To George Washington from Meshech Weare, 11 September 1780
From Meshech Weare
Hampton falls [N.H.] Sepr 11th 1780
Sir
I am honor’d with the Receipt of your favor of the 27th Ulto, informing the Situation of the Army in Regard to Supplies, which is truely Alarming, And gives me very great Anxiety.1 Sensible that very large Supplies would be necessary as soon as the Army was collected together, we gave direction to the person Appointed to collect the cattle for this State, to proceed in collecting, And sending them forward Seasonably, it was some time After a number was Collected, before that we had information, where, And to whom, they were to be deliverd. As soon as that was known, he proceeded in collecting And Sending forward, with as much expedition As he could,2 And on our receiving information from the Honble Committee of Congress, of the danger there was that the Army would Suffer for want of Supplies, we gave direction to him to proceed with all possible expedition in sending forward As Many As he could possibly collect,3 And I am informd he has exerted himself with great industry herein, And has lately sent forward a considerable number, But I am not Able to Ascertain the number, not having had Oppertunity to see him, or get perticular information, since the Receipt of your excellencys letter.4
Every exertion in our power will be used for furnishing our quota of Supplies with all expedition. Four tuns of the Powder your Excellency Requested was sent off the 9th Inst. for Springfield And a quantity of Rum is now ready to go forward.5 I have the honor to be with every Sentiment of Esteem and Respect Your Excellencys Most Obt Humle Sert
Meshech Weare
ALS, DLC:GW; ADf, MHi: Meshech Weare Papers. GW’s aide-de-camp Tench Tilghman docketed the letter: “recd 24th.”
2. New Hampshire’s Committee of Safety had issued orders on 6 and 18 July that provided about 200 cattle (see , 7 (1863): 222, 226; see also Weare to GW, 15 July).
3. New Hampshire’s Committee of Safety issued this order on 23 Aug. (see , 7 (1863): 232; see also Committee at Headquarters to the states, 16 Aug., in , 15:591–93).
4. Major General Chastellux wrote in his journal entry for 19 Nov. that he encountered “two hundred and fifty cattle coming from New Hampshire” (, 1:84).
5. For twenty-five hogsheads of rum amassed at Exeter, N.H., see , 7 (1863): 231–32. For the gunpowder request, see GW’s circular to Massachusetts and New Hampshire, 4 July.
New Hampshire delegate John Sullivan wrote Weare from Philadelphia on 16 Sept.: “I rejoice that Genl Washington gives New Hampshire Credit for Complying with the requisitions of Congress better than any other State” (, 16:72–74, quote on 74; see also Circular to the States, 2 June, n.1).