1. GW received this information from two intelligence reports. One report, dated 26 July and sent from an unknown source, possibly John Vanderhovan, in part reads: “General Clinton is Gone Over to Long Island this morning to Imbark at White Stone and to Sail tomorrow morning[.] the Blond in Going through Hill Gate Run On the Rocks and it is thought will Be lost[.] the fleet Consist of forty Six Sail all they Convoy is the Amphitrite of thirty two and Commelia [Camilla] of twenty and two Galleys[.] their Distenation is against the french fleet” (DLC:GW).

The other report, docketed by GW’s aide-de-camp Tench Tilghman “Intelligence up to 26th July” and containing information gathered in the New York City area from 21 to 25 July, is signed “L.D.,” an alias of John Vanderhovan. The pertinent parts of the report read: “July 21st 1780 … This Evening Returned and found the troops who was ordered to Imbark In Motion[.] the twenty second [regiment] from Richmond was Imbarcked the night Before[.] they are In … [a] Brigade which Consists of the twenty second[,] thirty eighth[,] forty Second and forty third [and] fifty seventh Ridgments … General [Edward] Matthews Brigade Consists of One Battallion of Guards[,] the Infa[n]try and Granidears[,] Seventy Sixth Scotch and Simcoes Rangers[,] and two Battallions of hessians and the Jaugers are to Be Commanded By a hessian. …

“22d this Day the troops are all Imbarcking and have all fall Down the north River and Gone Up the East River … the whole fleet Lay tonight Between the Shipyards and hellgate. …

“24 Last night all the Hessians Belonging to [one] … Command Imbarked from East Chester and most of the Anspikers [Anspachers] and this morning they whole of the troops Saled through Hellgate and are to Rendevues at white Stone[.] this Imbarkation Does amount to near ten thousand men Some Say twelve. …

“25 General Clinton is not Imbarked yet[.] the Engeneers are Verry Busey in Geting Heavy Cannon On board the Lord townsen[.] they have Imbarcked thirty Six 24 & 32 pounders and two Large morters and a Greater Quantity of Carkeses” (DLC:GW). Carcasses are hollow projectiles filled with incendiary material. This report probably was passed to GW through Col. Elias Dayton. For previous reports from Vanderhovan passed through Dayton, see Dayton to GW, 11 and 16 July.

2. See General Orders, this date and 28 July.

3. In response to British general Henry Clinton’s embarkation and apparent intent to strike the French expeditionary army at Newport, GW decided to depart from his operation plan, a combined attack on New York City with the French allied army (see GW to David Forman, 10 July, n.1, and GW to Lafayette, 15 July). To aid Rochambeau, he now intended to move the army into Westchester County, N.Y., and “menace” New York City. If he found that Clinton had left only a small force to guard the city, GW intended to attack it (GW to Rochambeau, 31 July; see also GW to Lafayette, 27 July).

Clinton’s move was a somewhat belated response to the arrival of the French expeditionary force. Clinton had been advised by the ministry in London to expect the arrival of a French fleet and expeditionary army in North America and that their initial arrival point likely would be Rhode Island (see GW to James Duane, 13 May, n.3; see also Clinton to Marriot Arbuthnot, 15 July, in 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 , 443–44). Upon learning on 7 July that the warships and transports of the French expeditionary force had been sighted off Cape Henry, Va., by British frigates and appeared bound for Boston or Rhode Island, Clinton formulated two plans for attacking the French force: “The one was for the Admiral, immediately after the enemy’s arrival … to mask the entrance of Newport harbor with his large ships while I landed 6000 chosen troops in the Sakonnet under cover of the frigates, and attacked those of the enemy before they could have time to throw up works for their defense. The other was that, in case we should be too late for the first by the enemy being fortified and reinforced, we should according to circumstances both go together into the Narragansett, his fleet [should] anchor between the Conanicut and Rhode Islands, and [we should] then make a joint attack against their ships and troops” (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 , 198; brackets in source).

Although reinforced by the arrival of Rear Adm. Thomas Graves with six ships of the line, giving him a total force of eleven warships of fifty guns or greater, British vice admiral Marriot Arbuthnot was unable to get his ships to sea before 18 July to seek the French fleet (see Lydenberg, Robertson Diaries description begins Harry Miller Lydenberg, ed. Archibald Robertson, Lieutenant-General Royal Engineers: His Diaries and Sketches in America, 1762–1780. New York, 1930. description ends , 235, 237). In the interim, the French force arrived at Newport (see William Heath’s second letter to GW, 11 July). Clinton received word of the French arrival on 18 July, and he immediately set about moving 6,000 troops by land and water, planning to embark his entire force in transports at Throg’s Neck, N.Y., and Whitestone on Long Island. The force assembled included the British light infantry and grenadiers, four battalions of Hessian grenadiers, five British infantry regiments, and two Hessian infantry regiments (see Lydenberg, Robertson Diaries description begins Harry Miller Lydenberg, ed. Archibald Robertson, Lieutenant-General Royal Engineers: His Diaries and Sketches in America, 1762–1780. New York, 1930. description ends , 236).

