and to avoid as much as possible a further increase of expence, I have to request you to suspend such of your arrangements as were designed for this purpose, and which, unless this event were to take place, will be unnecessary. I reckon among these, particularly, the Business on which Col. Stevens has been ordered. In your measures on this subject, which I wish to be immediate, although you stop the preparations, you will do it in such a manner as to preserve the Idea for which they were undertaken-I need not observe to you the expediency of preserving appearances till the determination of Congress is known, to whom I have written on the Subject I am Dear Sir Sir Your Most Obdt. Servt Genl Knox. G. WASHINGTON General Greene desires that the person who goes to Col. Stevens may call upon him The ordnance and ordnance stores necessary for Fort Arnold and its dependencies you will please have allotted agreeable to a report made to me by yourself and General McDougall and General Du Portail, And where the Artillery can be planted with propriety and safety on account of the unfinished state of the out works to have it done accordingly. The posts at King-ferry should be immediately supplied with two pieces of cannon (one on each side of the river) to keep off the enemy's row gallies which are beginning to appear there- When the works are in a more complete state of defence, such further aid of artillery as shall be judged absolutely necessary, may be added, tho it is not my intention to place many at this post-but my wish to have those which are there of the least valuable of their kind. The rest of the ordnance and ordnance stores which the prospect of an extensive operation against New York had drawn to this place and in the vicinity of it, upon or very near the river, I would have sent to Albany on account of the easy & cheap transportation, and because it may be considered as a safe deposit for them. In a removal of this kind a proper attention must be had to the probable and contingent wants of the Army at its places of cantonment. You will please to direct (if it is not already done) the Company of Artificers at Fredericksburg commanded by Capn Post to be withdrawn from that place as also all other small detachments of a similar nature and under similar circumstances and have them more connected, as a number of small and separate detachments involve considerable expence with respect to the issues of provisions &c, while their labor possibly might be employed to greater advantage, if they were more compact and under a more general and frequent inspection. I am Sir Your Most Obdt Servt LIST OF WASHINGTON'S LETTERS v. 6 xiii. 283 xi. 96 PRINTED IN THE HISTORICAL MAGAZINE 1775 Nov.17-Cambridge to Gen. Ward. 1776 Dec. 10-Falls of the Delaware to Lund 1777 Jan. 23—Headquarters, Morristown, to iii. 243 xiii. 153 * vi. 349 vii. 33 vii. 34 1777 Aug.21-Buck's Co. to George Clymer... xi. 115 iii. 34 ii. 259 Brigadier Genl Knox 1778 Feb. 8-Valley Forge to Hon. Thomas v. 6 1778 Apr. 18-Valley Forge to Henry Laurens. ii. 260 ii. 260 vii. 35 ii. 261 Sir x. 300 From more particularly conversing 1780 July 31-Headquarters, Robinson House, with Col. Laurens, I find the Southern de- 1780 Sep. 26-Headquarters, Robinson's, to partment is not very amply supplied with Genl Knox Yr Obdt Servt 1778 Jan. 22-Mt. Vernon to Dr. Stuart...... 1796 Aug.10-Mt. Vernon to Gen. Jas. Mar- 1798 Jan. 10-Mt. Vernon to Sam. Williams... 1789 Jun.25-Mt. Vernon to Jas. McHenry, 1799 Nov.12-Mt. Vernon to Managers at .......... xi. 27 xiii. 245 x. 76 xv. 396 xiii. 232 iii. 243 xi. 45 xii. 361 XV. 141 xi. 118 iii. 243 iii. 34 iii. 34 xii. 298 xii. 81 vi. 181 xii. 365 xii. 365 iv. 153 xii. 366 vii. 244 The above letters, none of which were included by Sparks in his Life and Writings of Washington, are all that have appeared in the American historical magazines. The Magazine of American History continues the series. PRINTED IN NEW ENGLAND HISTORICAL AND Xxx. 308 Xxx. 299 xii. 356 xxviii. 198 xxxi. 197 MAGAZINE xviii. 309 PRINTED IN SCRIBNER'S MONTHLY 1796 Apr. 11-Philadelphia to Mr. Stuart..... PRINTED IN THE PORTFOLIO 1754 Apr. 24-Wills Creek to His Excel WASHINGTON'S FAREWELL TO HIS OFFICERS AT FRAUNCES' TAVERN, NEW YORK 4th December 1783 From Contemporaneous Accounts Last Thursday noon the principal officers of the army in town assembled at Frauncis' tavern to take a final leave of their illustrious, gracious and much. loved commander, General Washington. The passions of human nature were never more tenderly agitated, than in this interesting and distressful scene. His excelIvi. 