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Primary sourceLetter19 August 1776

To Lund Washington, 19 August 1776

George Washington · 19 August 1776

A private letter from George Washington to his estate manager, written during the tense New York campaign of the Revolutionary War.

Washington's own private letter revealing his strategic anxieties during the New York campaign.

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Source: Internet Archive

About this source

What it is

This is a letter written by George Washington on 19 August 1776, sent from New York to his cousin and estate manager Lund Washington. It survives in the published collection of Washington's writings drawn from original manuscripts.

Why it matters

At the time, Washington's army faced a much larger British and Hessian force threatening New York City. The letter shows him weighing troop numbers, rumors of peace offers from the British commander Lord Howe, and the uncertainty of the enemy's intentions. It reveals the private calculations and anxieties behind the public image of a confident general.

Look closer

  • Why might Washington share detailed troop numbers with someone managing his farm rather than a military officer?
  • What does his skepticism about British 'peace' offers tell you about trust between the two sides?
  • How does writing to a family member differ from an official military report?

This letter is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of George Washington on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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