pare his answers with the information given Mr. Livingston and Mr. Jay.9

To GOVERNOR WILLIAM LIVINGSTON

Head Quarters, New York, July 8, 1776. Sir: Your favour of yesterday with the Inclosures is received. Col. Puttnam went over yesterday and after doing what is necessary at Bergin will proceed to Eliza. Town and from thence to Amboy. He is our principal Engineer and may [be] depended upon for Skill and Industry.

The Deserter whose Examination you sent was brought over last Evening, two others from the Fleet came up this Morning; their Accounts correspond pretty exact. The latter inform us that Capt. Morris and Elisha [illegible] of Monmouth County came down to the Hook a few Days ago with 60 Men and are now on Staten Island. It may be proper this should be made known to the Committee of their County or some other Authority that proper Measures may be taken as to their Families and Effects. As we may expect Deserters daily I would wish that you would take their Examinations and forward to me but dispose of their Persons so as they may do us no Prejudice if they should be inclined. The Congress have allowed 4 Dollars to every Deserter without his Arms and 14 to those who desert with. Their Expences on being ascertained I will direct to be paid here, unless you would negotiate it directly thro the Congress which I should prefer.

In the Examination of Deserters, you will please to interogate them particularly as to the Numbers and Health of their Army. The prevailing Opinion among the Soldiery of their Plan and Intentions for the Persons of their Rank cannot be supposed to be acquainted with Instructors, or any special Expedition, it is

From the printed text in Jay's Correspondence and Public Papers.

very observable that they have a general Knowledge of their Strength expected Reinforcemt and the great Plan.

Considering our Situation and Advantage I should think it very practicable (if suitable Powers could be found for the Purpose) to have constant Intelligence of their Proceedings, the State of their Guards &c. I wish you would with some confidential Persons give him your Thoughts upon this Subject. As the gaining Intelligence is of the last Importance and the Intercourse they admit and encourage with the Inhabitants seems to afford a fair Oppy. of establishing a Corrispondence of this Nature.

A Quantity of Musket Cartridges was sent over yesterday to Powles Hook to the Care of Col: Durkee to be delivered to your Order. You will be pleased to recommend the greatest Care in keeping and Frugality in using them and particularly to caution the Officers and Soldiers against firing at great Distances, an Error to which young Troops are much exposed and which occasions a great Waste of Ammunition. I am etc. [MS. H.S.]

*To ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON

64

New York, August 8, 1776. Dear Sir: This Letter will accompany another from me to the Convention of your State; the purport of wch. will come before you, and need not be recapitulated. In that Letter I did not care to make too full a declaration of the Weak State of this Army; to you Sir, I can have no reserve in doing of it, 'tis necessary that you, and some other Gentlemen of your body should

know it.

By the last Genl return (on Monday) our numbers stood thus, fit for duty 10,514. Sick present 3039 sick absent 629. On Comd. 2946. On Furlough 97. Total 17225. In these are In

In the writing of Joseph Reed.

ENEMY'S MOVEMENTS

529

cluded the Troops on Long Island, Govrs. Island Powles hook, Red hook, Horns hook, Fort Washington, and Kings Bridge; in short all, except the Flying [Camp]. You can judge then Sir, without any annimadversions of mine, how competent this force is to oppose the Enemy, which can be little [if any short of 30,000 Men when the Hessians (which were parted with off the Banks of Newfoundland) arrive and which is momently expected....]

TO BRIGADIER GENERAL JAMES CLINTON

Head Quarters, New York, August 9, 1776. Dear Sir: Yours of the 2d Instant is duly Received. enclosed you have a Resolution of the Provincial Convention which came to hand last Evening, by which you will please to Regulate your Conduct. I must beg you to Inform me as soon as possible what number your Brigade now consists of, and what number it will contain when a fourth part of the Militia are drafted agreeable to Order of provincial Congress.

