|
TRANSCRIPT GLC 2437.02.004
Henry Knox. Autograph letter draft: Fort George, NY, to George
Washington, 1775 December 17. 2 p.
[inserted - different hand: To Washington]
Fort George Decr 17. 1775 –
May it please your Excellency
I return’d [struck: here with the] [inserted: to this
place & [inserted: on the 15] brought with me the] Cannon
[struck: on the] [strike-out]. It being nearly the time I
conjectur’d it would take us to transport them to there,
[inserted: strike-out] It is not easy [struck: to <?>]
[inserted: conceive] the difficulties we have had [inserted:
in] getting them [struck: here] [inserted: over the lake]
owing to the advanc’d Season of the Year & contrary
winds, but the danger is now past & [strike-out]; three
days ago it was very uncertain whether we [struck: I] could
have gotten them [struck: this Season] untill next Spring,
but now please God they must go – I have [struck: gotten]
[inserted: had] made forty two exceeding Strong Sleds &
have provided eighty Yoke of oxen to drag them as far as Springfield
where [struck: we will] [inserted: I shall] get fresh Cattle
to Carry them to Camp – the rout will be from here to
Kinderhook from thence into Great Barrington Massachusetts
Bay & down to Springfield There will [inserted: scarcely]
be [struck: any] possibility of [struck: getting] conveying
them from here to Albany or Kinderhook but on sleds the roads
being very much gullied, [struck: there is good sledding from
this] at present the sledding is tolerable to Saratoga about
26 miles; beyond [inserted: that] there [inserted: is] none
– I have sent for the Sleds & teams to come here
& expect to [inserted: begin] move them to Saratoga on
[inserted: Wednesday or] Thursday next trusting that between
this & then we shall have a [struck: good] [inserted:
fine] fall of snow which will [inserted: enable us to proceed
further &] make the carriage easy – if that should
be the case I hope in 16 or 17 days time to be able to present
to your Excellency a noble train of artillery [struck: as
will appear by] The Inventory [inserted: of] which I have
Inclos’d – I also send a list of those stores which
I desir’d Col McDougal to send from New York – I
did not know then of any 13 Inch mortars which was the reason
of my ordering but of few shells of that Size I now write
to him for 500, [inserted: 13 Inch] & also 1 or 200. 5
lbs. & 400 – of 4 ½ [inserted: inches for
the canons] – [struck: as <?>] if these sizes could
be [2] had there [strike-out] [inserted: as I think they can]
I should imagine it would save time [inserted: & expence]
get them from thence rather than cast [inserted: them]–
if sir you think otherwise or have made provision for them
elsewhere you will please to countermand this order –
There is no other news of Colo. Arnold than that from Colo
McCleans having burnt the Houses round Quebec Col. Arnold
was oblig’d to go to point au tremble about 6 miles from
the City – that Genl Montgomery had gone to join him
with a Considerbl Body of men & a good train of artillery
– there are some timid & some malevolent Spirits
which make this matter worse – but by the different accounts
which I have been able to collect I have very little doubt
that General Montgomery has Quebec in his possession
I am with the utmost
Respect Your Excellency’s Most
Obedt Hble Servant
PS
You will pleese Sir to observe [struck: Sir] that there are
no carriages nor Implements to the Cannon nor beds to the
Mortars, all of which must be made in Camp
His Excellency General Washington
Notes: Published in Twohig, Dorothy et. al. The Papers of
George Washington. Colonial Series, v. 2, p. 563-565.
|
