Page 31 - More than half the month of January, 1779, wore away without anything of importance occurring to the westward of Pittsburgh, when Samuel Sample, an assistant quartermaster, sent by Colonel Gibson from Fort Laurens to Coshocton, for corn and other articles, had one man killed, and another deperately wounded, by treacherous Delawares. The man killed was John Nash, of the thirteenth Virginia regiment; killed 22 Jan 1779. The man wounded was Peter Parchment, of the same regiment as Nash; wounded on the 27th Jan 1779; he finally recovered.
Page 150, 151, 152 - Carlisle, May 08, 1783 - Irvine to Washington - This letter is the last one written by Irvine as commander of the western department to Washington - "Sir: - Your excellency's favor of the 16th of April did not come to hand till this day. Agreeable to your desire, I will proceed to Fort Pitt immediately..." - Irvine reached Fort Pitt on his third trip out, a little past the middle of May. On the first of July, because of the scarcity of provisions at his post, he furloughed most of the troops for a few days, and afterward continued the furloughing for some time, in rotation. From the fifteenth of May to the eighteenth of July, there was but one maraud of savages into the western settlements. From the last mentioned date to the time of Irvine's final departure from Pittsburgh, comparative quiet reigned throughout the western department. On the twenty sixth of September, he received a letter from the assistant secretary at war notifying him that as soon as a detachment of troops arrived which were then on their way, he would be relieved from command at Fort Pitt, which he so much desired. He was authorized to furlough as many of his garrison at once as consistent with safety. This he did, turning over the remainder to one of his captains, and on the first day of October started for his home in Carlisle.
Before his departure, Irvine was presented with the following address - Pittsburgh, September 30, 1783 - To Brigadier General Irvine, Comanding at Fort Pitt and its Dependencies - Sir: - The inhabitants of Pittsburgh having just learned that you intend to retire from this command tomorrow, would do injustice to their own feelings if they did not express their thanks to you, and their sense of your merit as an officer. During your command in this department, you have demonstrated that amidst the tumults of war, the laws may be enforced and civil liberty and society protected. Your attention to the order and discipline of the regular troops under your command, as well as to the militia, your regard to the civil rights of the inhabitants, the care you have taken of the public property, and your economy in the expenditure of the public money, we have all witnessed. This conduct, we assure you, has given general satisfaction to a people who, before your time, were, unfortunately for them, much divided, but now united. As you are now about to quit the military life (in which your ability and integrity have been so conspicuous), we wish you all possible happiness, and that your fellow citizens may long enjoy your usefulness in civil life, in which we doubt not you will deserve their utmost confidence. We regret that we were not sooner informed of the time you intended to set out, as we are confident the whole country would have, with pride, joined us in this or mor animated and better drawn-up address. We sincerely wish you health and a happy meeting with your family and friends at Carlisle; - and are, with great esteem and respect, sir your obedient and very humble servants,
John Ormsby
Devereux Smith
David Duncan
Daniel Elliott
Samuel Ewalt
George Walker
Joseph Nicholson
Samuel Sample
Alexander Fowler
William Christy
John Hardin
William Amberson
General Irvine's Reply - Fort Pitt, September 30, 1783 - Gentlemen: Accept my sincere thanks for the address, however flattering, handed me by you on behalf of the inhabitants of the town of Pittsburgh. Concious of the rectitude of my intentions, I am happy that they have met with your approbation. This testimony of your satisfaction is to me a most pleasing reward for the anxious moments I have passed. I have ever felt disposed to sacrafice personal considerations for the benefit not only of the public, but for that of every individual connected with my local command. Your concurrence in all the measures which I adopted to facilitate the public service, deserves my most unfeigned acknowledgments. I have the honor to be, with great gregard, gentlemen, your most obedient servant, - W. IRVINE.
