To George Washington from Daniel Morgan, 9 April 1795
From Daniel Morgan
Camp McFarlings [Pa.] 9th [April]1 1795
Sir
I was Honored with your letter of the 27th ultimo2 and for the Hints it contains I Return you my thanks.
Your approbation of my conduct and that of the army under my command affords me peculiar satisfaction, which is Highten’d by the coincidence of opinion between us, Relative to the Intention for which an army was stationed in this country.
To empress upon the army a Due Respect for the laws and urge the Necessity of an uninterupted Harmony Existing between them and the citizens was my first care, and what I have uniformly practiced.3 To promote this good understanding, I found Rather an arduous task, owing not so much to a licenciousness in the troopes as to an unaccommodating Disposition in the people, which I find but too prevalent among a great part of this community. In my absence while attending the Election in Berkley & Frederick,4 some little Bickering took place, & some suites brought by certain Individuals against a part of the army. the cause of which (in my opinion) was trifling in itself, and such as Reflects Highly on those who Instituted them.
Mr Brackenridge I am well inform’d was the person who advised nay, urged those suites to be brought.5 this man I consider as a bad member of society and who will I fear, Do all in his power to foment Disturbances in this country.
It is a flattering consideration However, Notwithstanding these things that I have it in my power to observe that affairs in general are in a promising train. It shall be my Endeavour to settle all Disputes as amicably as possible. I have since my Return to camp, terminated some6 & the others are in a fair way. I will use Every precaution to prevent such misunderstandings taking place in future. I have the Honor to be with great Respect your obedt Hble servt
Danl Morgan
ALS, DLC:GW; copy, NN: Myers Collection: Daniel Morgan Papers.
1. Morgan wrote “March;” however, GW’s docket on the letter reads: “From Majr Genl Morgan 9th March 1795 but ought to be 9th Aprl.”
2. In the copy, the first half of this sentence reads: “On the 4th Inst. I was honored with the rect of your letter of the 27th Ulto.”
3. Morgan’s general order of 30 Nov. 1794 proclaimed: “The General hopes that the army now hutting for winter quarters, will consider themselves as in the bosom of their friends, & that they will vie with each other in promoting the love and esteem of their fellow citizens, and pointedly avoid every species of spoliation on the property of the inhabitants … a violence offered to the person, or depredation on the property of any individual, by the soldiery, will be punished in the most exemplary and summary manner” ( 2d ser., 4:404).
4. Morgan had returned to Berkeley and Frederick counties to stand as the Federalist candidate for the first congressional district of Virginia. He ran unsuccessfully against incumbent Robert Rutherford, who had served in the House of Representatives since 1793 ( 195).
As part of his electioneering effort, Morgan had written a letter to the residents and freeholders of Berkeley and Frederick counties: “Long ere this, would I have done myself the pleasure of visiting you in person, had not the important duties of my station on the other side the mountain prevented me;—without leave of absence from the board of war, I could not even now be present among you, and had not this been granted to me, I flatter myself that your sentiments and conduct would have been uniformly favourable to my desire of becoming your representative in Congress:—Fortunately, the affairs in the four western counties of Pennsylvania are in such a train, as to permit me to revisit my native district.” Morgan stated his plans to attend the election and expressed the hope for “that support from my friends, which they have heretofore upon all occasions given me” (Potomak Guardian, and Berkeley Advertiser [Martinsburg, Va., now W.Va.], 23 Feb.).
5. For Hugh Henry Brackenridge’s discussion of the army’s misbehavior and subsequent lawsuits, see 3:30–32, 37–39.
6. The rest of this sentence is not in the copy.