21 April 1782

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to George Washington

Relates some of his experiences at the commissioner meeting in Elizabeth Town to negotiate a prisoner exchange. Suspects that many of the propositions the patriots made were discussed in New York by a council before any decisions were made by the British. Believes they "never shall obtain justice or equal treatment from the Enemy" unless they are "in a position to demand it." Refers to a report (GL02437.01377), and a "private letter," (GL02437.01395). Also discusses his and Washington's belief that several unnamed persons are providing intelligence to the British. Comments on whether they…

GLC02437.01393

21 April 1782

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Manuscript document

Title: to George Washington

Copy in Samuel Shaw's hand and signed by him for both Knox and Morris. Knox and Morris assumed the public would be interested in the POW report they recently submitted to Congress, so they wrote this letter for Washington with information they excluded from that report to avoid its publication. Says they "had no opportunity of bringing forward distinctly the affairs of Mr. Laurens. By pushing it abruptly into notice we might have obstructed but would not have forwarded your views for his release. Had our general propositions been acceded to, his exchange would have followed necessarily. Had…

GLC02437.01395

14 May 1782

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to George Washington

Relates that the artillery artificers are preparing supplies and will be ready to march whenever General Washington thinks it is the right time; Knox imagines it will be after 1 June. Explains that he will be leaving today for Burlington and expects to stay there for three or four days before proceeding to headquarters. Describes Mrs. Knox's travel plans as well.

GLC02437.01416

1 June 1782

Hiwell, John, fl. 1788

Autograph document signed

Title: Inspection return of the music in the army under the immediate command of his excellency General Washington

Chart indicates the amount of supplies (such as fifes, drums, and fife cases) per regiment which they have in good repair, the amount broken, and the amount they need.

GLC02437.01435

8 June 1782

Shaw, Samuel, 1754-1794

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Ruddock

Written from "Head Quarters." Shaw writes to Ruddock, the Field Commissary of Military Stores for Fishkill, that General Henry Knox wants Ruddock to send Colonel George Reid, commanding officer at Albany, "twenty thousand musket cartridges for the use of the troops under his command." On the verso is an "Extract of a Letter" from Colonel Reid (spelled Ried), addressed to General Washington, and written in a different hand. This letter informs Washington that they are "almost Distitute of Cartriges in this Quarter - the few that are on Hand, are much too small, being made for the Militia…

GLC02437.01445

8 July 1782

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter

Title: to George Washington

Impressed with the importance of West Point for "the existence of the United States," says he wanted to make sure the fort was in working order and that its dependencies were well-supplied with cannon and military stores. Says he has made every exertion, but that money and equipment are in short supply. Has included a paper describing the state of ordnance and supplies (not included here). Says if he had all the ammunition he requested he would only have enough for a siege of ten days, but as it is, only half the cannon would be functional. Says many of the 10-inch shells and shot are at…

GLC02437.01479

31 July 1782

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter

Title: to George Washington

In response to a request by General George Washington to consider the best place in West Point to erect a magazine, the "General Officers" would like Knox to report that the "hollow west of Fort Clinton" is "under all circumstances" the best place for it.

GLC02437.01512

31 July 1782

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Sir Guy Carleton

First two pages are from an unsigned letter written by Major General Knox to General Carleton, the commander of the British Army. The third page is a signed note to Washington on 31 July 1782. References Carleton's previous letter which contained a request for a passport to be forwarded to Chief Justice Smyth so he could bring the trial transcript and his explanatory comments to the Americans. This is probably a reference to the court martial proceedings against Lippincott, who the Americans claimed was responsible for the killing of Captain Joshua Huddy. Hopes that Carleton will punish the…

GLC02437.01513

3 September 1782

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter

Title: to George Washington

Has received his recent letter directed to himself and General [Andrew] McDougall. Declares that for his own part, he is perfectly ready to do what General Washington would like him to do, including meeting the "Gentlemen from the enemy" on the 16th or 18th of September. Mentions that they will need to prepare accommodations and provisions for the meeting. Says that General McDougall "seems to decline the commission for reasons which Major [likely Hodjiah] Baylies will give" to General Washington.

GLC02437.01564

7 September 1782

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter

Title: to George Washington

Mentions that he has received General Washington's letter of 5 September, regarding repairs of arms. Declares that each brigade's own armorers have been performing the repairs to the best of their ability, and that that is the only option, since "there is not one hired armorer in the Army of the United States. Your Excellncy must have been misinformed with respect to any armorers at this post, as there are none here." Explains that brigades have traveling forges consisting of borax and salt, and that they can be sent to Verplanks Point. Has sent someone to Philadelphia to purchase borax on…

GLC02437.01589

22 September 1782

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to George Washington

Written by Major General Knox to General Washington. Says he arrived at camp to find that 22 American women and children, formerly prisoners who had travelled from Canada, were seeking assistance. They travelled down from Vermont to Albany, New York. From Albany, Lord Stirling sent them southward with the idea that they could reach Philadelphia. Says "These unhappy people, were inhabitants of the frontiers of Virginia and Pennsylvania. Their husbands and fathers have been murdered by the Savages and themselves taken into captivity to Canada." Reports that after "horrors unutterable," they…

GLC02437.01624

10 September 1782

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to George Washington

Informs Washington of the death of his infant son, Washington's godson. Knox's retained draft.

