To George Washington from Major General Robert Howe, 11 May 1780
From Major General Robert Howe
Highlands [N.Y.] 11th May 1780
Dear Sir
I have this Day a Letter from ——1 He writes me that He was in New York on the 3d of this Instant—on that Day a Frigate of short Passage arrived from England Express,2 immediately upon which a Council of War was held—that a Frigate was ordered to prepare for sailing on the Instant to South Carolina, that she sail’d with Dispatches immediately after the Council rise—that the next Day another Council of War was held, & in the Eveg another Express Vessel sail’d for the same Place3—that Orders were issued to call out the Inhabitants for Fatigue—the Object to fortify New York with the utmost Expidition—that they were intrenching from the North to the East River, just without their Chain of Redoubts,4 & were to build a Fort at the Look Out on Staten Island5—special Officers were sent out to collect People for these Purposes—Twenty two Sail of Transports were sitting with Stones in Order to sink in the Channel when Occasion should require it6—That the Marquis Lafayette was said to have taken Leave of the King of France in an american Uniform—A large Fleet of French Men of War with Troops on Board were most certainly expected7—That Nine English Ships copper Bottom’d were to sail after this Fleet, under the Command of Admiral Graves8—That Genl Kniphausen & several Genl Officers & others had reconnoitered Staten Island, previous to their fixing upon the Look Out as a Place for a Fort—That they were anxiously waiting to hear the Event of their southern Operations, & it was currently said, that if it was not taken before the Arrival of the Express Vessels, the Matter would be given over, and Sir Harry Clinton & his Army return to New York9—That every Countenance wore the Aspect of Distress, & Hurry & Timidity were visible in almost every Individual—thus far Sir, ——informs me, several other Agents have transmitted similar Accounts, & certain it is, that Consternation & Confusion prevail amongst our Foes,10 which God of his Mercy increase & by Event confirm the Propriety of—Notwithstanding this, these People operate as if something offensive was intended, & you Sir, or I must be their Object if they have any in View.11
I have this Moment your Excellency’s Favor of the 5th—Your Flour will be a Relief to my Anxiety & the Distresses of this Post, & the Hopes of more in Future are additional Comforts.
My Accounts of Supplies are very discouraging, but I am exerting myself, & making every Body else do so, & I hope to rub thro’ some how or other.
I have had Letters from Governor Trumbull, He promises every Aid in the Power of both Him & the State, & I hear is exerting himself accordingly.12 I am Dear Sir With the greatest Respect & Regard Your Excellency’s most obedient & very Humble Servant
Robert Howe
LS, DLC:GW; copy (unnamed and undated extract), enclosed in GW to Samuel Huntington, 13 May 1780 (DNA:PCC, item 152). The extract begins with “on the 3d” near the start of the first paragraph and ends with “return to New York” toward the end of the same paragraph.
1. The spy who wrote this letter has not been identified.
2. The frigate Pearl had arrived in New York City on 2 May with reports concerning French military and naval operations (see GW to Samuel Huntington, 5–6 May, n.5).
3. Maj. Gen. James Robertson, royal governor of New York, wrote Lord George Germain from New York City on 18 May to acknowledge the arrival of the Pearl. He added: “Your dispatches to Sir H. Clinton after being (as desired) perused by General Knyphausen and myself were forwarded by the Iris and probably reached him about the ninth instant.
“General Knyphausen had time by the Delaware then under sail for Halifax to give notice to General McLean of what Your dispatch contained, of the force, time of sailing and supposed destination of the french armament” (, 109–13).
The author of Howe’s intelligence report likely mistook the Canada-bound ship to be a second ship sailing to South Carolina.
4. Robertson corroborated this intelligence when he wrote Germain on 18 May: “The towns people are employed in joining the redoubts near the town with lines” (, 109–13, quote on 111; see also James Pattison to Captains of Militia, 4 May, in 392–93).
5. The Lookout, or Lookout Place, on Staten Island, N.Y., was a hilltop near Richmond. The elevation apparently provided views to the south and east that covered the water approaches to New York City. It also allowed observation of the Arthur Kill to the west.
