1. See Daniel Roberdeau to GW, 15 Aug., and note 1.

2. For fuller accounts of this attack on the British warships Phoenix and Rose and their tenders, see Wilson, Heath’s Memoirs description begins Rufus Rockwell Wilson, ed. Heath’s Memoirs of the American War. 1798. Reprint. New York, 1904. description ends , 62–63, and the Phoenix’s and Rose’s journal entries for 16 Aug., in Clark and Morgan, Naval Documents description begins William Bell Clark et al., eds. Naval Documents of the American Revolution. 12 vols. to date. Washington, D.C., 1964–. description ends , 6:206; see also William Heath to GW, this date. The burned tender was the Charlotta.

Benjamin George Eyre, an experienced shipwright who with his two older brothers operated a shipyard at Kensington near Philadelphia, built the frigate Washington for the Continental navy earlier this year, and during GW’s visit to Philadelphia in late May, he was engaged by GW and Thomas Mifflin to go to New York to build row galleys for the defense of the city and the Hudson River (see GW to Hancock, 7 June 1776, and Eyre’s memorial to Congress, 21 May 1777, DNA:PCC, item 41). On 27 Sept. 1776 Q.M. Gen. Stephen Moylan certified that Eyre had “built & completely finished two Gondolas or Row Galleys, one other, is finished all but the smiths work, and one was Left on the Stocks at Newyork entirely Timberd & Rigged. that he was actively employed about the Water frize [chevaux de frise], Sunck in the North River & has been allso employed to appraise sixteen vessells taken up to sinck in the North and the east River, that he has gone up to Albany to engage & hurry down plank and boards for the use of the Army” (DNA:PCC, item 41). The three galleys that Eyre completed were the Lady Washington, Putnam, and Independence. Eyre returned to Philadelphia sometime in October, and on 13 Nov. Congress allowed him $427 77/90 for his work and expenses in New York (see JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends , 6:949, and Eyre’s memorials to Congress, 18 Nov. 1776 and 21 May 1777, DNA:PCC, item 41). Eyre served as brigade major of Gen. John Cadwalader’s Pennsylvania militia brigade from 1 Dec. 1776 to 29 Jan. 1777, and between 1777 and 1779 he was Continental superintendent of ship carpenters and boat builders, a position in which he proved to be so useful that GW refused to let him resign in December 1778 (see Nathanael Greene to Charles Pettit, 12 Dec. 1778, in Showman, Greene Papers description begins Richard K. Showman et al., eds. The Papers of General Nathanael Greene. 13 vols. Chapel Hill, N.C., 1976–2005. description ends , 3:112–13). In 1780 Eyre became lieutenant colonel commandant of the 2d Battalion of Philadelphia militia.