George Washington signed hand written letter, headquarters New York, 8 Sept. (1776), written to Sir (Abraham Yates), I wrote you this Morning by your Express, but forgot to mention a Matter of Consequence. It being determined to remove our Sick to Orange Town, we shall want four large Albany Sloops for that purpose. The fatigue of travelling that Distance by land, would not only be more than the Patients could bear, but we have full Employ for our Waggons in transporting Baggage, Tents & c for the Troops from hence to our out posts. I must therefore beg the favor of your Honourable Body to procure the above Number of Vessels and send them down with as much Dispatch as possible to this City. I am with Respect Your most obt Servt. P.S. I shall be glad to know by Return of the Express when I may probably expect the Sloops down. There are several now on the lower parts of the River with Boards perhaps you might engage them to come this way, which would save time. The text is written in the hand of Tench Tilghman who was Washington's aide-de-camp. Published with some minor variation in"The Papers of George Washington", Revolutionary War Series volume 6, page 262, Philander D. Chase and Frank E. Grizzard, Jr. Provenance: The Ephemera Collection of Joseph Rubinfine, Merritt Island, Florida. Laminated with tissue, loss to upper right corner, fold lines, minor edge tears.