6. In a letter to Gen. Henry Clinton written at New York City on 3 May, Maj. Gen. James Robertson reported on defensive preparations at that place, including a naval officer’s opinion “that the approach of a superior fleet can only be prevented by small vessels sunk with stones on the bar, this is but Eight hundred and sixty yards long.” Robertson then mentioned orders “to purchase a quantity of Craft little fit for any other purpose, to have them ready laden under the protection of the guardship, to be towed out on the appearance or certainty of the approach of an enemy’s fleet” (, 96–105, quotes on 99). Robertson added in another letter to Clinton written at New York City on 8 May: “Our vessels to bar the bar are getting ready, we are loading them with Stones. They go to the Hook in a few days” (, 105–7). When he wrote Germain on 18 May, Robertson explained that “twenty five small vessels are ready loaded with Stones, they lye at the hook, and on notice will be taken out to the bar and sunk there according to a plan formed with exactness. … The Bar will not be spoiled nor the vessels be sunk till the enemys approach makes it absolutely necessary” (, 109–13, quote on 110).
7. See n.2 above.
8. This intelligence broadly agreed with official British communications that arrived in the Pearl, notably Germain’s letter to “Lords of Admiralty (Most Secret)” written in London on 15 March. That letter in part reads: King George III “commands me to signify to your lordships his royal pleasure that you do without the least delay reinforce Vice-Admiral Arbuthnot with eight ships of the line under the command of a flag officer junior to the vice-admiral and order such flag officer to proceed directly to New York or whatever place Vice-Admiral Arbuthnot shall appoint him, there to join Vice-Admiral Arbuthnot and act under his orders. And it is His Majesty’s further pleasure that you do immediately dispatch an express to Vice-Admiral Arbuthnot acquainting him with what it is apprehended are the designs of the enemy and directing him to assemble his whole force or such part of it as he shall judge necessary at New York, where he will be joined by the intended reinforcements, and to take the whole under his command and conduct himself in such manner as from the intelligence he may receive he shall judge best for the King’s service, the security of His Majesty’s possessions, and the annoyance of the enemy” (, 18:58–59; see also Germain to Clinton, “Most Secret,” 15 March, in , 18:60).
Germain subsequently wrote a “(Secret)” letter to Clinton and Robertson from London on 3 May: “the long continuance of westerly winds has prevented the French armament from sailing, and our latest accounts left Mons. Ternay with his fleet in the road of Brest on the 24th of last month. The wind is now favourable and he may be expected to have availed himself of it. …
“Rear-Admiral Graves, it is supposed, sailed yesterday from Plymouth to reinforce Vice-Admiral Arbuthnot” (, 18:84–85; see also Thomas Graves to Earl of Sandwich, 21 March, in , 3:245).
Thomas Graves (1725–1802), son of a similarly named British naval officer, spent his entire career in the British navy. As a rear admiral, Graves received orders in March 1780 to take a reinforcement from England to New York. He arrived that July and served under Vice Adm. Marriot Arbuthnot in waters off the United States until taking over Arbuthnot’s command in July 1781. Graves returned to England after his failure to prevent the British surrender at Yorktown, Va., that October (see , and , 3:419–20, 435). Despite the damage to his reputation caused by his controversial role in that defeat, Graves gained promotion to vice admiral in 1787 and to admiral in 1794.
9. Howe is referring to intelligence about the British expedition against Charleston, S.C., under Clinton (see Anthony Wayne to GW, 26 Dec. 1779, source note, and Benjamin Lincoln to GW, 11–12 Feb. 1780, n.4).
10. William Smith, royal chief justice of New York, wrote in his memoirs for 10 May: “People grow very impatient at the Inactivity here, and the Want of Information from Carolina. All Incomers report that Charles Town is taken and Sir Henry killed” ( [1971], 261).
11. Smith wrote in his memoirs for 4 May: “I re-urged General R[obertson] for a Sortie to Jersey before the French arrived. …
“This is precisely the Moment to invade Jersey or to attack the Highland Forts” ( [1971], 260).
12. The letters from Connecticut governor Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., to Howe have not been identified.