To George Washington from Major General Robert Howe, 10 April 1780
From Major General Robert Howe
Highlands [N.Y.] April 10th 1780
Dear Sir
I have some Time since received Accounts, from various Agents, that Troops of the Enemy in great Force were embark’d, & embarking for South-Carolina—That their Horse which were canton’d out, were all call’d in to New York—that great Quantities of Forage, & a great Number of Waggons were put on Board their Vessels, that all Vessels fit for the Service of their Government were taken up, & all Crafts under thirty Tons discharg’d, that they meant to leave only three thousand Men behind them, which with the Inhabitants, & Militia intended to be call’d forth, & kept in Service were deem’d, with the Shipping sufficient for defensive Operations—that no Troops were left on Long Island but about two hundred & sixty under Col. Hewlet1 & that even these it was said were to be withdrawn.
I did not think this Intelligence worth Transmitting by special Express, (as Expresses are so scarce with us) because from your Excellency’s Vicinity to Sandy Hook, all Movements by Water must be much earlier known to you, than to me—but as Mr Belding’s Assistant goes upon the Business of his Office, I now give it you, as it may serve if well founded to confirm any Communications you may have received, tho’ it should answer no other End.2
It appears strange to me, if the Enemy mean Reinforcements to Sir Henry Clinton, that so much Time should be lost in sending them, & such a Series of fair Winds be suffered to escape them, at a Time when Notherly Winds begin to grow scarce, & when the Hot Season in Carolina is so rapidly advancing, & which is not only so counter to Feild Operations, but so fatal to exotic Constitutions—One of my Agents thinks they will not yet go, & says their Preparation⟨s⟩ wear so duplicate an Aspect that he warns me to be on my Guard.3
Poor’s Brigade arrived yesterday, & to Day some of them are at Work; they are well, but their Numbers by much too few4—We are deplorably weak, but will do our best.
The Accounts of Supplies of Provisions, are gloomy indeed—we have many Days been Living on the salted Provision of the Garrison, & a few Cattle only are expected; I have strove to move the whole State to bring up the salted Meat. I have had an Interview with Governor Clinton, He has promis’d me his utmost Exertions, Indeed every Thing is to be expected from his Spirit, & Decision.
I have moved some of the Gabions, & Fascines to West Point, & shall continue to do so unless you forbid it—because they would should the Enemy operate here, be if posses’d by them, as beneficial to their Works, as obnoxious to ours.
The Chain has for some Days been across the River, & is as likely to assist as ever it was.5 Genl Heath mentions something to me of an Arrangement of Inlistment sent up to your Excellency, which was to be (as he says) transmitted to me, & that then Officers from hence were to be sent to recruit—Not hearing from you upon this Subject, am anxious about it, for the fitting up the Regiments is very near my Heart.6
No. 1, 2, & 3 will be worked upon to Morrow—I have not had it in my Power to attend to them sooner7—I have not to my Knowledge, nor shall I omit any Circumstance necessary to the Defence of this Post in particular, or to my Duty in general.8 I am Dear Sir With Respect & Affection your Excellency’s most obedient & very Humble Servant
Robert Howe
LS, DLC:GW.
1. Howe presumably meant Richard Hewlett, who served as a lieutenant colonel in Brig. Gen. Oliver De Lancey’s Loyalist brigade (see Howe’s first letter to GW, 1 May, n.6).
2. GW had received earlier intelligence of British forces leaving New York for the south (see GW’s councils of war, 27 March and 1 April; see also GW to Elias Dayton, 27 March, and Dayton to GW, 6 April).
Simeon Belding (c.1745–1809) served as assistant deputy quartermaster general at Redding, Conn., and then became deputy quartermaster general for western Connecticut and eastern New York (see Nathanael Greene to Richard Claiborne, 16 Nov. 1779, in , 5:88). Belding was a merchant in Wethersfield, Conn., after the war.
Ashur Sedgewick (c.1761–1831) acted as Belding’s assistant after earlier service in the Continental army as waiter and fifer. Both men lived in West Hartford, Conn., in 1775.
3. Howe again wrote GW from the Highlands on this date: “Since I wrote my letter, I have heard the Fleet yesterday had not sailed, That Flat Bottom’d Boats were collected in Harlem River, and at Fort Washington, that tho’ some Horses were Embarked, yet from the Delay of the Enemy, when Winds courted their Sailing, it was thought that a Retrograde movement might be meant, and the more Especially, as all the Troops left in New York were under Marching Orders, at a moments warning. Tho’ this intelligence is not handed to me in a way very authentic yet I thought it my Duty, as I had an opportunity to Transmit it, the more particularly as I have several times had well founded accounts by the same Channel” (LS, DLC:GW).
4. For the transfer of Brig. Gen. Enoch Poor’s brigade to West Point, N.Y., to assist with fortifications, see GW to Howe, 30 March, and the source note and n.1 to that document; see also GW to Howe, 1 April, n.3.
5. For the defensive chain across the Hudson River at West Point, see Howe to GW, 16–17 March, and n.6 to that document; see also GW to Howe, 21 March.
6. Maj. Gen. William Heath had written GW about army recruiting in Massachusetts in a letter dated 27 March. Heath also wrote Howe on the same date: “I have sent an Express to his Excellency General Washington acquainting him of what Steps I have taken, and Submitted to him the ordering from the Massachusetts line Such number of Officers as he may Judge necessary either to Compleat or increase the number I have proposed, or otherwise as he may think proper, and have requested a Signification of his pleasure to you as Soon as May be convenient, As you are fully Sensible of how much importance it is to have the Battalions Compleated without loss of time, I am Assured not a moment will be lost when you receive his Excellencys Instructions” (MHi: Heath Papers).
Howe replied to Heath from the Highlands on 9 April: “I have received your Letter Containing the Methods fallen upon by your trusty and Very respectable State for recruiting their Quota of Men, and I am pleased that you are present to give Energy to them . … I shall you may be assured do Every thing I can, or that you require with pleasure” (MHi: Heath Papers; see also 3:54–56).
7. Howe is referring to the outermost three redoubts on high ground southwest of West Point (see Map 2, “Fortifications at West Point,” following GW to Howe, 10–11 March; see also GW to Alexander McDougall, 19 June 1779, n.2).
8. Howe addressed the subject of British intentions when he wrote New York governor George Clinton from the Highlands on this date: “The Preparations of the Enemy wear so duplicate an Aspect, that no determinate Conjecture can be form’d of their ultimate Intention. At the same time that their Embarkation would lead us to think that their Design was beyond Sea, they are not less busy in Preparation which indicate interior Operations.
“If they really mean only Reinforcements to Sir Harry Clinton, it is wonderful they should let such a Succession of fair Winds escape them, when his Situation, & the advancing Season clamour so loudly for the utmost Dispatch. It behoves us, Sir, to be upon our Guard, for if South Carolina is not their Object, we probably are. I, therefore, venture to suggest the Propriety of keeping the principal Militia Officers (as they I suppose have most Influence with the men) for some Time at least, as much in the Vicinity of their several Commands as possible” (, 5:596–97).