Washington, George, as Continental Commander

Letter signed ("Go: Washington"), text in the hand of Benjamin Walker, 1 page (13 1/4 x 8 1/4 in.; 334 x 212 mm) on a single leaf (watermarked mv), Philadelphia, 1 February 1782, to Brigadier General Elias Dayton, reception docket on verso; some staining, a few short fold separations, mounting remnants on verso.

Writings of George Washington, ed. Fitzpatrick, 23:481 (text from the draft, with different paragraphing and several variations in capitalization, punctuation, and other incidentals)

Negotiating the exchange of prisoners. The imprisonment, treatment, and exchange of prisoners of war was one of the most complicated issues of the American Revolution. Neither side had facilities adequate to house the thousands of prisoners that they captured, and an inefficient and frequently inhumane system that combined land jails, prison ships, and private parole of officers was adopted by both the British and Americans. In 1780, Abraham Skinner was appointed Commisary General of Prisoners for the Continental Army, and he did much to improve the lot of American prisoners. Skinner hired as his agent a loyalist resident of New York City, Lewis Pintard, who was permitted by the British to pass between lines and deliver food, medicine, and other necessities to captured Continental soldiers.

In late January 1782, Skinner wrote to General Washington, asking for his assistance in restoring a line of communication between himself and his British counterpart, which had been interrupted by an overzealous sheriff. Washington here directs General Dayton to intervene:

"Mr. Skinner the Commissary of Prisoners has informed me, that the communications between our Posts & those of the Enemy is stop'd, by the Sheriff's having confined two persons who came in the last Flag.

"I should not be sorry for this circumstance, was it not of some consequence that the business Mr. Skinner has in hand should be completed. I will thank you to make the necessary inquiry into the matter, and to take such measures as may be most proper of obtaining an interview between the two Commissaries."

The business Skinner had in hand was indeed of some consequence: he was in the midst of negotiating with Joshua Loring, the British commissioner of prisoners, to exchange General Burgoyne and other British officers for more than one thousand Continental officers and soldiers. This agreement was signed on 9 February, eight days after Washington sent this intercessionary letter.