson should now contact regarding this matter. They will need about twenty men "as a guard and fatigue: which I shall be happy he could be furnished with, as early as they can be procured from the militia, or…

GLC02437.01291

19-26 October 1781

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph document

Title: [Ordnance taken at York and Gloucester]

List of ordnance, arms and military stores "taken in the Enemies posts of" York and Gloucester. This "summary return" likely dates between October 19 and October 26, 1781. On the 26th, Washington drafted a letter to Congress (the final is addressed October 27) enclosing a number of final returns (which he had just received) of material captured at Yorktown, including one for arms, ordnance and military supplies. This summary appears to include estimates of captured arms and ordnance based on early assessments, before detailed inventories had been made. As such, it probably dates to within a…

GLC02437.01316

4 January 1782

Davies, William, fl. 1781-1782

Manuscript letter

Title: to Edward Carrington

Marked "copy." Writes to Colonel Edward Carrington regarding movement of military stores to Richmond or Westham, Virginia. Advises that "Westham is a very unsafe place & Richmond much worse. An Easterly wind is a fair wind for the Enemy's shipping to run up the river, it generally brings rain which prevents the militia from turning out so readily, and of course [lessens?] the opposition; besides it swells the River in such a manner that there is no moving against it: and if you have your stores at Richmond or Manchester, the same objections apply, with the additional risk from the want…

GLC02437.01325

circa 26 October 1781

Frothingham, Richard, 1748-1819

Manuscript document

Title: [Return of Ordnance & Military Stores Taken at York & Gloucester in Virginia by the Surrender of the British Army]

This is a copy, in the hand of Samuel Shaw, of a "Return of Ordnance & Military Stores Taken at York & Gloucester in Virginia by the Surrender of the British Army," which Washington enclosed in his letter to Congress of October 27-29, 1781. (See Papers of the Continental Congress, NARA M247, Item 152, Vol. 10, pp. 336+. Note that their copy appears to be missing the final page(s). An additional copy, transcribed by Congress, is in the Papers as well.) Based on the content of Washington's letter, an October 26th draft of which is in the George Washington Papers at the Library of…

GLC02437.10031

12 October 1781

Stevens, Ebenezer, 1751-1823

Autograph document signed

Title: Report of Ammunition expended in the different Batteries the 11th & 12th Oct. 1781.

List quantities of ordnance used at the Grand Battery, the Mortar Battery, and the Left Battery at the siege of Yorktown. Stevens served under the Marquis de Lafayette in Virginia, and for a part of the time commanded the artillery at Yorktown.

GLC02437.01222

12-13 October 1781

Bauman, Sebastian, 1739-1803

Autograph document signed

Title: A Return of ordnance stores Expended in the differen Batteries on the lines Before York, from the 12th to the 13 of Oct. Inst.

Lists quantities of stores used in the first and second batteries, from 12 to 13 October and 16 to 17 October respectively, under Major Bauman during the siege of Yorktown. Bauman commanded an artillery corps that was a part of Colonel John Lamb's Second Regiment of Continental Artillery.

GLC02437.01224

15 October 1781

Carrington, Edward, 1749-1810

Autograph document signed

Title: Report of the Stores expended in the Grand Battery, Oct. 15. 1781 under the Command of Capt. Stevens.

Lists quantities of stores used and on hand at the Grand Battery and Redoubt under the command of Colonel Ebenezer Stevens, at the Left Battery under the command of Captain Lt. Thompson and by 10" mortars commanded by Capt. Gvion, during the siege of Yorktown. A note at the end by Carrington cites the taking of the British forces' left and right redoubts by Lafayette and French forces.

GLC02437.01228

17 October 1781

Bauman, Sebastian, 1739-1803

Autograph document signed

Title: A Report of ordnance Ammunition Expended during my Command on the different Batteries in the lines, between the 16 & 17 Oct. inst.

