Varick, Richard

General Schuyler orders cannon and shot from the Livingston foundry.

Varick (1753–1831) was at this point serving as secretary to General Philip Schuyler. In 1743, Philip Livingston established one of the first iron foundries in America and developed iron mining on the manor land and in Salisbury Connecticut creating a lucrative monopoly for the family, which Robert Livingston (1708–1790) placed at the disposal of the Albany Committee of Safety.

Varick writes: "By General Schuylers orders I do myself the honor to inclose you a list of anchors & graplines as also of cannon and grape shott imediately wanted for the publick service which the General requests you'll order to be made and cast at your forge and furnace with the utmost dispatch. You'll be pleased to inform me by the return of this express whither[sic] you have any & which of the above articles now ready made, & in what time the whole of the anchors & graplines will be finished and also how soon the general may expect to have the cannon and grape shott ready."

The invasion of Canada had proved a miserable failure, the Continentals had retreated to Crown Point but decided to concentrate their defense at Ticonderoga. Schuyler, plagued by gout, was unable to lead in the field and was placed in charge of directing supplies from Albany. The letter shows his urgency: "As soon as any of these articles are finished you'll be pleased to order them to be rid down to your landing and inform the general thereof by express. It will be most expedient to have the several different kinds of shott cast at the same time, as it is uncertain which sort will be soonest wanted tho: the whole are much & immediately wanted."