es of Yesterday, the Negroes that have
been retaken, from whatever State, whose owners do not appear,
should all be treated in the same manner, and sent into the
Country to work for their Victuals and Cloathes, and advertised
in the States they came from. Those from N. York, are most
probably the property of Inhabitants of that State and N. Jersey,
and should be there Advertised. If any officers, knowing who the
owners are, will undertake to send them home, they may be
delivered to them. The other steps taken by you, are proper and
Expedient. The Negroes may be furnished with two days' Provisions
to carry them to Williamsburg, where there is a State Commissary.

"I am etc.,"[518]

In a letter to Colonel Bland in 1783 Washington took up one of the
important questions arising at the close of the Revolution. This was
the return of the slaves carried off by the British:

"_Sir_,

"HEAD QUARTERS 31st March, 1783.

"The Article in the provisional Treaty respecting Negroes, which
you mention to Sir Guy Carleton, had escaped my Notice, but upon
a recurrence to the Treaty, I find it as you have stated. I have
therefore tho't it may not be amiss to send in your Letter to Sir
Guy, and have accordingly done it.

"Altho I have Servants in like predicament with yours, I have not
yet made any attempt for their recovery.

"Sir Guy Carleton's reply to you will decide upon the propriety
or expediency of any pursuit to obtain them. If that reply should
not be transmitted thro my Hands, I will thank you for a
Communication of it.

"With much Regard, I am &c."[519]

Writing to Sir Guy Carleton about the same question on May 6, 1783,
Washington said:

"Respecting the other point of discussion, in addition to what I
mentioned in my communication of the 21st ultimo, I took occasion
in our conference to inform your Excellency, that, in consequence
of your letter of the 14th of April to Robert R. Livingston,
Esquire, Congress had been pleased to make a further reference to
me of that letter, and had directed me to take such measures as
should be found necessary for carrying into effect the several
matters mentioned by you therein.[520] In the course of our
conversation on this point, I was surprised to hear