1. The previous Sunday was 21 January.

2. For the detachment from the New Jersey brigade sent to Chatham, see Israel Shreve to GW, 8 Jan., and n.1 to that document. The part of the brigade camped at Pompton, N.J., had revolted (see Shreve to GW, 20 Jan.).

3. Springfield, N.J., is about four miles east of Chatham.

4. For the appointment of these commissioners, see Frederick Frelinghuysen to GW, 20 January.

5. For the acceptance of oaths in the case of the Pennsylvania mutineers, see Arthur St. Clair to GW, 17 January.

6. For Dayton’s illness and absence from the army, see Matthias Ogden to GW, 13 Nov. 1780.

7. These preparations likely related to making ready a fleet of merchant vessels bound for England. The fleet embarked invalids and discharged soldiers going to Europe. It sailed from New York Harbor on 31 Jan. (see the entries for 23 and 30–31 Jan. in Mackenzie Diary description begins Diary of Frederick Mackenzie Giving a Daily Narrative of His Military Service as an Officer of the Regiment of Royal Welch Fusiliers during the Years 1775–1781 in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York. 2 vols. Cambridge, Mass., 1930. description ends , 2:460, 464–65).

The British in New York did not learn of the revolt of the New Jersey troops until the evening of this date. British major Frederick Mackenzie wrote in his diary entry that “about 10 o’Clock” the intelligence came that mutineers “were moving towards Elisabeth town with an intention to come over to us. Orders were immediately given for the 17th & 57th Regiments, The Landgrave’s Regiment, and the two Battalions of Anspach to be in readiness to move on the shortest notice” (Mackenzie Diary description begins Diary of Frederick Mackenzie Giving a Daily Narrative of His Military Service as an Officer of the Regiment of Royal Welch Fusiliers during the Years 1775–1781 in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York. 2 vols. Cambridge, Mass., 1930. description ends , 2:462; see also Sabine, Smith’s Historical Memoirs [1971] description begins William H. W. Sabine, ed. Historical Memoirs from 26 August 1778 to 12 November 1783 of William Smith. . .. New York, 1971. description ends , 380; Ford, Journals of Hugh Gaine description begins Paul Leicester Ford, ed. The Journals of Hugh Gaine, Printer. 1902. Reprint. [New York] 1970. description ends , 2:109; and the misdated intelligence report in “Clinton’s Secret Record,” description begins “Sir Henry Clinton’s Original Secret Record of Private Daily Intelligence.” Contributed by Thomas Addis Emmett, with an Introduction and Notes by Edward F. DeLancey. Magazine of American History with Notes and Queries 10 (1883): 327–42, 409–19, 497–507; 11 (1884): 53–70, 156–67, 247–57, 342–52, 433–44, 533–44. description ends 10:331). Writing from New York City on 25 Jan., Lt. Gen. James Robertson resumed a letter to British military advisor Jeffrey Amherst begun the previous day: “Last night I had notice that the Jersey Brigade had revolted, that the Militia and they had fired on one another—the General has put a body of troops under my orders, they wait here in readiness to embark—I am just going to Staten Island to try to treat, the troops will move on my signal, and if the revolters agree I will go into Jersey to cover them—the spirit of defection runs thro’ the whole rebel army, the fire will not go out if we can blow it up with fair conditions, pardon, payment, liberty to serve or to retire, if I can but get some of them to come and treat in the name of the rest I think something may be done to end the war” (Klein and Howard, Letter Book of Robertson description begins Milton M. Klein and Ronald W. Howard, eds. The Twilight of British Rule in Revolutionary America: The New York Letter Book of General James Robertson, 1780-1783. Cooperstown, N.Y., 1983. description ends , 169–74, quote on 172). On 25 Jan., Robertson and Maj. Oliver De Lancey, Clinton’s deputy adjutant general, went to Staten Island “to endeavor to communicate with the Jersey troops, and induce them to join us” (Mackenzie Diary description begins Diary of Frederick Mackenzie Giving a Daily Narrative of His Military Service as an Officer of the Regiment of Royal Welch Fusiliers during the Years 1775–1781 in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York. 2 vols. Cambridge, Mass., 1930. description ends , 2:462). For De Lancey’s communications, see Van Doren, Mutiny in January description begins Carl Van Doren. Mutiny in January: The Story of a Crisis in the Continental Army now for the first time fully told from many hitherto unknown or neglected sources both American and British. New York, 1943. description ends , 213–14. Clinton later wrote that these communications proved as “equally ineffectual” as the ones sent to the Pennsylvania mutineers (Willcox, American Rebellion description begins William B. Willcox, ed. The American Rebellion: Sir Henry Clinton’s Narrative of His Campaigns, 1775–1782, with an Appendix of Original Documents. New Haven, 1954. description ends , 242).

8. The enclosed document, dated at Chatham on 23 Jan., reads: “The Commandant of the Jersey Brigade in answer to the petition of the Sergeants for a general pardon, observes that in consideration of the Brigade’s haveing revolted before they were made acquainted with the resolution of the legislature directing an inquiry into their enlistments and of their agreeing immediately upon their being informed of said resolution to return to their duty and of their haveing neither shed blood nor done violence to the person of any officer or inhabitant; he hereby promises a pardon to all such as immediately without hesitation shall return to their duty and conduct themselves in a soldierly manner. Those who shall, notwithstan[d]ing this unmerited proffer of clemency, refuse obedience, must expect the reward due to such obstinate villainy” (DLC:GW).