Washington, George, 1732-1799 to Alexander McDougall

Written by Washington as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army to Major General McDougall as commander of the Hudson Highlands Department. Place written inferred from George Washington Papers, which place his headquarters at Gulph Mill, Pennsylvania that day. References McDougall's letter of 9 December 1778. Says Sir Henry Clinton's fruitless naval expedition up the Hudson in December 1778 was not worth the trouble. Mentions the necessity of shuffling several officers into different commands and hopes it does not cause too many problems. Approves of his choices and management thus far. Congress had sent him a plan on a joint American-French invasion of Canada in 1779 and seeks McDougall's opinion on such an enterprise. Washington was suspicious of allowing the French army loose in its old domains, but he followed orders and sought out advice. Hopes to gain posts in Canada to protect the frontier and to possibly join Canada as a province of "the confederacy." Washington says that the least they could do is secure the Niagara region, which would entail destroying British naval forces on Lake Ontario. Says the British have three ships and asks McDougall what it would take to control the lake. Goes into the details of how and where any possible ships would be built. Before McDougall could reply, Congress reversed their decision and abandoned the Canadian expedition. Large red wax seal is still extent. Letter is beginning to tear at the fold.