PRINTED AT THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY form p-5 [vii1-24-20 14el THE Bulletin is published monthly by The New York Public Library at 476 Fifth Avenue, New York City. Subscription One Dollar a year, current single numbers Ten Cents. Entered at the Post Office at New York, N. Y., as second-class matter, February 10, 1897, under Act of July 16, 1894. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in Section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized. Printed at The New York Public Library, 476 Fifth Avenue. August, 1920, Volume 24, Number 8. BULLETIN OF THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS VOLUME 24 AUGUST 1920 WASHINGTON'S NOTE BOOK NUMBER 8 SELECTIONS FROM A NEWLY-DISCOVERED MANUSCRIPT WRITTEN BY HIM WHILE A VIRGINIA COLONEL, IN 1757 EDITED BY VICTOR HUGO PALTSITS Keeper of Manuscripts HIS small manuscript note book measures 72 by 41⁄2 inches, has 54 TH written pages and 17 blank leaves. Ten of the written pages are not in Washington's hand and consist of "A Roll of the Artificers employed on the Works at Winchester, under the Command of Capt. William Peachy, with an Acco' of their lost Time" (9 p.), and "A List of men draughted from the Artificers to do Garrison Duty for a Time" (1 p.). The rest of the writing in the note book is in Washington's style of handwriting employed for several years in the fifties and sixties, quite different from his earlier and youthful hand, and differing distinctly from his well-known handwriting of the period of the American Revolution and the Presidency. This note book was offered to The New York Public Library for the Virginia military roster above named and no relationship to Washington was then known or surmised. The discovery was made by me when studying certain of the written memoranda for correspondence, which showed unmistakably that they were the ideas set down by Washington before he wrote his letters to Governor Dinwiddie, the Speaker of the House of Burgesses of Virginia, Colonel Stanwix, and others. [ 431 ] Conclusive identification was effected by a comparison of the writing in the note book with a photographed page (1755) from Washington's early letter books in the Library of Congress and has since been confirmed de visu by Mr. Worthington C. Ford, our greatest Washington specialist. This note book was used by Washington in 1757 when raising the two Virginia regiments during the last of the intercolonial wars with the French of Canada, and part of it contains his memoranda for correspondence while at Fort Stanwix. Several pages are filled with minute descriptions of the pedigrees, brands, and marks of his military wagon horses, named Nelly, Jolly, Ball, Jack, Rock, Woodfin, Prince, Buck, Diamond, Crab, etc. The following selections from the note book speak for themselves: SPECIMENS OF CORRESPONDENCE NOTES IN DIARY FORM 8 June 1757. Get the Prices of all the Soldiers Cloth from Col° Carlyle — with a reasonable advance; and give it to each Captain with Orders to examine his Company's necessary Roll once a Week (every Saturd3) with Fail and to make stopages for every thing difficient besides punishing the Soldiers for neglect of Duty this to be done before they are paid — Order also that each Sergeant of a Com have a distinct Squad to take care of & to see that they always have their Cloths & accoutrements in good Order Ditto 8th Write the Governor [Dinwiddie] that Capt" Paris has got a Commission in the Maryland Force - That Gov' Denny has sent Invitations to the Cherokees to treat with him at Fort Loudoun in his Govt & That I am apprehensive the diff Colonies striving against each other must be bad That I have removed Capt" Stewart & Gists Company to this place & give him my reasons for doing it. To desire that he will direct me concerning receiving the Drafts. And in what manner the Companys of Rangers are to be Cloatha, Paid & Comd. Also know how far and in what points I am to pay Obedience to the Orders of Col° Stanwix & if it should so happen that I receive Orders from himself [Gov. Dinwiddie & Col° Stanwix differing (which is not unlikely) whose Orders I am to Obey. sions Inform that Maj' Lewis is come in inclose a Copy of his Letter - Send down the names of all the Subaltern Officers & Seniority and advice that the reduced Capts who may accept of Lieut' have their Commissions antedated to give them Rank before the present Subaltern Recom Sergeant Hughs for the Adjutancy Take care also to acquaint the Gov [Dinwiddie] ab the bad Provisions at Fort Cumberland. that I apprehended M' Walkers absence wa occasion such Accts that I caus Mr Walker to be informd of it that he may give necessary Direct" concerns it as I conceive the Loss will fall upon him— There has been foul play us with it June 13th - Draughts. Not to receive any but what is fit for the Service. reject all that are old-Subject to Fits and otherwise infirm. Keep Copy's of all the Receipts given for the Men. take exact lists of their Names - Countys they Come from hight age complection &ca so soon as they are receiva. Give the Officer who receives them a Copy of the Act to govern himself by Dont let him give receipts either for Arms Cloaths or anything else unless order so by the Act. The Gov. 25th [To Dinwiddie June 25th I have not been able to send any Men to the S° Ward, ye Continual Alarms on this Quarter retarded it till y News of ye French march with Artillery and then it was judgd quite imprudent to draw Men from a post so much expos". I have wrote twice to Col° Stanwix ab Arms, but he takes no notice thereof in his Letters to me from whence I imagine he is not inclind to furnish us with any — We shall want Arms much. Memmorandom of Sundry things to be done in Williamsburg if I go down in November Get my acets with the Governor & Committee] settled Lay the Indian Acc's before y° Gov. Get Copies of the Laws Martial — Take the Committees advise in regard to Hamiltons acct. |