III. “Amicus Reipublicae” to John Mercereau, 20 May 1780
III
“Amicus Reipublicae” to John Mercereau
[20 May 1780]
In Consequence of an Express from Europe to Sir Henry Clinton pr the Pearl Frigate intimating that a Large Fleet Consisting of Severel Sail of the Line & a large Body of Troops had made an Elopement from Brest & were Destined for the Continent the Irish frigate was dispatched with the intilligence to Clinton, & immediately the inhabitints of new york were Commanded to prepare for thier Reception in Case they might be Bound to this port which is the general Opinion of Our Politicians1 a Breast work in form of an half Moon is Constructing near the Water works2 last wednesday Morning3 ground was Broke on Corlers hook on the most advantagious Spot[.] it has a very Extensive Command when finished will Contain 500 Men the Militia work at this fort 3 Compenies the fore Noon Same Number the Afternoon 50 in a Compeny and are very deligent to Secure the City from any Assult by Sea or land I am told that 16 days only is Alowed to Complete this fortification which is to be Styled the Loyel Citizens Redoubt,4 indeed they are very Assiduous to Acomplish it but the Engineers are of Opinion it will take three weeks, ere it will be finished, The Dist[ance] about 300 yards from a small fort Near Jone’s’s & is near 2 fortifications much Demolished and of little Use Next week you may Expect to hear More perticuler as it will take Some time to get A[u]thentic information, the Independent Compenies Guard the City while the Reguler forses are on the Out posts5 By the best information we Can procure as yet there are abt 12 large Sloops and Schooners Laden with Stone to Sink as Cheveaux de frize to Obstruct the paseage in the Channel6 they are gone to the hook and are to be Sunk at the first apearence of an Enemy the Galatea a Copper Bottom frigate is Now one of the principel Ships in the Harbour indeed Nothing Superier to a Frigate remains tho they are in Continuel Expectation of Admirel Graves to Command on this Station which Augmentation it is Imagened will Render the British Navy in this Quarter Equel if Not Superier to the french fleat that is Expected,7 the Rusel is gone out on a Cruise great part of her Crew impressed just before her Departure, the ⟨Out⟩ line Strengthening the Fort at Brookli⟨ne⟩ which is beyond Dispute a very Respectable Fortress.
they are very Suspicious of a french fleat Coming here there are Dispaches gone for Genel Clinton if he Can take Charles town to garison it, the Reste of the troops to Come here, if he fails after an attempt made by Storm the hole to Come, which is to be att the Risk of half his army.
L, DLC:GW. GW docketed this letter: “Through Mersereau 20th May. 1780.” Although it is not in his writing, Amicus Reipublicae almost certainly sent this letter to Mercereau. The information conveyed came from inside New York, and the reference to another report one week later accords with the normal periodicity for his reports to Mercereau. His next report followed on 27 May (see Document V).
1. For the arrival of the Pearl at New York City and the mission of the Iris, see GW to James Duane, 13 May, n.3.
2. New York City’s town water pump, or “Fresh Water Engine”—sometimes called the “Water works”—supplied the city’s fresh water. For its location in the northern part of the city, see , 84–85.
3. The previous Wednesday was 17 May.
4. On 4 May, Maj. Gen. James Pattison, commandant of New York City, wrote the captains of the city militia: “Among other Works it is proposed to erect some new Redoubts, and the City Militia being now Regularly embodied for the express Purpose of Co-operating in every Defence of the City, it is very much my wish that they may have the Credit in Conjunction with His Majesty’s Troops, of raising one of these intended Redoubts themselves, to bear, as a lasting Monument of their Loyalty, the name of the Citizen’s Redoubt” ( 392–93; see also Pattison to Henry Clinton, 29 May, and Pattison to George Germain, 4 July, in 178–79, 183–85). This fort was part of a new line of fortifications (see GW to James Duane, 13 May, n.9).
5. Pattison had formed forty independent companies of city militia in February (see Pattison to the captains of militia, 9 Feb., and Pattison to Clinton, 21 Feb., in 366–67, 146–51).
6. For the British plan to sink vessels to obstruct the approaches to New York, see Robert Howe to GW, 11 May, and notes 3 and 6 to that document; see also Elias Dayton to GW, 15 May, and Documents IV and V.
7. Rear Adm. Thomas Graves sailed from Plymouth, England, on 17 May with six ships of the line to reinforce the fleet in North American waters (see Germain to Clinton, 3 May, in , 18:84–85, and , 191).