By Intelligence Received, and movements observed of the Enemy, we have the greatest Reason to believe a general Attack will be made in the Course of a very few Days, our numbers are much short of the Enemy. I hope no time will be lost in Marching the Reinforcements expected to our Assistance from different Quarters, with all possible Dispatch. I am etc."

TO MAJOR GENERAL ARTEMAS WARD

Head Quarters, New York, August 13, 1776. Dear Sir: I could not have supposed the Company of Artifi cers under Capt. Ayres would have insisted on their Wages

67

65 From a facsimile in an auction catalogue, 1936. The part in brackets is from the printed extract in the same.

From the printed text in Letters from Washington to Lear (W. K. Bixby, Rochester: 1905).

Capt. Joseph(?) Eyres (Ayres).

being augmented in Consequence of their being ordered to this place, the consequences of raising their pay would be an Immediate Application from all those in Service as Artificers to be put on the same footing, if not refuse doing Duty any longer than absolutely bound. But these men understanding the particular branch of making Gun Carriages &c and the absolute necessity we are under for them induces me to order them on at the Wages you mention, and to prevent the Evil abovementioned have concluded to stop them 40 or 50 Miles up the Sound and let them go on with their Business. Norwalk a town in the Western part of Connecticut situated on the Sound seems a proper Station, to which place you'll please to order them as soon as possible, with their Tolls &c compleat, Necessity obliges me to order on the Company of Artillery which I mentioned in my Letter some time past, both the above Companies may March to Norwich, and from that by Water, they will take in Charge the two Sea Mortars wrote for Yesterday, and such other articles as may be bound for this place. If necessary a Company of Artillery might be embodied and put in Continental pay, from among the Inhabitants of and in the Neighbourhood of Boston, in this case Inventory should be taken of such Stores, Arms Utensils &c that are delvd. them and the Officers pass their Receipts to be Accountable. I am etc.

68

[MS. H.S.]

To GOVERNOR WILLIAM LIVINGSTON

Head Quarters, August 21, 1776.

Sir: I am much obliged to you for your Favour of this Date."9 The Intelligence is important,70 and I shall take every necessary

60

In the writing of Samuel Blatchley Webb.

"In the Washington Papers.

TO Livingston wrote that the force of the enemy was 35,000 men, 15,000 of whom were left on Staten Island; that all the rest embarked and "expected to attack every Hour... this Night at farthest. It was to be on Long Island and up the North River."

HARLEM HEIGHTS

531

Measure to avail myself of it. Should any new Intelligence arise you will please to forward it with the same kind Expedition you have used on this. We have made no Discovery of any Moverents here of any Consequence. I am etc."1

[MS. H.S.]

*To GOVERNOR WILLIAM LIVINGSTON

New York, August 22, 1776.

Dr. Sir: The Inclosed is left open for your perusal in hopes that you will be able to facilitate the design. I am etc.

PS. I believe the attempt, if any, upon the Jerseys by the Foreigners 72 will be nothing more than a division to withdraw your Aid from this place.

*To LUND WASHINGTON

[MS. H.S.]

Heights of Haerlam, October 6, 1776. Dear Lund: Your Letter of the 25th. Ulto. has reached my hands since the date of my last about this day Week. nothing material has happened since that time. We are strengthning ourselves in this Post, as the Enemy also are in theirs. They have moved some of their ships up the North River opposite to their own Lines, and a little below ours; whether with a view to cover their own Flanks, or at a proper time to aid in their Attack upon our present Post, time only can discover. We have been in daily expectation of having our Quarters beat up, but as yet nothing of the kind has been attempted. On Wednesday last I expected to have had some pretty warm work, but it turnd out otherwise. It arose from this. I sent a Party of 1000 Men to cover some Waggons in bringing of Grain from a Place where I expected opposition from them. this occasioned them to strike their Tents, and put their whole Line in motion, and of course

"In the writing of Joseph Reed.

"German troops, who were reported as intending to land at Bergen Point.