Due to delays with the transports passing through Hell Gate in the East River, the entire force could not be embarked until 27 July (see Lydenberg, Robertson Diaries description begins Harry Miller Lydenberg, ed. Archibald Robertson, Lieutenant-General Royal Engineers: His Diaries and Sketches in America, 1762–1780. New York, 1930. description ends , 235–36). “I did not think it very probable that the enemy’s army would be now found, after being so long landed, in a situation to be forced by a coup de main’’ Clinton later wrote (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 , 201). But he nevertheless hoped to execute his second plan. The transports sailed on 27 July and on 28 July arrived in Huntington Bay, where Clinton intended to await word from Arbuthnot regarding the advisability of an attack on the French (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 , 201).

Events at Rhode Island frustrated Clinton’s plan. Arbuthnot and Graves had arrived off Rhode Island on 21 July (see Heath’s second letter to GW, 21 July, and n.1 to that document). But Arbuthnot failed to provide Clinton with the detailed intelligence he required before making his final decision to attack (see Clinton to Arbuthnot, 30 July, in 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 , 447). Meanwhile, Rochambeau, with Maj. Gen. William Heath’s assistance, had made defensive preparations (see Rochambeau to GW, 12 and 25 July, and Heath’s first letter to GW, 21 July). After receiving intelligence of Clinton’s embarkation, the two generals called in reinforcements of militia (see Heath to GW, 25 [second letter] and 26 July).

Finding the French defenses now too formidable for a surprise attack as per his first plan, and with no word from Arbuthnot regarding an intent to execute his second plan, Clinton called a council of war. Of this council he later wrote: “And it being the unanimous opinion that it would be most conducive to His Majesty’s service for the troops to return to Whitestone, where they would be nearer to frustrate any design of Mr. Washington (who was then crossing the North River) … I immediately communicated to [Arbuthnot] the result of our deliberations and prepared to carry them into immediate execution” (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 , 202). Clinton moved his force back to the west end of Long Island, arriving at Whitestone on 31 July. He began disembarking the troops and sent them to an encampment at Flushing, keeping the transports at Whitestone, ready to reembark the troops if Arbuthnot determined to attack the French squadron at Newport. With his troops at Flushing, where he could readily transport them across the East River, Clinton also would be in a better position to defend New York City (see 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 , 203; and Lydenberg, Robertson Diaries description begins Harry Miller Lydenberg, ed. Archibald Robertson, Lieutenant-General Royal Engineers: His Diaries and Sketches in America, 1762–1780. New York, 1930. description ends , 237–38).

Later in August, in an attempt to coordinate an attack with Arbuthnot’s fleet, Clinton journeyed from New York City across Long Island to Gardiners Bay, where Arbuthnot had moved his ships. Sending ahead a party of dragoons to advise the admiral of his progress, Clinton arrived at East Hampton near Gardiners Bay on 19 Aug., to find that the admiral had suddenly sailed from the bay with his fleet (see Lydenberg, Robertson Diaries description begins Harry Miller Lydenberg, ed. Archibald Robertson, Lieutenant-General Royal Engineers: His Diaries and Sketches in America, 1762–1780. New York, 1930. description ends , 239–40). Clinton’s plans to attack the French army had come to nothing.

GW’s threat to New York City and Rochambeau’s rapid construction of fortifications succeeded in forcing Clinton’s retreat to Flushing. At the time, Clinton cited the construction of these formidable defensive works and reinforcements of militia as his chief reasons for his withdrawal, but he later added GW’s threat to New York City as a reason for the move back to Whitestone and Flushing (see Clinton to Lord George Germain, 25 Aug., in Davies, Documents of the American Revolution description begins K. G. Davies, ed. Documents of the American Revolution, 1770–1783; (Colonial Office Series). 21 vols. Shannon and Dublin, 1972–81. description ends , 18:152–54, and 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 , 201–2; see also Willcox, Henry Clinton description begins William B. Willcox. Portrait of a General: Sir Henry Clinton in the War of Independence. New York, 1964. description ends , 330).

With Clinton having pulled his troops back to Flushing, GW returned to his original plan of operations for the campaign. He moved the army back across the Hudson River, taking up position on the western terminus of Dobbs Ferry near Tappan, N.Y., to monitor British activities and await the arrival of the second division of French land and sea forces. With those reinforcements giving the allies a superiority at sea and on land, he hoped to launch a siege of New York City (see GW to David Forman, 10 July, n.1; GW to Lafayette, 15 and 22 July [first letter], and 1 and 3 Aug.; GW to Rochambeau, 5 Aug.; and Lafayette to GW, 31 July).