To George Washington from Brigadier General Anthony Wayne, 9 December 1779
From Brigadier General Anthony Wayne
Light Infantry Camp Second River [N.J.]
9th Decr 1779 5. OClock P.M.
Dear General
I have this moment recd the Inclosed—it has been unaccountably delayed—but so nearly Corroborates that which I sent you this morning,1 that I thought it my duty to Communicate it.2
I shall send a trusty Person to New York in the Morning & expect the earliest Intelligence of any movement of the Enemy—which shall be Immediately forwarded to your Excellency.3 Interim I am yours Most Sincerely
Anty Wayne
ALS, DLC:GW; ADfS, PHi: Wayne Papers.
1. Wayne’s draft reads “afternoon” rather than “morning.”
2. The enclosure was a letter from Capt. Daniel Wentzel at Hackensack, N.J., to Wayne at Second River, written on Monday, 6 Dec., and sent by express: “I am just now informed by good Authority that there is an embarkation made from Ten to fifteen Thousand of the Enemy, the Author says there is Actually Ten Thousand on bord & was to sail Yesterday, the Author inform[s] that their Destination is for Chessepeek Bay, & if attended with Success they intend releiving Burgoyne’s Army. this information I have from Mr ⟨illegible⟩—who had it from a Person of good repute who left the City of New York on Saturday last who was weather Bound there three Days before and who was in great Anxiety to Communicate this to the first General Officer. …
“N.B. Genl Clinton & Lord Cornwallis tis said are Going with the Above mentioned fleet” (DLC:GW; see also Henry Lee, Jr., to GW, 30 Nov., n.4). Wentzel served in the New Jersey militia.