To George Washington from Colonel Stephen Moylan, 22 July 1777
From Colonel Stephen Moylan
Elizabethtown [N.J.] July 22d 1777
Dear Sir
I received your favor of yesterday a little after midnight,1 and agreeable to your orders, shall return to my old Station, which I assure your Excellency is a very exposed one for horse alone to be at, if there were one hundred Infantry Stationd at Amboy & the proper places near it, and fifty men to be Stationd at the ferrys it woud not only be a Security to the horse, and the Inhabitants but prevent an unlawful intercourse between the Island and the main which it is impossible for horse totally to put a Stop to, you have assignd a greater lenght of Coast for me to Guard, than Colonel Dayton has, with his own and Col. Ogdens Regiments, if your Excellency woud be pleasd to order one hundred & fifty men to be Sent up to me, I think it woud be for the public Service.
I just recd the inclosed report of yesterday and General Forman’s Letter, to their Contents I beg leave to reffer You.2 I am Dear Sir your most obliged H. St
Stephen Moylan
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. This letter has not been found.
2. Moylan enclosed Brig. Gen. David Forman’s letter to him of 20 July from Middle Town, N.J., giving intelligence about British fleet movements: “this Day at Elevin OClock A.M. the Enemies Fleet Appeared in New York Narrows, on there way to Sandy Hook—at Sundown there was under the Point of the Hook and in the Bay 160 Sail—it is Beyond a Doubt that Some of them have Troops On board, but to what amount cannot pretend to say. Yesterday Come in from Sea and went up to New York 19 Ships, this Day one Come in, on her way up to New York—Met the Fleet, She put about and returnd to the Hook with them. By Letter from His Excelly General Washington [of 18 July] handed me Yesterday I was requested to send the Earliest Information to the Officer at Amboy of the Movement of the Fleet and through your hands it would be Immediately Conveyed to Head Qrs” (DLC:GW).