To George Washington from Colonel Elisha Sheldon, 13 November 1779
From Colonel Elisha Sheldon
Stanwich1 [Fairfield County, Conn.] Novr 13th 1779
Sir
As I am called on for a List of the Officers of my Regt to be forwarded to the Board of War, I take the Liberty, previous thereto, to Inform your Excellency that I have but nine Subaltern Officers in my Regt of which Three do the Duty of Adjt Qr M. & Paymaster and of course only six do Duty in the Line. As I have a prospect of filling my Regt with men before the opening of next Campaign, I should be happy in having the Vacancies in my Regt or at any Rate some of them filled as soon as possible. I have lately had sundry application by Gentlemen who are well recommended (and some of them have served in the Army in different Capacities) for appointments. I therefore beg leave to nominate a few Gentlemen in my Return (which I shall forward to Hd Qts. as soon as I hear from your Excellency) as Subalterns in my Regt I would wish to hear from your Excellency on this Head as soon as possible as some of the Gentlemen whom I would wish to have appointed, have a prospect of engaging a number of men for the Regt during the war whose terms of enlistment will soon expire, and will be on their return home.2 I have the Honor to be with the greatest Respect Your Excellency most obt Hube Sevt
Elisha Sheldon Col. 2d L.D.
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. Originally “the society of Stanwich, constituted from the towns of Greenwich and Stamford in the county of Fairfield,” Stanwich is now a neighborhood in Greenwich, Conn. ( 2:84).
2. GW replied to Sheldon from West Point on 14 Nov.: “I have recd your favr of yesterday. As I do not know whether it is the intent of Congress to keep up the Regiments of Horse to their full establishment, I should not think myself authorised to appoint a full Corps of Officers. But if you can find three or four Gentlemen well recommended, and who you have reason to beleive will have influence in recruiting, you may nominate them and I will recommend them to Congress for Commissions, as I have no power to confirm them without their concurrence” (Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW). For Sheldon’s nomination of officers, see his letter to GW of 6 December.