Major General William Heath to George Washington, 14 April 1781
From Major General William Heath
West point, April 14. 1781. 9 o’clock P.M.
Dear General,
I have just received the inclosed from Capt. Pray, by which it seems the fleet has returned from the southward, but whether with or without troops, does not yet appear. There certainly are several movements which require critical observations. Simpson the deserter (or whatever he may be) who I sent up this afternoon, says a large number of four and two horse waggons had been brought from Long island to West Chester, as was said, for a grand forage—their numbers being upwards of one hundred.1 By Capt. Pray’s letter, the militia of West Chester county have been called in for some purpose—and if his information is true, the 42d regiment, at least, has returned to New York.2 The collecting of forage may be a necessary step preparatory to the embarkation; especially if the 17th Dragoons are to embark—and the waggons may be designed for no other purpose, or they may have another object. I have cautioned Colo. Greene and Capt. Pray, if possible, to develop their motions and designs, to guard against a surprise, and to give me the earliest intelligence they obtain.3
By the gazette extraordinary it seems the flames of war are likely to spread, if the accounts are to be credited.4
I wish the musket cartidges may be ordered down as soon as possible—and give me provisions, are at present my only requests.5 I have the honor to be With the greatest respect Your Excellency Most obedient servant,
W. Heath
LS, DLC:GW; ADfS, MHi: Heath Papers. GW’s aide-de-camp David Humphreys docketed the LS: “⅌ Maj. [Daniel] Lyman” and “Not Ansd.”
1. For Charles Simpson, see Heath to GW, this date (second letter), and n.4 to that document.
2. Capt. John Pray wrote Heath the enclosed letter from Nyack, N.Y., on Friday, 13 April: “Sir Henry Clinton with the 42d Highland Regiment, Arriv’d at York about ten days Sinc[e], The day before Yesterday the fleet arriv’d at the Hook from the southward, whither they have any Troops on board or not I cannot learn, as Yet.
“There is an imbarcation takeing place at York. the 17th Dragoons & two Hessian Regiments are the Troops order’d to imbark. their destination I cannot learn.
“The first craft that has been Sean up the North river as Yet is a large barge, which was up yesterday as far as Phillipses, crost over to Closter dock & Return’d. …
“On Monday last, in the afternoon the Refuges & Melitia, at Froges [Throg’s] Point, was collected to geather, and held a councill what it was upon I cannot learn” (DLC:GW). The British embarkation soon sailed from New York City (see Heath to GW, 1 May, n.1). Vice Adm. Marriot Arbuthnot’s British fleet had returned to New York from Virginia without troops (see Elias Dayton to GW, 14 April, n.6). For the presence of the 42d Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Regiment) at New York City, see a summary of British forces at New York dated 15 March in , 2:487.
3. Maj. Ebenezer Flagg wrote Heath from Pine’s Bridge, N.Y., on 18 April with intelligence that “the 17th Regt Dragoons are to embark soon, suppos’d for the Southward” (MHi: Heath Papers). Heath replied to Flagg from West Point on 19 April with a warning “that the 17th Dragoons intend to pay Some part of the Lines a visit, you must keep a Sharp look out, By your Letter of the 18th it Seems that Corps are Soon to embarke, be that as it may, distrust is the mother of Security always be on your Guard and you never can be Surprised” (MHi: Heath Papers). For Heath’s warning to Col. Christopher Greene, see his second letter to GW, 14 April, n.1.
4. Heath may have commented on the extraordinary issue of The New-York Gazette and the Weekly Mercury that reported the capture of Saint Eustatius (see Elias Dayton to GW, this date, and n.9).
5. See Heath to GW, this date (first letter).