General Orders, 12 October 1779
General Orders
Head-Quarters Moore’s House [West Point]
Tuesday Octr 12th 1779.
Parole Tartary— C. Signs Uxbridge Woodbridge.
Such officers of the line whose duty it is to act on foot in time of an engagement and who are not already provided with Espontoons are to use their utmost exertions to get them, and it is expected from commanding officers of Corps that they will use every means in their power to complete them with bayonets; In a word, they will take care that their corps are in the most perfect order for actual service.
Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
On this date, GW wrote from headquarters at West Point to Philip Van Rensselaer, Continental commissary of stores at Albany: “I have inclosed you the return of last month, which I received by your letter of the 1st instant. You will observe the several columns which I have marked. There appears to be some mistakes which you will be pleased to correct and transmit me a fair copy with your next months return” (Df, in James McHenry’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW). Van Rensselaer’s letter to GW of 1 Oct. has not been found. The enclosed return has not been identified. Rensselaer replied on 1 Nov., enclosing a “fair Copy” and explaining that the mistakes were “Occassioned [by], my not explaining properly the several Columes mark’d” (DLC:GW).