1. Greene previously wrote GW on 21 September. One enclosure presumably was a letter from Col. Elias Dayton to Greene written at Elizabeth, N.J., on Thursday, 21 Sept.: “Last night a person came to Town from New York: by him I am told that Admiral Rodney himself is in the City; that six of his ships are at the watering place very leaky; that they are watering wooding and repairing at the same time; the other four ships belonging to his fleet, sailed on sunday last to join Arbuthnot.

“Preperations are still making for embarking troops, 5000 is the number they pretend will go on board. That those, with three Regiments Rodney brought in with him as marines, will make 7000, a number they say sufficient to take Rhode Island or act in any other quarter they may judge proper.

“The Man returns to New York this night; by Saturday or Sunday shall hear from there again.

“In New York they are very anxious for the safety of the Cork fleet as much depends upon their arrival within a month. No particular account of the French Fleet; all the armed vessels are looking out for them” (DLC:GW). Most of the British supply fleet sailing from Cork, Ireland, arrived at New York City in November (see Baurmeister, Revolution in America description begins Carl Leopold Baurmeister. Revolution in America: Confidential Letters and Journals, 1776–1784, of Adjutant General Major Baurmeister of the Hessian Forces. Translated and annotated by Bernhard A. Uhlendorf. New Brunswick, N.J., 1957. description ends , 393–94).

It is likely that Greene also enclosed an intelligence report docketed 23 Sept. derived from an “American Sailor—deserter from the Terrible ship of war—the 20th Septemr 1780” that claimed “five ships at the watering place will join Arbuthnot as soon as they are ready” (DLC:GW).

Another enclosure probably was that of Samuel Huntington, president of Congress, to Greene dated 18 Sept.: “Enclosed you will receive the copy of a letter from Genl Gates to his Excellency Governor Jefferson, this moment come to hand.

“How far the report respecting the Design of the British to take post at Cape Fear and Portsmouth are well founded; time will discover.

“I have thought proper to give you this intelligence immediately, such as it is, which you will please to forward to his Excellency Genl Washington without delay” (DLC:GW; see also Jefferson to Huntington, 14 Sept., in Jefferson Papers description begins Julian P. Boyd et al., eds. The Papers of Thomas Jefferson. 41 vols. to date. Princeton, N.J., 1950–. description ends , 3:647–48). The enclosure from Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates to Virginia governor Thomas Jefferson dated 9 Sept. erroneously warned that Lt. Gen. Charles Cornwallis would embark his army from Georgetown, S.C., for Cape Fear, N.C., but correctly cautioned that another British force would sail for Portsmouth, Va. (DLC:GW; see also Jefferson Papers description begins Julian P. Boyd et al., eds. The Papers of Thomas Jefferson. 41 vols. to date. Princeton, N.J., 1950–. description ends , 3:620–21).

2. Greene’s aide-de-camp Maj. Ichabod Burnet returned to camp from Newark, N.J. (see Greene to GW, 24 Sept.).

3. Greene presumably alludes to hard money.

4. French minister La Luzerne apparently met GW on 24 Sept. as the general returned from Hartford (see The Hartford Conference, 20–22 Sept., editorial note, and Lafayette to La Luzerne, 26 Sept., found at Document I, n.2, with The Discovery of Major General Benedict Arnold’s Treachery, 25 Sept.–24 Nov., editorial note). La Luzerne reached Newport on 30 Sept. or 1 Oct., departed on 9 Oct., and visited GW’s army before returning to Philadelphia (see Acomb, Closen Journal description begins Evelyn M. Acomb, ed. The Revolutionary Journal of Baron Ludwig von Closen, 1780–1783. Chapel Hill, N.C., 1958. description ends , 42–43; Balch, Blanchard Journal description begins Thomas Balch, ed. The Journal of Claude Blanchard, Commissary of the French Auxiliary Army Sent to the United States during the American Revolution. 1780–1783. Translated from a French Manuscript, by William Duane. Albany, 1876. description ends , 68–69; and General Orders, 26 Oct., source note). The Pennsylvania Packet or the General Advertiser (Philadelphia) for 31 Oct. reported that on 29 Oct., he “arrived at his house in this city from the eastward.”

5. The presence of new Q.M. Gen. Timothy Pickering with the army had become urgent (see Greene to GW, 15 Sept.).

6. For this fortification near Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., see Martin, Private Yankee Doodle description begins Joseph Plumb Martin. Private Yankee Doodle: Being a Narrative of Some of the Adventures, Dangers and Sufferings of a Revolutionary Soldier. Edited by George F. Scheer. 1962. Reprint. New York, 1968. description ends , 198.

7. Moving this rum remained a problem (see Udny Hay to Greene, and Nathaniel Stevens to Greene, both 14 Oct., in Greene Papers description begins Richard K. Showman et al., eds. The Papers of General Nathanael Greene. 13 vols. Chapel Hill, N.C., 1976–2005. description ends , 6:382, 385). Hugh Hughes, deputy quartermaster general for New York, wrote Maj. Gen. William Heath from Fishkill, N.Y., on 29 Oct.: “Great News Sir! We shall be able to send off 50 Teams to Springfield for Rum in a very few Days” (MHi: Heath Papers).

8. See Greene to Charles Stewart, 16 Sept., in Greene Papers description begins Richard K. Showman et al., eds. The Papers of General Nathanael Greene. 13 vols. Chapel Hill, N.C., 1976–2005. description ends , 6:290; see also The Hartford Conference, 20–22 Sept., editorial note.

9. See Greene to Richard Butler or William Butler, to William Burnet, and to Daniel Marsh, all dated 18 Sept., in Greene Papers description begins Richard K. Showman et al., eds. The Papers of General Nathanael Greene. 13 vols. Chapel Hill, N.C., 1976–2005. description ends , 6:292–93.

10. See Document I, n.2, with Major John André’s Capture and Execution, 23 Sept.–7 Oct., editorial note.