To George Washington from Major General Horatio Gates, 30 May 1778
From Major General Horatio Gates
⟨Robi⟩nson’s House [N.Y.]1 30th May 1778
Sir,
Yesterday Evening I was favoured with the Receipt of Your Excellency’s Letter of the 25th Instant, and have this Morning despatch’d Expresses to the Governors Clinton and Trumbull, pressing them in the strongest Manner, immediately to order their Militia to reinforce this Post—I have inclosed each of them an Extract of Your Excellency’s Letter to me, with a Copy of the within from Col. Graham, at the White Plains2—and have apprized them, that neither Recruits or Drafts arrive from the Eastward—Col. Wadsworth and Col. Cuyler are also written to—to throw in a sufficient Supply of Provision of Meat to answer the Demands that will be made upon my Magazine—Col. Lamb, agreeable to Your Excellency’s Order is preparing to move the fine Train of Field Artillery from Farmington: at present not a Soldier can be spared from hence to escort it to Easton—I have appointed Col. Malcolm to act as D. Adjutant General to this Department, and wish Your Excellency, would please to order his Regt here, as Governor Clinton will undertake to recruit it—Col. Malcolm consents to act only upon Condition that his Regiment is sent here, and by no means intending to resign his Regiment upon that Account—With the greatest Respect, I am. Sir. Your Excellency’s most Obedient Humble Servant
Horatio Gates
LS, DLC:GW; Df, NHi: Gates Papers; copy, DNA:PCC, item 154; copy, DNA:PCC, item 171.
1. Robinson’s House, also known as Beverly, was an estate situated about a mile and a half south of West Point, N.Y., on the east (opposite) bank of the Hudson River. Owned by the Loyalist Col. Beverly Robinson, it was confiscated in 1779.
2. Gates’s letters of this date to George Clinton and Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., are in NHi: Gates Papers. The enclosed copy of a letter from Col. Morris Graham to Gates, dated “Six o’Clock in the P.M.” on 27 May at White Plains, reads: “This moment I received the following Intelligence by a person that may be depended upon.
“That Brown’s Corps Embarked last Sunday at Hell-Gate. Fanning’s were to march Yesterday, and Embark at the Same place; that all the Troops at and near the Bridge are under Marching Orders, and one British Regt had lately come to the Bridge, and is Encamped on Hyatt’s Hill.
“Colo. Emerick, who lays on this Side the Bridge, has taken great pains within a few Days, to make us beleive he intends an Expedition to Tarry Town by Water, by reporting it to people who he Supposed wou’d Convey it to us.
“The Tories impressed at New York, and Sent on board the Shipping, amounted to One Thousand Men last Saturday.
“Yesterday Morning I went with the Regiment within Sight of the Fort, and they knew of my being there, but never Attempted to draw near us” (DLC:GW).