To George Washington from Brigadier General Samuel Holden Parsons, 20 August 1780
From Brigadier General Samuel Holden Parsons
Danbury [Conn.] August 20th 1780
Dear General
I was Yesterday honored with yours, of the 16th Instant, and shall take every Measure in my Power for the immediate Return to Camp of such Officers as are now in the State: I have detained only four nor have any continued in the State by my Direction or Licence; I beleive it will not be necessary to retain more than Six or Seven within the State to receive and forward Recruits to Danbury—The Recruits sent on to Camp are fourteen Hundred and Seventy—exclusive of about Ten Horsemen who remain at this Place since they were sent back by Colonel Sheldon; nor can I get any Direction from the Governor respecting them;1 the other Drafts from the Horse have joind the Infantry—I fear most of the Levies which will ever join are gone foward; the Governor and Council have issued an Order to take up and secure all those who have not gone forword;2 which may probably produce Two or three Hundred more within a Week or Two; I have heard that the General Assembly will be called next Week if so tis probably Measures may then be adopted to furnish more Men.3
I last Night received Information from Long Island; that the Enemy had Embarked their Troops at White Stone, and some peices of heavy Cannon; that Twenty Transports part of this Embarkation had fallen down to New York;4 that on the 16th and 18th Instant some Troops pased through Setalket eastward, that on the 16th Sir Harry Clinton was at Bethpage about five Miles east of Hempstead, escorted by a Company of Dragoons, on his way to the East End of the Island:5 that the same Day eight Transports (said to be laden with Provisions) went to the Fleet which remaind in Gardners Bay; that on the 15th there was a hot press in New york, supposed to Man the Ships for Rhode Island—I have communicated this Inteligence To the Commanding Officer at Rhode Island.6 I Am with great Respect Your Excellency’s Obediant Servant
Saml H. Parsons
P.S. a Prisoner taken in a small Sloop says the Transports have Waggons & Horses on Board.
LS, DLC:GW.
1. For the Connecticut council’s action on this issue, see Parsons to GW, 10 July, n.2.
2. For this order of the council, issued on 2 Aug., see , 3:143.
3. The Connecticut general assembly next met on 12 Oct. and did pass an act for raising more men for the Continental army (see , 3:168, 174–76).
4. For a similar report, see Benjamin Tallmadge to GW, 10 Aug., and n.6 to that document.
5. In his diary entries for 15 and 16 Aug., British officer Archibald Robertson, traveling with Gen. Henry Clinton, wrote: “Sir Henry having appointed to meet the Admiral at the East End of Long Island, Left New York, dined at Brooklyn, and got to Hempstead about 1 Morning 16th. … 10 forenoon Got to Bethbag [Bethpage?] and 9 Evening to Islip” (, 239; bracketed word in source).
William Smith, royal chief justice of New York, wrote in his diary entry for 16 Aug. that Clinton was “gone by Land with the Dragoons to the East End of Long Island” (, 324).
6. No letter from Parsons to Maj. Gen. William Heath or Lieutenant General Rochambeau on this subject has been identified.