[No. 4043.]

FIRST PARALLEL BEGUN AT YORKTOWN.

Colonel John Lamb Forwards Interesting News from Yorktown to the Governor With a Lugubrious Prediction.

Camp, before York Town, 6th Octobr. 1781.

Dear Sir, I have the pleasure to congratulate you, on the defeat of the British Troops, in South Carolina, on the 8th ultimo after an obstinate and bloody conflict. I have inclosed you the Return, of the Killed, Wounded and missing of General Greene's Army. The loss of the Enemy, is said to amount to 1100 Killed, wounded, and Prisoners.

On the approach of our Army, Cornwallis abandoned some detached Works in Front of the Town, and retired within his principal Works.

This Night the Troops (who are now Paraded for that purpose) will begin the first Parallel, which will be within five or 600 yards, of the Enemy's Works. So you may depend upon its being a Night of Business.

As the greatest part of our Ordnance, and Stores, are now here, we shall be ready to open our Batteries in a day or two; when I flatter myself, we shall soon be able to silence those of the Enemy who have been firing, every day, at the Works they evacuated (and which we now possess) but with little effect. As they have not killed more than 20 Men, since the Army took its present position.

I am sorry to inform you, that, the worthy Colonel Scammell, was wounded, and taken Prisoner on Monday last, by three of Tarlton's Horse, as he was reconnoitring the Enemy's Works; he is Paroled, and is in a fair way to recover.

On Tuesday last, Tarleton crossed the River, with his Regiment and a Body of Infantry with a design to Forage. They were attacked by the Duke de Lauzun's Legion, and a few Militia Who defeated, and pursued them to the Town of Gloucester. The Enemy had Fifty Men Killed, and Wounded. The Duke's Legion three killed, and Eleven Wounded. As it is more than probable (from circumstances) that, I shall end my Career in the course of this Siege, should such an unlucky Event take place, I must request the favor of you to interest yourself in behalf of my little Family, that they may have Justice done them by the Public, with respect to what they are indebted to me.

Please to present my Compliments to Mrs. Clinton, Mrs. Tappen, Colo. Benson, & the rest of my Friends, at Poughkeepsie. I am, With every Sentiment of Respect, Dear Sir, Your Obedient Servant.

His Excellency Governor Clinton.

[No. 4044.]

George Clinton to Colonel Willett-In Regard to Clothing-Arrival in New York of Prince William, Afterward King William IV.

Poughkeepsie, Octr. 6th 1781.

Dear Sir, Your favor of the 22nd ultimo is now before me. I wish you to believe that I am always happy in the Receipt of your Letters that I may be minutely informed of your situation and thereby enabled to give you every assistance in my Power to facilitate your Command & render it beneficial to the Public. With respect to arms and Clothing for the three years men I presume these matters come more immediately under the direc tion of Genl. Starke or other Continental officer commandg the

Department. I enclose you a copy of the Resolution of Congress engaging to Clothe & Pay them &c. to warrant any application you may conceive necessary to make on this subject and if any Difficulties should arise I will, as far as my Influence will extend, chearfully interpose to remove them. I would just observe that by a late arrangement of the Clothing Department all State Clothiers & Agents for purchasing are done away, & the whole Business is left to be executed by the Continental Clothier Genl., his Deputies or Assistants. I am much at a loss with respect to the mode of mustering & paying the levies; formerly when a Regt. was detached they were mustered by one of it's field officers, who in that respect performed the duty of a muster master. Whether there were abuses committed in this way I do not know. But last Spring I recd. a Resolution of Congress pointing out a Diff't mode, a Copy of which I enclose you-and altho' I conceive it was intended for the Levies of last Year, yet I would advise you to pursue it. With respect the pres't levies Congress, last year as well as this, engaged to pay the Levies, but you will observe that by this Resolve they have recommended it to the diff't States in the first Instance to advance the Pay on the credit of the United States. This I presume they were driven to do from the low State of their finances. I laid this Resolution before the Legislature at their last Meeting but they rose without making any Provision for this service. I shall, therefore, renew my application to them on this subject by again laying before them the Resolution. I mean to recom mend to the Legislature the expediency of prolonging the time for compleating the Corps to be raised on Bounties of Lands & the granting a pecuniary Encouragement; but I confess to you that I am fearful they will not be induced properly to engage in

it and that we shall be still left to the precarious expedient of temporary levies.

No late Intelligence from the Southw'd. On the 23d Ulto. our Troops were arrived in the Neighborhood of the Enemy under Cornwallis & preparations for serious operations ag't them were ripening & we have Reason to believe the Issue will be favorable. We have also Reason to believe that the success of our Allies in the late naval Engagem't was not so great as the Acc't I last transmitted you, but the British most certainly recd. a severe Drubbing, as by Rivington's Acc't they were obliged to set fire to the "Terrible" of 74 Guns to prevent her falling into the hands of the French, & several others were greatly injured; add to this by our latest Acct's the "Ruby," a 64, & several frigates were captured. Admiral Digby on whom the Enemy made great Dependence is arrived at New York with three line of Battle Ships only & some frigates so that our naval superiority remains as great as before. Prince Will'm Henry, the British Tyrant's 3d Son is come over with Digby, & Rivington's Gazette is stuffed with fulsome addresses to the Boy & his answers.

I am &c &c.

Col. Willet.

[No. 4045.]

Bethuel Washburn Furnishes Evidence of Flour Supplied and Demands Consideration from Colonel Udny Hay.

Albany, 7th Octor. 1781.

Sir: My present Circumstances rendering it Absolutely Necessary that Every Just Debt due me should be paid, in a particular manner those due from the State, for flour furnished at a Time when they were in the utmost distress for that Article, and which was the only inducement to my parting with the principal part of what I was possessed, expecting as I had a right from the Inclos'd Obligation from one of your Assistants that I should not be long out of my property, but as one year is Elaps'd and still no prospect of payment in such a manner as to make me whole, to receive the same Quantity of flour you are Sinsible would be greatly to my damage at the time I lent it the lowest price was three Dollars per Hundred and it is now sold at Two. From these circumstances and your Knowledge of my having served the public several

years, and dismissed without one farthing of pay, let me Entreat you to lay the matter before the Legislature at their present meeting, & represent the affair in Such Terms to that Honorable body as may Induce them to Order that Justice may speedily be done me. Other ways I have no prospect but certain ruin; this may be softened perhaps by the Comfortable reflection that it is by serving my Country in Distress, which has reduced me to this situation. I hope you will make use of your best Endeavors to serve me, & am Sir, Your most Obt. Sert.

Colo. Hay State Agent

N. B. The Greatest part of the flour furnished was fine flour which would bear Inspection

Albany, 30th Novr. 1780.

I do hereby certify that Bethuel Washburn, Depy Commissary of Issues has furnished this Department with sixty Two Hundred one quarter and fourteen pounds of flour, which I as assistant State Agent for procuring Supplies of provisions for the use of the Army of the United States Engage to repay with flour of as Good Quality when it shall be Consistant with the public Safety and a Sufficient Quantity shall be in store to Enable me to do the same.

Isaac Stoutenburgh, Assistant State Agent.

I do hereby further certify that the above named Bethuel Washburn has Delivered as above Twenty one Hundred and one Quarter of flour, upon the same conditions as above. Isaac Stoutenburgh, Asst. State Agent.

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