Colonel Elias Dayton to George Washington, 26 March 1781
From Colonel Elias Dayton
Chatham [N.J.] March 26th 1781
Sir
In my former letter I acquainted your excellency with the difficulty which attended the sending any persons to the city.1 Those difficulties & indeed greater still subsist, no one within a fortnight haveing been admited to go their & return, Very few of the inhabitants of Staten Is[l]and are suffered to cross & not even those without a particular permission from the commandt.
The fleet which I made mention of, in several late letters; have twice put to sea & returned as often, the day before yesterday they lay at the hook & as I have reason to believe that Genl Clinton has lately left new york I am suspicious that they sailed some course or other yesterday, if to the southward the weather will oblige them to peel back this day.2
I have a prospect of doing something to Advantage upon staten Island with twenty men which with Your excellencys permission I will attempt3—A letter for your Excellency which I have just received from Elisabeth Town accompanies this, & I have directed that it should be forwarded with all possible dispatch.4 I am with the greatest respect Yr Excellencys most obednt Humble Servant
Elias Dayton
ALS, DLC:GW. GW replied to Dayton on 27 March, postscript; see also GW to Dayton, 4 April.
1. See Dayton to GW, 9 March.
2. The British expeditionary fleet had sailed on 20 March (see Dayton to GW, 15 March, n.1). British general Henry Clinton had not left New York City.
3. The nature of Dayton’s project is not known.
4. Dayton most likely forwarded German lieutenant general Wilhelm von Knyphausen’s letter to GW of 25 March.