1. The letter, dated 9 July, from John Vanderhovan, who signed as “Littel D,” to Elias Dayton reads: “this morning t⟨he new⟩s arrived of the french fleet By the gardeloop the Capt. Say that he fell in with them On wensday morning at Day Light and Exchanged One Broad Sid[e] with One of them and made the Rest of his way to this port he Says that he Saw thirteen Sail of the Line and as many frigots Beside a number of heavy armed Vessels and fifty Sail of transports he hove all his Spars Boats and Guns Over board to affect his Escape this news makes Greate Discontent amongst Our Scotch Bugars hear the Whole Army from Above is Exspected in town to morrow night Sir H[enry] C[linton] has Been Down to the hook this Day and is to Go Down again to morrow as I am Informd By Mr Barrack the pilot who Says that all the Stone fleet will Be underway to morrow and under Sail Cheaf of the Day he Says that we have In the harbour Six Dubble Deckkers at this time the Uropia 64—Belfrour 64 Renown 50 Rainbow 40 Romeles 40 Vigilent 40 and Seven frigots Opposit the town Lay the Sea hors and Lord townsen Boath of 40 Guns Old Indemen this is near the Same as I sent you Before and all that I Can Collect as to that matter at preasent But Shall Go Down to the hook to See my Self if I Get no full Satisfation By a man that I have Sent Down this afternoon—my Brother is now With me Sent By Mr Mercero and will Go Out tomorrow night when I Shall Send Every thing that I Can Collect and Shall attend to no Other Business till matters alter and you must write Down Some Intilegeints for my Brother to Bring to me all the perticulars that you think will not hurt him nor you and then I Can fix matters as you would wish them to Be done as I shall Settle it to have him Come twice a week and the Bareer of this Can Come twice which will Inable you to Get all you Can wish from hear this you and Mer[c]ero Must fix for my Brother as he will not Come over any more any farther then they Shoar at the west End of the Island and I shall protend that this Intelegnts which you Send C⟨om⟩es from Some Stanch friend to them … pray Exscuse my writing as I am at mr [Abraham] Bankers and no pen that is worth any thing—you will Scarcely Read it” (DLC:GW). For a similar intelligence report, see John Mercereau to GW, 8–9 July. For more on Vanderhovan’s espionage activities, see Stirling to GW, 11 Oct. 1778 (second letter), n.1.

2. The previous Sunday was 9 July.

3. Rear Adm. Thomas Graves sailed from England on 17 May with six ships of the line to reinforce the British fleet in North American waters and engage the French squadron bound for the United States (see Robert Howe to GW, 11 May, n.8; see also Dull, French Navy description begins Jonathan R. Dull. The French Navy and American Independence: A Study of Arms and Diplomacy, 1774-1787. Princeton, 1975. description ends , 191). He arrived on 13 July, too late to intercept the French, who had entered Newport, R.I., two days before (see William Heath’s second letter to GW of this date).

4. New York printer Hugh Gaine wrote in his journal on 15 July: “Two Ships from England, the Jamaica from London and the John from Bristol” (Ford, Journals of Hugh Gaine description begins Paul Leicester Ford, ed. The Journals of Hugh Gaine, Printer. 1902. Reprint. [New York] 1970. description ends , 2:93). The provision fleet from Cork, Ireland, arrived safely in New York, but not until 10 Nov. (see Baurmeister, Revolution in America description begins Carl Leopold Baurmeister. Revolution in America: Confidential Letters and Journals, 1776–1784, of Adjutant General Major Baurmeister of the Hessian Forces. Translated and annotated by Bernhard A. Uhlendorf. New Brunswick, N.J., 1957. description ends , 393).

5. No letter on this subject from GW to Dayton or Col. Matthias Ogden has been found.