Mumford, Giles, 1759-1795 to Thomas Mumford

Written by Giles Mumford as a solider under Lieutenant Colonel Meigs to his father Thomas Mumford, a Groton, Connecticut merchant. References his father's letter from August 26, 1777. Mentions that he sent 4 letters to him and that none of them have been referenced. Says his health is restored and that he has not had any of the camp disorders. His illness was a fever with a pain in his right side, shoulder, and head and that it is now gone. Says the militia in the north are well thought of and that General Horatio Gates has probably taken command of the Northern Department. Says General Howe has landed around Baltimore and that General Washington is marching to meet him. Hopes that "God send Success to our Arms & defeat all their Enterprises I am sure if we handle them pretty Roughly this Campaign they cannot stand it much Longer." Says Colonel Webb has returned from Long Island after a failed raid (see GLC00496.075.02), but that he thinks he will try again. Says he wanted to go with Webb before, but that his strength was lacking. Says General Sullivan's attack on Staten Island turned our poorly, with 200 prisoners taken while 150 were lost from his ranks. Says his unit will probably be switched to General Parson's command, because officers in the brigade are not agreeing. Says he does not want to commit more to paper than that. Postscript from September 1, 1777 says he heard 2,000 British troops had marched to Head of Elk and that Washington was about to meet them.