1. Elsewhere Sullivan wrote that he received GW’s letter of 17 July “the 22d Inst. after Noon” (Sullivan to Vice Admiral d’Estaing, 25 July, DLC:GW). On 24 July, Sullivan wrote to Massachusetts council president Jeremiah Dummer Powell and to Connecticut governor Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., citing GW’s letter as authority to call out 1,000 militia from Massachusetts and 500 from Connecticut. He also wrote a second letter to each, adding a request for volunteers (Hammond, Sullivan Papers description begins Otis G. Hammond, ed. Letters and Papers of Major-General John Sullivan, Continental Army. 3 vols. Concord, 1930-39. In Collections of the New Hampshire Historical Society, vols. 13–15. description ends , 2:107–8, 110–11).

2. See Sullivan to GW, 20 and 22 July.

3. Sullivan enclosed an unsigned letter from Little Compton, R.I., dated 23 July: “We have at last obtained a Memorial from the Island, our Correspondent has endeavour’d to take a Plan, but was fustrated by the Enemy who are excessive zealous, and watchful, the Bearer was both Nights on with my Sns and has taken the greatest pains imaginable to procure all possible intelligence—The last Paper will accompany the Memorial, which contains a just account of their last Reinforcement, tho the Inhabitants in general don’t believe it—The Officers in the Army Declare publicly the superiorety of the Frence fleet, which they Say is now at Sandy Hook, and has effectually Blocked up Lord Howe, which from their own account must be the Case the rest the Bearer will communicate” (DLC:GW). The “Memorial” may have been the following undated intelligence, which was probably enclosed as well: “It is impossible, on Account of the distracted Condition of the Enemy, to obtain anny correct Account of their Situation in Force; because what may hold good for to Day, may be useless to Morrow; they being under dreadful apprehensions of a French Fleet here, are making Preparations accordingly. they are fortifying Brenton’s Point and Rose Island, strenghtening Fort Island, and repairing the North Battery. their Transports have fallen down Town, within the Fort, and have moved their Provisions up the Hill. they are bringing heavy Cannon into Town, and the same Day carrying them out. In short all is confusion.

“The Number of their Troops they say is 6000, which is not true, nor can I say with certainty what their Numbers are But exclusive of the Troops that were here before suppose to be about 3000 effective Men there have arrived Colonel Brown’s Regiment of Rebel⟨s⟩ consisting of 344 Men; and since have arrived 2 Regiments of Anspach, the 38th of British, and Colonel Fanning’s Regiment of Rebels, the four Regments making about 1400.

“I have made several Attem⟨pts⟩ to discover what Works they have, where they a⟨re⟩ and what Guns are in them; but in Vain they have so increased their Number of Forts and Redoubts, and grown so suspicious and watchful, and I having twice narrowly escaped being taken, that I despair of being able to accomplish that Matter. I shall therefore only men⟨ti⟩on what comes within my Knowledge; which is that 2 Regiments are at connanicut, one at G. Irish’s, one Company of Hessians in the Fort at yaminy [Miantonomi] Hill, one Regiment down Neck, at Harris’s Mill, one Company of Hessians near the Road, half way between the Town and and James Coggeshal’s, where they have a Breast Work, with two Field Pieces mounted pointing West. they have a Guard at Codington’s Cove and Point, and Centinels placed down the Neck near the Road, within Call of each other, as far as Churches, also on the Hill at Brenton’s Wood, so as to overlook the Beach.

“N.B. This is wrote by a Person that cannot read a word of English. If my Name is not mentioned no Accident can discover me. It is as unsafe for my Name to be spoke of there, as it would be here” (DLC:GW).

4. Sullivan was probably referring to the Newport Gazette, published from January 1777 until October 1779.