Delegates to Congress . Letters of delegates to Congress, 1774-1789, Volume 17, March 1 1781-August 31 1781
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Samuel Huntington to To: George Washington


Sir,
Philadelphia March 2. 1781

   Your Excellency's Letter of the 26th Instant came to hand last Evening. (1)

   Baron Steuben's Letter, which you mention as referred to in Governor Jefferson's Letter, by some Mistake of the Governors Secretary, was not enclosed in his Despatches to me and has never come to Hand. This I ought to have noted on the Copy of the Governor's Letter transmitted to your Excellency.(2)

   The Detachment under the Marquis passed down the river by this City yesterday.(3)

   By a Letter from Baron Steuben to the Board of War we are told, that Arnold has sent to New York for a reinforcement.(4) No farther Intelligence from the Southward.

   I have the Honor to be, with very great respect, Sir, your most obedient & most humble servant,

   Sam. Huntington


Note: RC (DLC: Washington Papers). In a clerical hand and signed by Huntington.

(1) The letter is in PCC, item 152, 10:1-4; and Washington, Writings (Fitzpatrick), 21 :300-302.



(2) The subject of this paragraph is actually a letter to Steuben from Gen. Nathanael Greene which the baron had originally sent to Thomas Jefferson. Because Jefferson had sent a copy of it directly to Washington, this puzzling issue was now moot, as Washington had already pointed out in the postscript of his February 26 letter to Huntington. See Jefferson, Papers (Boyd), 4:590; Washington, Writings (Fitzpatrick), 21:302; and Huntington's second letter to Washington of February 20, 1781, note.



(3) For the marquis de Lafayette's progress enroute to Virginia with Continental reinforcements, see his letter to Washington of this date in Lafayette, Papers (Idzerda), 3:359-62.



(4) Not found; although a February 23 letter from Steuben to the board of different import, which was read in Congress on March 7, is in PCC, item 164, fols. 218-25.