To George Washington from Colonel Elias Dayton, 17-20 February 1781
From Colonel Elias Dayton
Chatham [N.J.] Febr. 17th[–20] 1781
Sir
I had the honour to receive your Excellencys letter of the 7th instant four days since.1 I am sorry to acquaint your excellency that my health is not yet as well established as I could wish, being at present exceedingly troubled with a swelling in my thigh, which has confined me closely for a fortnight past, it however bears a favourable appearance & I expect to be able to join the troops in a few days. This your exellency may rely upon my doing, as soon as I am able to sit on horseback. It has been intimated to me that General Washington disapproved of the measures adopted & pursued with the Jersey mutineers, and my not hearing any thing from the General in answer to my letter on that subject increased my suspicion that my conduct had not been approved.2 As nothing can give me greater pain than your excellencys displeasure I could wish to be informed what part of my conduct was conceived to be reprehensible, that I might clear it up as I am convinced I could, to the satisfaction of every one. I never wished for lenient steps with the insurgents, but would gladly have been concerned in cutting a number of their throats if the officers, Commissioners and Militia whom I consulted had agreed in the propriety of such a Measure.3 I am your Excellency most Obedient & Humble Servant
Elias Dayton
P.S. 20th A vessel from General Arnold has arrived at New York in a short passage & brought accounts of his being in a hobble, as they term it themselves.4 one french Ship of the line and two frigates are anchored opposite him in such A manner as to prevent his geting off without assistance from New York.5
The enclosed is a letter from an Old corrispondent in New York.6
Elias Dayton
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. See GW to Dayton, 7 February.
2. See Dayton to GW, 24 January.
3. No reply from GW to Dayton has been found. For the suppression of the New Jersey line mutiny, see Robert Howe to GW, 27 January.
4. British major Frederick Mackenzie, stationed in New York City, wrote in his diary entry for 18 Feb.: “Came in last night a Cutter with letters from Arnold mentioning that a line of Battle Ship and two Frigates, French, had anchored within the Capes. … Every assurance is given him of reinforcement, and of the utmost attention to his safety. I believe he is a little alarmed, and not without reason, for should he be taken, he will certainly be hanged.” On 19 Feb., Mackenzie wrote: “Another vessel came in last night from Arnold with information that a French 64 Gun ship, and two Frigates were at anchor off the horse-shoe, and that one of the frigates was aground there, with her yards and topmasts lowered” (, 2:474; see also entries of the same dates in , 2:110–11).
5. For the French naval expedition to Chesapeake Bay, see Destouches to GW, 7 Feb.; see also Destouches to GW, 25 February.
6. Dayton likely inclosed an undated letter to him from John Vanderhovan, who signed with his alias “Littel D” and addressed his letter to “Jack.” The letter begins: “I Am Opt to thinck you Are Dead Or at Least thinck your Self So As I Have not Heard from you this Long time I Send you By the Barar Some newspapers to Rouse you out of your Lethergy And awaken your Corraspondance as to news Jack we have Backloads of it Some Good Some Bad and Some Kept Secret as posabel what we hawe from the Suthern army you will Se By this Days paper—which I Send you And three others with different Dates the packket is ⟨Ar⟩rived But Her new[s] is Kept a Seccret from the publick All that I Can Lern is that the Genl Has Accompts of ten Sail of the Line and twelve thousand french troops that they Exspect Has Imbarcked and Saled for Some part of this Contenent And it was Exspected in England that they was Arrived Hear Before the packet Could Reach this place, Every One talks of the Dutch proclaming war in the Spring and many of the prinspal peopel Hear Exspect this place to Be attak Early next Campain How matters Stand On your Side I Cannot tell as I Do not Hear any thing from you” (DLC:GW, filed under 17 Feb.). Vanderhovan likely wrote between 14 and 20 February. Mackenzie wrote in his diary entry for 15 Feb.: “Came in The Thynne Packet with the December Mail in 9 weeks” (, 2:471). New York printer Hugh Gaine recorded the arrival of the same packet in his journal entry of 14 Feb. but added: “Nothing very material” (, 2:110). For more on Vanderhovan’s espionage activities, see Stirling to GW, 11 Oct. 1778 (second letter), n.1.