590 lency having filled a glass of wine, thus addressed his brave fellow-soldiers: "With an heart full of love and gratitude I now take leave of you: I most devoutly wish that your latter days may be as prosperous and happy as your former ones have been glorious and honorable." lvi. 592 lvi. 595 xii. 373 lency Jan. 1817 24 1778 May 18-Valley Forge to Gouv. Morris. Aug. 1817 91 1779 Ang.12-West Point to Nov. 1816 380 1780 Feb. 3-Headquarters, Morristown, These words produced extreme sensibility on both sides; they were answered by warm expressions, and fervent wishes, from the gentlemen of the army, whose truly pathetic feelings it is not in our power to convey to the reader. Soon after this scene was closed, his excelAug. 1822 143 lency the Governor, the honorable the Council and citizens of the first distinction waited on the general and in terms most affectionate, took their leave. Jun. 1817 500 PRINTED IN AMERICAN HISTORICAL AND LIT ERARY CURIOSITIES 1785 Jan. 31-Mt. Vernon to Æneas Lamont... ...... 2d Series, No. iii. The corps of light infantry was drawn up in a line, the commander in chief, about two o'clock passed through them on his way to Whitehall, where he embarked in his barge for Powles Hook. He is attended by general le baron de Steuben; proposes to make a short stay at Philadelphia; will thence proceed to Annapolis, where he will resign his Commission as General of the American armies, into the hands of the Continental Congress, from whom it was derived, immediately after which his excellency will set out for his seat, named Mount Vernon, in Virginia, emulating the example of his model, the virtuous Roman general, who, victorious, left the tented field, covered with honors, and withdrew from public life, otium cum dignitate. Rivington's New York Gazette, Dec. 6, and Pennsylvania Packet, Dec. 12, 1783. On Thursday noon the principal officers of the army assembled at Fraunce's (alias Black Sam's) tavern to take a final leave of their much-loved commander in chief. After a while gen. Washington came in, and calling for a glass of wine thus addressed them: "With an heart full of love and gratitude I now take leave of you. I most devoutly wish that your latter days may be as prosperous and happy as your former ones have been glorious and honorable." Having drank he said "I cannot come to each of you to take my leave; but shall be obliged to you if each will come and take me by the hand." General Knox being nearest turned to him; Washington with tears rolling down his cheeks, grasped Knox's hand and then kissed him: he did the same by every succeeding officer, and by some other gentlemen who were present. The passions of human nature were never more tenderly agitated, than in in this interesting and distressful scene. The whole company were in tears. When Washington left the room, and passed through the corps of light infantry about two o'clock on his way to Whitehall the others followed, walking in a solemn, mute and mournful procession, with heads hanging down and dijected countenances, till he embarked in his barge for Powle's Hook. When he had entered, he turned, took off his hat, and with that bid them a silent adieu. They paid him the same affectionate compliment, and the barge pushing off returned from Whitehall in like manner as they had advanced.-Gordon's History of the American Revolution, IV., 383. NOTE.-Major-General Heath in his memoir, Dr. Thatcher in his Military Journal, Marshall and Irving in the Life, and Custis in the Recollections of Washington repeat these accounts, with trifling variations. Griswold, in his Republican Court prints a letter from "an officer who shared the last march of the revolutionary army, to a friend in Albany," in which occurs the passage: "Happy as was the occasion and prayed for as it was by him and all patriots when he might feel that there was not an enemy in America, it brought with it its sorrows and I could hardly speak when I turned from taking my last look of him. It was extremely affecting. I do not think there were ever so many broken hearts as there were that night." Fraunces' tavern, the place of this historic and affecting scene, is still standing on the southeast corner of Broad and Pearl streets. It was built early in the last century, and after occupation for some years as a dwelling and vendue house became the property of Samuel Fraunces, a noted publican, who opened a tavern called the Queen's Head, under the sign of Queen Charlotte. Sam Fraunccs or Black Sam, as he was famil- July iarly called from his swarthy complexion, was a West Indian by birth. A romantic story is told of the saving of Washington's life by the innkeeper's daughter, who served the General as housekeeper in 1776, and discovered a plot to poison him in a dish of green peas; but there is no historic warrant for its truth. Fraunces was a patriot, and left the city during the British occupation. After the war he was engaged by Washington as his steward, and had entire charge of his household. The long room in the tavern, which was for a 2-at Watertown; received by 3-at Cambridge. Headquarters. 13-at Cambridge camp. Aug. 30-at Cambridge camp. 1776 quarter of a century the favorite resort of clubs, April 4-leaves Cambridge for New 21-leaves Philadelphia to take Oct. 22-at Valentine's Hill, Westches |