TRANSCRIPT GLC 2437.11.164

Henry Knox.  Letter draft: West Point, to George Washington, 1783 February 27.  2 p. + doc.

West Point 27 Feby 1783

[inserted – different hand:  To W]

I received your Excellencys letter respecting the loss of Stores at the posts at Kings ferry.  I take the liberty to enclose the report of Captain Lieut Fenns of the Artillery on that subject.  I should have transmitted it to your Excellency when I first received it but I was in hopes that some thing further might have been discover’d – I have sent him the lock & key and directed the quarter master at this post to apply for the hounds, which with the change of the mode of doing duty will in future I hope prevent any [inserted: more] depredations of this nature. –

I am by no means satisfied with [inserted: strike-out] Captain Lieut Fenns’s ideas of his [inserted: not being] responsibile [struck: of] [inserted: for] the Stores because he was [inserted: not] the commanding officer of the posts.  He ought [inserted: in my opinion] to have considerd himself accountable to the publick for the Stores, and although the frequent change of commanding officers involved [strike-out] him in much trouble yet an actual examination of the Stores ought to have been made every time the return was called for.

[2] Your Excellency will please to observe that the lost barrell of powder ought to have been reportd as part of the fifth robbery, but was not discover’d untill lately.  In case of anymore articles being lost while [inserted: struck: I have the honor to be] Capt Lieut Fenns commands at Kings ferry I will relieve [inserted: struck: with the] him, and have the matter enquired into by a court martial or court of enquiry –

I have the honor to be
with the highest respect
Your Excellencys
most obedient
Servant –

His Excellency
Gen. Washington

[docket]
To His Exy
Gen. Washington
27 Feby 1783.