To George Washington from Colonel William Malcom, 29 October 1778
From Colonel William Malcom
Fort Clinton [West Point, N.Y.] Oct. 29. 1778
Sir
This Accompanys the weekly return of the Garrison1—My information from York are that the Enemy have thireteen encampments on York, Island, the Hessians about fort Washington in Number—very few men in the other Camps—A very great number embarkd last Sunday2—no Artillery to be Seen any where but in the Redouts, near 200 Sail of Vessells in the Harbour & at the Watering place—Delancy & Bayards N[ew] Levys embark’d3—Quantitys of Merchant goods going on board—the Wood Cutters call’d in—a very Small guard in the House at P[aulus] Hook—no tents there—a report in the City that the Hessians are to be left as Garrison. your Excellencys mo: Ob. Servant
W. Malcom
ALS, DLC:GW.
Malcom wrote a second letter to GW on this date, in which he requests GW to settle the accounts of Capt. Abraham Lewis of the Continental army row galley Lady Washington. Lewis, Malcom writes, “has received no pay for a long time past—His Appointments are very regular and his behaviour exceeding good—I know that he Acquitted himself well last Year, & Saved his Vessell when the others were lost” (ALS, DLC:GW).
1. This return has not been identified.
2. The previous Sunday was 25 October.
3. The King’s Orange Rangers, a Loyalist corps commanded by Lt. Col. John Bayard, had sailed for Halifax on 18 or 19 October. Two battalions of Brig. Gen. Oliver De Lancey’s brigade of New Jersey Volunteers sailed to East Florida in early November with Lt. Col. Archibald Campbell’s expedition.