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.

20 WASHINGTON'S WRITINGS. [zET. 45.
paign, though they suffered little by action, must have
decreased materially by sickness and other casualties;
and if the recruits, both from England and Germany,
bore any proportion to those, who have reinforced
General Howe, the state of their regiments must be
greatly inferior to what your information supposes.
Reasoning from analogy, so far as it will apply, I cannot imagine that the British regiments can exceed two
hundred and fifty men each, fit for the field, or that
the foreign troops can amount to much more than three
thousand men.
The appointment of General Clinton to the government of your State is an event, which in itself gives
me great pleasure, and very much abates the regret I
should otherwise feel for the loss of his services in the
military line. That gentleman's character is such, as
will make him peculiarly useful at the head of your
State, in a situation so alarming and interesting, as it at
present experiences. For the future, agreeably to your
desire, I shall direct my applications to him.*
I have the honor to be, &c.
TO JOHN AUGUSTINE WASHINGTON.
Germantown, 5 August, 177'7
DEAR BROTHER,
Since General Howe removed from the Jerseys, the
troops under my command have been more harassed
by marching and countermarching, than by any other
~ George Clinton was the first governor under the new Constitution
of New York. He was chosen in July, and sworn into office at Kingston
on the 30th of that month; and although from this date he exercised
the civil functions of his station, yet he continued in active command
of the militia of the State till after the defeat of Burgoyne.