GLC02437.10042

11 September 1782

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to George Washington

Discusses problems with the issuance of provisions at West Point. Knox's retained draft.

GLC02437.10043

16 September 1782

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to George Washington

Discusses the difficulty of a building project on Constitution Island, possibly an ordnance magazine and barracks. Encloses a "representation" from Major Chevalier de Villefranche, involved in the construction project. Knox's retained draft.

GLC02437.10045

10 February 1782

Aboville, Francois Marie, comte de, 1730-1817

Manuscript letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox [in French]

Discusses abandoned cannon in Virginia. Writes at the urging of the Comte de Rochambeau, who is sure Knox was unaware of them. (See GLC02437.01365, Knox's response, written in English.)

GLC02437.01350

9 March 1782

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Francois Jean, marquis de Chastellux

Writes that it would ill suit "the gratitude of my heart were I to omit writing a line to you by so good an opportunity as his Excellency the Minister of France." Hopes that he is happy with how the campaigns are proceeding and hopes the next campaign will be the last one. Wishes they might see each other in the next campaign, and sends his regards to General Rochambeau.

GLC02437.01366

1 April 1782

Barber, Nathaniel, Jr., 1728-1787

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Writes to Knox to ask for help in settling his pay with the state assembly of Massachusetts. Relates that the assembly has recently settled with Ezekiel Cheever, a Deputy Commissary General of Military Stores, and is willing to settle with him, except they will only agree to pay him 40 dollars per month for the amount of time he worked as a Commissary, beginning in February 1777. According to documents he has from Knox, who appointed him, he is owed 50 dollars per month (paid in specie) for the first year as Commissary and then 60 dollars per month thereafter. The assembly argues that Knox…

GLC02437.01379

7 April 1782

Carrington, Edward, 1749-1810

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Congratulates Knox on his promotion to Major General of the United States Army. Fears his own promotion may fall through. Explains that his appointment is determined by the state of Virginia, and he will only receive a promotion "as a compliment from the state with the approbation of a majority of the officers." Must remain in his current circumstances until he finds out, but is suspicious about the principles on which promotions are determined.

GLC02437.01381

13 April 1782

Attwood, Catherine, fl. 1782

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Mrs. Attwood (nee Ten eyck) writes to ask Knox for a permit to travel from New York to New Jersey for the improvement of her health, and also to visit her sister who is staying at "Raritan at Mrs. Van Wyck's."

GLC02437.01387

18 May 1782

Miles, John, fl. 1782-1783

Manuscript document signed

Title: Return of waggons horses etc. wanting for the brigade of artillery

List of wagons and horses necessary for the brigade of artillery, signed by John Miles, Quartermaster, Brigade-Artillery. See GLC02437.01421 for the accompanying letter.

GLC02437.01422

May 1782

Manuscript document

Title: [Experiments with French and English 8 inch howitzers on travelling carriages with shells of 42 weights]

Two charts detailing the results of experiments made with howitzers. One chart depicts the results of the French howitzer experiment, and one depicts the results of the English howitzer experiment. Data indicates, among other things, that 42-weight shells shot from the French howitzer travel about half the distance that the same weight shells travel when shot from an English howitzer of the same size.

GLC02437.01434

5 June 1782

Waters, Joseph, fl. 1782

Manuscript document

Title: [Certificate given by the commitee in the case of Colonel Ezra Bedlam]

Certificate issued by the committee put together by Boston on the procurement of its quota for recruits for the Continental Army. Says that Lieutenant Colonel Ezra Bedlam, in the office of the muster master, discharged his duties faithfully. States he only tried to recruit men who would serve the public and complete the duties of their enlistment. Provides an example of him not allowing Frenchmen to join the army, except for a few who were examined closely to make sure they had no other obligations. The committee said they were most interested in the enlistments of Peter Godfrey and John…

GLC02437.01441

22 June 1782

Manuscript document

Title: Memorandum of Stores on hand at Fishkill, Fishkill Landing 86

A list of military stores at Fishkill, including information on firearms and bayonets. No name appears on the document, but author might be John Ruddock: see GLC02437.01460 for letter of 20 June from Samuel Shaw to John Ruddock, asking Ruddock to provide a return of his firearm stores as soon as possible. Ruddock was Commissary of Military Stores at Fishkill.

GLC02437.01462

5 July 1782

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Manuscript letter

Title: Circular

Addressed to three Commissaries of Military Stores: Mr. P. V. Renselaer [likely Philip Van Rensselaer] of Albany, Mr. [John] Ruddock of Fishkill, and Mr. [Richard] Frothingham of West Point. Written in the hand of Samuel Shaw, Knox's aide-de-camp and signed for Knox by Shaw. Knox asks the Commissaries to prepare an "accurate return of all the ordnance and stores which were in your possession" through July of 1782, as well as an exact account done from an actual survey, of the stores in their possession. They must prepare it as soon as possible. Has enclosed a form to fill out and warns…

GLC02437.01478

29 July 1782

Seward, Thomas, 1740-1800

Manuscript document signed

Title: Military stores sent to the Northern Depart. from West Point

Countersigned by Richard Frothingham, Field Commissary of Military Stores at West Point. List of military stores, organized by date, from December 1778 through 29 July 1782. Includes locations and recipients.

GLC02437.01507