To George Washington from Major General Robert Howe, 6 June 1780
From Major General Robert Howe
Highlands [N.Y.] 6th June 1780
Dear Sir
The Informations I had of the Enemy’s Intentions of marauding in Force, & of which I gave your Excellency an Account yesterday, having been confirm’d to me by Intelligence received various Ways last Night, & from Sources that have seldom been mistaken, have induced me to advance Nixon’s Brigade, & to direct Glover’s to possess their Cantonments near & at the Village,1 that we may not receive the Mortification & Affront of having the Country plundered under our very Noses, & those Inhabitants ruin’d who are well affected, & who have sacrificed almost their all to the Cause, & against whom these Operations are principally intended.
your Excellency may be assured I shall not throw these Troops to such a Distance, but that an intimate & Timely Relation to this Grand Post2 shall be preserved, & to which they shall repair whenever it becomes requisite.
A Brigade of Guards lie at lauril Hill—from there a smart Detachment join’d Delancey yesterday Morng—The Refugees & Volunteers were turn’d out, & a full Complement of Ca[r]tridges serv’d out to them, some Arms were distributed, & the rest scrutinuously examined.3 Their Horse by Impressments & other Means are not a few, & tho’ not train’d will be useful for Extempore Services. Some Boats were collected & the Gally removed higher up. It is said some Part of their Men are to come up by Water, & the other by various Routes—their Junction to be somewhere upon the Croton—their Object a Forage, but that in Force.
I flatter myself Sir, the Movements I shall make, will make them suffer if they attempt to execute their Plan—or at least prevent their undertaking it, as I am fully convinc’d the Advance of Col. Putnam did the other Day—of which the Inhabitants are so sensible that they have sent me their Thanks.4
The 37th British Regt lies at Lord Sterling’s House—the 43d at the Scotch Meeting House—five Companies of Artillery at the lower Barracks—three Regiments of Hessians at the Fresh Water Lake—two of Anspachers are in the Bowry Lane5—one Regt of Hessians are at Greenwich—another Regt at Morris’s House—a Party of Yagers near it. They are still apprehensive of a French Fleet, & their Forages are induced by that Expectation.
I shall do all in my Power to watch their Motions both by Land & Water, particularly the latter, as it requires the most Vigilance, & shall not cease to view this Post as the most capital Object, & consequently deem all else but minor Considerations. I have again sent to Connecticut to hasten on the Supplies which in Spite of all our Exertions come on too slowly. I am My Dear Sir With ev’ry Sentiment of Respect & Regard Your Excellency’s most obedient Humble servant
Robt Howe
LS, DLC:GW.
1. Howe is referring to Continental Village, New York. On this date, Howe wrote Col. Rufus Putnam: “The information of last night & this morning, various ways receiv’d confirm me that the Enemy are coming out in Force. Colo [Ebenezer] Sproat will deliver you the Genl Order of today. I wish you to move with the utmost dispatch with such Troops as you can get ready, and let the rest follow you.—Your object is what it was when you went out before. your then Orders will do for you now—another smart Detachment of Guards join’d Delancy yesterday morning, and some more Horse. the men were all served with ammunition, their arms scrutinously examined, and some new arms served out. Boats were collected and collecting. their Gally the last evening came higher up the River. they mean to act both by land and Water. you will therefore have all your Eyes about you” (, 158–59).
2. Howe is referring to the complex of forts, redoubts, and batteries that protected West Point.
3. Loyalist colonel James De Lancey commanded the Westchester County Refugees and Militia. “Volunteers” probably is a reference to the Battalion of Loyal City Volunteers, also known as the New York Volunteers, a royal militia unit of New York City.
4. Howe likely is referring to the advance of Col. Rufus Putnam’s detachment to the Croton River. On 24 May, Putnam wrote Howe that he was advancing his command from Continental Village to a position on the north side of the Croton River between the new bridge and Pine’s Bridge “So as to be able to fall in with the enimy in case they attempt to Steal a March by the Fords and from whence I shall be ready to move to the right or left in case they Should pass by eithr of the Bridges.” Howe wrote Putnam on 25 May: “My Intelligence makes me certain the Enemy have heard of our Movements & have temporarily suspended the Execution of their Plan” (, 148–49).
5. Major General Stirling inherited “The Mansion House, on the corner of Broad and Beaver Streets” in New York City from his parents (, 7). For the location of the other buildings, roads, and features mentioned by Howe, all also in or about New York City, see , 10.