2200. DESERTERS, Punishment of.—
The desertions of your militia have taken away
the necessity of answering the question how
they shall be armed. * * * I have sent expresses
into all the counties from which those
militia went, requiring the County Lieutenants
to exert themselves in taking them; and
such is the detestation with which they have
been received, that I have heard from many
counties they were going back of themselves.
You will of course, hold courts martial on
them, and make them soldiers for eight months.—
To General Stevens. Washington ed. i, 252.
Ford ed., ii, 338.
(R.
1780)
See Hessians.
