Livingston, William, Governor of New Jersey

Autograph letter signed ("Wil. Livingston"), 1 1/3 pages (8 1/8 x 6 5/8 in.; 205 x 130 mm), Trenton, 12 July 1782, to Captain Jonathan Dayton, regarding individuals crossing and recrossing enemy lines. Green linen folding case, green morocco spine, beige morocco lettering piece.

Illicit comings and goings across enemy lines. Livingston diplomatically tells Dayton: "I am very sensible that the great extent of your post renders it extremely difficult if not impossible, wholly to prevent people passing to and from the enemy's lines in a clandestine manner, but whether as much care has been taken to prevent that pernicious practice ... I am not a competent Judge to determine. In favour of all the officers of the American army to which the public are under great obligations I am inclined to think that they would despise the thought of willfully conniving at the violation of the Laws of their Country or neglecting so essential a part of the duty expected of them when stationed in the lines as that of hindering people to pass without proper passports, or at prohibited places from this opinion of them I give still less credit to the common report that some of them connive at the trade carried on with the Enemy."

The triumph at Yorktown did not effectively end the war; skirmishes still continued in the South. The British evacuated Savannah 11 July 1782, but they kept a firm grip on New York City until November 1783, and the Hudson River provided the perfect conduit for illicit trade for Patriots from New Jersey.