April 16, 1780

The earliest dated letter from James Davenport is from April 1780, when he was in camp at West Point, New York, for at least the second time in his service. He had been at home on furlough since December 1779 and wrote to his brother the day after he returned to camp. The bulk of Washington’s army was still encamped at Morristown, New Jersey. Like most Continental soldiers in the spring of 1780, James was wistful for home but decided “to make the best of a bad bargain.”