To George Washington from Moses Bloomfield, 30 August 1780
From Moses Bloomfield
Woodbridge [N.J.]
the 30th Augt 1780.
May it please your Excely
Mrs Bloomfield by a fall had three of her Ribs fractur’d on the 3d Instant.1 I was sent for by express from Pluckemin, where I was at the Hospital.2 On the Night of the 5th was taken off by a party of Refuges, caried to Staten Island, from there to New York, where I was confin’d in the Sugar House for ten Days, when I obtain’d a Parole to Long Island, on the 28th was permitted to come out in order to bring about an Exchange for a Surgeon Bausch of General Knyphausens Regt: Mr Loring told me that the Exchange would be against them, as it was not customary to give a hospital Surgeon for a Regimental one; but as the Genl had asked it as a favour, they had consented. My Parole Sr is for ten Days only. Should have waited upon your Excely my Self; but as I am in a bad State of health hope you will excuse my personal attendence. My Son brings this.3 I beg your Excelys acquiescence to the proposal of the british Commy, and that you will be pleas’d to give the necessary Orders, either to Major Skinner, or Adams in order to have the Affair expedited and finished as soon as possible, my time being short, and nothing more disagreable than the bare thought of returning within the Enemys Lines a Prisoner.4 Relying upon your Excelys goodness of Heart to grant my Request permit me to subscribe my Self with all due defference Sr Your most Obedt Humbe Servt
Moses Bloomfield P.S.
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. Phebe Holmes Bloomfield (1738–1820) married Bloomfield in 1775, the second marriage for both parties.
2. For this hospital, see , 65–68; see also General Orders, 6 Feb. 1779, source note.
3. The courier was either Joseph Bloomfield or Samuel Bloomfield (1756–1806), who served as a surgeon’s mate in the 3rd New Jersey Regiment during spring 1777, apparently left the army for health reasons, and eventually became a physician at Colestown, New Jersey.
4. GW wrote Abraham Skinner, acting commissary general of prisoners, on this date: “Doctor Bloomfeild has represented to me that Mr Loring when he admitted him to parole made an offer to exchange him finally for Doctor Pausch Surgeon Major of Knyphausens Regt—If there is no Gentleman of Doctor Bloomfeilds Rank who has a prior right, you will be pleased to carry the exchange into execution” (Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW).