The writings of George Washington; being his correspondence, addresses, messages, and other papers, official and private, selected and published from the original manuscripts; with a life of the author, notes and illustrations. By Jared Sparks.

PART II.] THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 341
place soon after the 7th of August. I have, upon this
information, written to Major-General Smallwood and
Colonel Butler to send forward to this army the recruits of Maryland and Pennsylvania, who are at Annapolis and Carlisle. I enclose the letters under flying
seals to you, that you may take the sense of Congress
upon the matter, before the orders are carried into
execution.
Congress having determined what troops should compose the southern army, I do not think myself absolutely at liberty to, withdraw those, which are already
there, or to stop the reinforcements intended for them,
without first consulting Congress, which I mean to do
through you. So long ago as the 18th of March last,
I calculated from'appearances upon the evacuation of
the southern States; and I then wrote to General
Greene to hold himself in readiness to march to the
northward the moment such an event should seem certain. In my idea, the infantry apportioned to the two
Carolinas and Georgia will be sufficient to be left in
the southern quarter. The South Carolina regiment
of artillery having been reformed, it may be thought
necessary to leave the small remains of Harrison's and
late Procter's there. It will be necessary, also, to consider what corps of horse shall remain. If Armand's
legion have not yet removed from Charlottesville, they
certainly ought not to proceed. After having consulted
Congress, and made the proper arrangements, you will
please to inform Major-General Greene of the result,
that he may govern himself accordingly. The difficulty
and enormous expense of supporting troops at the
southward are sufficient inducements to draw as many
from thence as we possibly can.
- The whole army, the garrison at West Point excepted, which is left under the command of MajorCC "