1. This report was erroneous. The British expeditionary fleet had sailed on 20 March (see Dayton to GW, 15 March, n.1).

2. The enclosed letter from Capt. John Scudder to Dayton, dated 28 March at Elizabeth, N.J., reads: “I Inform you that yesterday Afternoon I Receivd Account that a party was Expected Over to Newark from Bargain point. I in Concequence thereof. Ordered the g[r]eater part of my men out on Scouts & patroles. in order to prevent their Supprizing me. Should they bend their Expedition to this place. but unfortinately they Landed & marched up through the woods back of the New ferry Road. & Came in to the Town undiscovered. by any till the Sentries hailed them Near the Guard. they had just Time to git out of the house. when the Enemy made a Charge upon them. the guard all maid their Escape as most of the others did. Lieut. Woodruff. & four men were Taken prisoners. belong to the State Rigment. Two Continential Soldiers. & About Ten Inhabitents of this Town. the Enemy Left one Dead & one Taken prisoner. their force was About one hundred British. & as many Refugees they were Commanded by Capt. Beckwith. this is the best Account I am Able to give at present—I have Sent you for Some amunition as we are Very Scant. if possible Disire youl Help me to Some” (DLC:GW).

The New-York Gazette: and the Weekly Mercury for Monday, 2 April, under the dateline “NEW-YORK, March 31,” described the raid: “On Tuesday night last, Captain Beckwith, with a party of the 37th regiment, went to Elizabeth-Town, where they so completely surprized the guard, that the centry at the door had only time to throw down his arms and run away: Finding the Rebels dispersed in the houses, he immediately went to their alarm post, where, by beating to arms, he drew a Lieutenant and many of his soldiers to him, whom he made prisoners.

“After searching the town and taking such people as he thought proper, he returned to Staten-Island, having had one man killed on the expedition.” For a more detailed account, see the entry for 28 March in Mackenzie Diary description begins Diary of Frederick Mackenzie Giving a Daily Narrative of His Military Service as an Officer of the Regiment of Royal Welch Fusiliers during the Years 1775–1781 in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York. 2 vols. Cambridge, Mass., 1930. description ends , 2:496.

John Scudder, a militia captain from Essex County, N.J., also served as captain of one of four companies of state troops raised in Essex County to serve from 26 Dec. 1780 to 1 Jan. 1782.

3. An article with dateline “New-York, March 28” in The Royal Gazette (New York) for that date announced the arrival on 25 March of an express vessel carrying an account of the Battle of Cape Henry on 16 March. The paper printed an account of the engagement dated “Royal Oak, Lynhaven Bay, March 21, 1781.”

New York printer Hugh Gaine wrote in his journal entry for 26 March: “This Morning an Express from the Admiral with an account of an Engagement between him and the French Admiral, but little more was done than driving the French off the Ground and Arbuthnot took Post in the Chesapeake” (Ford, Journals of Hugh Gaine description begins Paul Leicester Ford, ed. The Journals of Hugh Gaine, Printer. 1902. Reprint. [New York] 1970. description ends , 2:114). For the French commander’s report on the battle, see Destouches to GW, 19 March.

4. Major General Lafayette had passed through Morristown, N.J., in late February (see Lafayette to GW, 24 and 25 Feb.).