Lists quantities of stores used in the first and second batteries under Major Bauman during the siege of Yorktown. Reports the death of Peter Peiner. Bauman commanded an artillery corps that was a part of Colonel John Lamb's Second Regiment of Continental Artillery.

GLC02437.01232

18 October 1781

Frothingham, Richard, 1748-1819

Autograph document signed

Title: Invoice of Stores at Trebell's Landing.

Lists quantities of ordnance intended for the siege of Yorktown. Frothingham was a Deputy and Principal Field Commissary of Military Stores in Knox's artillery train. Notes appear on the list that associate the items with instructions in a letter created the same day. The notes are in the same hand as the unidentified author of that letter (see GLC02437.01237).

GLC02437.01238

19 October 1781

Shaw, Samuel, 1754-1794

Autograph document

Title: [Return of shot and shells].

Lists shot and shells sent to the line, expended, and left over at Yorktown on 19 October 1781. Also lists shot and shells expended from 9 October 1781 to 17 October 1781 under the command of John Lamb, Edward Carrington, Ebenezer Stevens, and Sebastian Bauman. Henry Knox's copy.

GLC02437.01240

19 October 1781

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph document signed

Title: An account of the Stores in the Magazine & Park of Artillery.

Also signed by Richard Frothingham. Lists quantities of ordnance on hand during the siege of Yorktown. The list was composed by Frothingham, a Deputy and Principal Field Commissary of Military Stores in Knox's artillery train. It was gone over by Knox, who placed symbols next to items indicating that they were to either be shipped to Philadelphia or "remain with Mr. [Thomas] Jones in Virginia."

GLC02437.01243

19 October 1781

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph document signed

Title: A Summary return of the Ordnance, Arms and military stores taken in the Enemies posts of York and Glocester.

Short list of British ordnance confiscated after the siege of Yorktown and a note indicating that the totals are so numerous that a complete detailed return has not yet been obtained.

GLC02437.01245

26 October 1781

Shaw, Samuel, 1754-1794

Autograph document

Title: State of the Artillery at York and its vicinity.

Lists quantities of various types of ordnance remaining after the siege of Yorktown including ordnance "taken from the English." Also gives a proposed breakdown between stores held by Colonel Edward Carrington, the state of Virginia, and Philadelphia. A note on the final page indicates that 1,000 arms and accoutrements and 250,000 musket cartridges are to be sent by Carrington to Nathanael Greene, and some to North Carolina. The rest of the ordnance will be deposited at Richmond, Virginia. Henry Knox's copy.

GLC02437.01262

28 October 1781

Shaw, Samuel, 1754-1794

Autograph document

Title: Estimate of horses and waggons necessary for the transportation of the following cannon and stores.

Lists quanties of ordnance and the amount of horses and wagons needed to move them. Compiled shortly after the siege of Yorktown. Docket dated 29 October 1781.

GLC02437.01272

circa 21 October 1781-24 October 1781

Shaw, Samuel, 1754-1794

Autograph document

Title: Ordnance & Stores directed to be Sent up the Bay of Chesapeake.

Lists quantities of different types of ordnance to be transported. The Battle of Yorktown had ended earlier that month.

GLC02437.01274

October 1781

Manuscript document

Title: [Quotations from the Marquis de Chastellux about Henry Knox]

Later copy. Paraphrases quotations by the Marquis de Chastellux that praise the activities of Knox and the artillery in aiding the siege of Yorktown. Chastellux was one of three major French generals sent with General Rochambeau to assist in the Battle of Yorktown.

GLC02437.01275

1 November 1781

Hiwell, John, fl. 1788

Autograph document signed

Title: Return of the musick of the Army under the command of the Honlb. Majr. Genl. Heath.

Chart enumerating supplies of musical instruments and their quality held by various regiments under General William Heath. A note at the bottom indicates that "Fifes are Exceedingly wanted." Hiwell was a first Lieutenant in a Massachusetts Artillery regiment. Heath commanded Highlands Department on the east side of the lower Hudson River. Written in "Continental Village." Henry Knox's copy.

GLC02437.01278