1. Stuart inadvertently wrote “they” for this word.

2. Pvt. Johann Conrad Döhla of the Anspach Regiment described this attack into Bergen County, N.J., in his diary entry for 22 March: “During the evening, after tattoo, I went with a strong command. It was drawn from all the regiments which lay here in New York and consisted of four hundred men . … We were carried in boats across the North River to the province of New Jersey. Then we marched almost the entire night, at the quickest pace and as silently as possible, mostly through forests. Toward three o’clock in the morning we reached Hackensack, a large and beautiful settlement consisting of about two hundred houses. This village was attacked and all houses were immediately broken into and everything ruined. … All the males were taken prisoners, and the townhall and some other splendid buildings were set on fire. We took considerable booty, money, silver pocket watches, silver plate and spoons, as well as furniture, good clothing, fine English linen, good silk stockings, gloves, and neckcloths, as well as other expensive silks, satins, and other materials” (Döhla, Hessian Diary description begins Johann Conrad Döhla. A Hessian Diary of the American Revolution. Translated and edited by Bruce E. Burgoyne. Norman, Okla., and London, 1990. description ends , 120–21). Döhla related the operation’s conclusion in his diary entry for 23 March: “At daybreak we again marched out of Hackensack. We wished to proceed two miles further to Pollingtown [Paramus], a small city where we hoped to capture a rebel command of two hundred men. However, because we were betrayed by spies and the rebels came against us from all sides, we had to begin the return march. They would have taken all of us prisoners, because they were five or six times stronger than we were, if Colonel Emmerich of the English had not joined us with four hundred light infantry and jaegers. On the previous day they had been transferred across the North River beyond Kingsbridge and were to have supported us … we slowly pulled back under a steady fire, which last more than six hours. During this time we threw away or discarded most of our furniture booty. At eight o’clock in the evening we again arrived at New York, after the enemy had followed us to the water of the North River. From this expedition we had dead three Scots, eleven English and Hessians” (Döhla, Hessian Diary description begins Johann Conrad Döhla. A Hessian Diary of the American Revolution. Translated and edited by Bruce E. Burgoyne. Norman, Okla., and London, 1990. description ends , 121).

Hessian major Carl Leopold Baurmeister summarized the action in a dispatch written at New York City on 26 March: “In order to surprise an enemy post of three hundred men at Paramus church beyond Hackensack in Jersey, Lieutenant Colonel Howard took four flank companies of British Guards and enough men from Kings Bridge to raise his force to three hundred, went up the North River to Philipse’s house on flatboats, and crossed over to Jersey in the night of the 22nd–23rd. At the same time, Lieutenant Colonel MacPherson of the local garrison departed with three hundred men and crossed over to Jersey at Weehawken . … It was agreed that the two detachments should approach Paramus at the same time. But Lieutenant Colonel Howard came upon the enemy post earlier than did Lieutenant Colonel MacPherson, for the latter met with considerable interference in crossing the North River and also encountered several small rebel pickets on his march through Hackensack.

“The rebels in the meantime had taken a position in the graveyard, and their commander, Major Stuart, made a valiant defense. Finally, however, he was compelled to fall back, and on his retreat he encountered Lieutenant Colonel MacPherson’s detachment. The heavy firing alarmed a great part of Jersey, and enemy troops approached from all sides in such numbers that our detachments could not hope for further success. They therefore decided to retreat over New Bridge. This gave the enemy so much courage that they followed close upon the heels of the detachments and even made some prisoners. Aside from ——wounded, among them two officers of the British Guards, who, together with sixty-five prisoners and fourteen deserters, came in by way of Powles Hook, we had nine killed and eighteen missing” (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 , 331–47, quote at 345–46). For a secondary account of this attack with substantial quotations from primary sources, see John U. Rees, “‘The Enemy was in Hackansack last night Burning & Destroing …’: British Incursions into Bergen County, Spring 1780,” Military Collector & Historian 65 (Spring 2013): 28–42; see also Leiby, Hackensack Valley description begins Adrian C. Leiby. The Revolutionary War in the Hackensack Valley: The Jersey Dutch and the Neutral Ground, 1775–1783. New Brunswick, N.J., 1962. description ends , 239–44.

GW’s secretary Robert Hanson Harrison wrote Q.M. Gen. Nathanael Greene from camp, presumably Jockey Hollow, N.J. on 4 April: “Major Winder of the Maryland line having lately had the misfortune to loose His Horses when on command at paramus—His Excellency the Commander in Chief desires that You will lend him One belonging to the public, to enable him to do duty, till he can provide himself with Others which he expects to do in a short time” (DLC:GW).

3. Stuart enclosed a single undated document with headings “Return of the Wounded & missing of Continental Troops” and “Return of the Enemy killed wounded & made Prisoners” (DLC:GW). For the Continental troops, the return showed one wounded subaltern, two wounded rank and file, one missing sergeant, one missing among the drummers and fifers, and thirty-three missing rank and file. For the enemy, the return showed one killed among the rank and file, one drummer taken prisoner, and eight rank and file taken prisoner. As for the wounded enemy, the return reads: “the Number, uncertain, two Waggon Loads exclusive of 6 taken by the Militia and sent to Newark.”

4. The enclosure was a letter to Stuart from Hendrick Kuyper (Cuyper) and nine others, written at Hackensack, N.J., on 22 March: “We the Subscribers, Magistrates, Sheriff & Officers of Militia of the County of Bergen residing at Hackensack & its Vicinity, find ourselves necessitated to make Application to You for a Detachment or Party from your Command, to assist in protecting us & our Neighbours the well affected Inhabitants to the American Cause here, against the Incursions & Depredations of small Parties of the Enemy & their vile Abettors the refugees.

“In Order to justify this our Application we beg Leave to advise You, that we are credibly informed, That the Enemy have in Contemplation to make an Attack & Incursion on the Inhabitants of Hackensack within few Days; That the well affected Inhabitants, ’tho willing to risque their Persons in Defence of their Property, are too few in Number, for the wished for Purpose of repelling the Enemy’s Parties or keeping up continual Guards & Scouts for their Security, Without the Assistance of some Party of Continental Troops (till some Measures can be taken by the State for Our Protection.) And conceiving that the Security of your Detachment in some Measure depends on regular Scouts & Guards being kept up, near the Lines, We are from Necessity & from Duty to ourselves, our Neighbours & our Country, constrained to solicit & request in the most pressing Terms, That if it be consistent with your Orders from His Excellency the Commander in Chief, You will immediately detach a Party of your Men for the Purpose of assisting the well affected Inhabitants at this Place against the Incursions of Parties of the Enemy.

“If however your Orders should not be discretionary in this respect, we beg You to make known the State of our Situation to His Excellency & request his Orders—without Delay. We have no small Hopes that on a proper representation to the Genl, he will order the removal of your Detachment to or nearer to, this Place as from its present distant Post, it cannot possibly afford the well affected here any immediate Succour or Protection.

“For further Particulars we beg Leave to refer you to Lt. Colo. Varick who is so good as to take Charge of this in our behalf” (DLC:GW).