TWO WEEKS AFTER THE BATTLE OF STONY POINT, GENERAL WASHINGTON WRITES A MILITARY LETTER TO MAJOR GENERAL LORD STIRLING FROM WEST POINT.  WASHINGTON COMMUNICATES: “I WISH TO KNOW IF SOME MIDDLE WAY CANNOT BE HAD BETWEEN THE CLOVE ROAD & THAT BY HAVERSTRAW FORGE...BY WHICH LIGHT TROOPS COULD MARCH...IN CASE IT SHOULD BE FOUND NECESSARY…FOR YOUR DIVISION TO TAKE POST THEREABOUTS…”

GEORGE WASHINGTON (1732-1799).  Washington was Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, President of the Constitutional Convention and the first President.

LORD STIRLING (1726-1783).  Stirling, who claimed the disputed title of Earl of Stirling, was a Continental Army general during the American Revolution.  He fought at Long Island, Trenton, Brandywine and Monmouth.

LS. 2pg. 8” x 13”. July 28, 1779. West Point.  A letter signed “Go: Washington” to Major General Lord Stirling.  The text is in the handwriting of Washington’s aide Caleb Gibbs.  Washington communicated: “I have been deceived I believe, in the information of a considerable Embarkation of Troops in the North River - no subsequent intelligen[ce] from deserters & others speak of such an event, but all agree that the present position of the enemy is from Phillips to East Chester. Tryon and his burning crew stretching up the River towards Dobbs Ferry. The foundation therefore of the march of your division to Suffrans was bad, but as it has taken place I shall not alter the position immediately, but wish your Lordship to be in...readiness to move at a moments warning light and without waiting further orders, that you do immediately advance to the Furnace  of Deane if you should receive advice of the enemys if you should receive advice of the enemys movement towards Kings ferry by land or Water...that you may be ready to afford us timely assistance...your baggage may retire to Sloots or further on the road to Chester...I beg your Lordship to have the Country between Suffrans and Simon House's at the Beaver pond...well explored as also from House's to the other road from Furnace of Deane to Haverstraw...I wish to know if some middle way cannot be had between the Clove road & that by Haverstraw forge...by which light troops could march...in Case it should be found necessary (to answer particular purposes) for your division to take post therabouts, it could be done without making a circuitous March by the Clove road on the one hand, or approaching too near Stoney Point by pursuing that one which leads by Haverstraw forge on the other - some of the intelligent and well affected Inhabitants accompanied by an officer or two (acquainted with the woods) would soon ascertain the practicability of a road by rout here described - with the advantages & disadvantages of it…”.  In 1779, British general Henry Clinton attempted to secure the Hudson River, and Washington was headquartered at West Point.  On the night of July 16, 1779, General Anthony Wayne led his elite troops on a daring raid to surprise the British troops at Stony Point on the east side of the Hudson River, approximately thirty miles north of New York City.  This letter is published with a slight variation in The Papers of George Washington, Volume 21, pages 707 to 708.  The letter has some uneven toning and is laminated with tissue, but this long letter on strategic movement is in its content above average for Washington war correspondence. The recipient if of course the American General and land owner William Alexander (known here as Lord Stirling) long the unsuccessful claimant to the Scottish title of Earl of Stirling.