George Washington to Brigadier General David Waterbury, 29 April 1781

To Brigadier General David Waterbury

Head Quarters N. Windsor 29th April 1781

Sir

Captains scudder and Dean inform me that you had, from not being acquainted with circumstances, detained a Boat in which they had been over to Long Island.1 These Gentlemen were employed, under my orders at that time and will have occasion to cross the sound every now and then as the business upon which they are engaged may require—You will therefore be pleased to give them up the Boat, and, as I have now, in a confidential manner, intrusted you with their business, I shall hope that you will not only keep it a secret, but endeavour to assist them in the prosecution of a plan in which the public good is much-interested.2 I do not mean to protect or countenance them in any manner of trade—should they attempt to carry it on.3 I am &ca

P.S. It may very probably lay in your way to obtain intelligence from New York, should any thing material occur, you will oblige me by communicating it to me.4

Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.

The Connecticut council of safety had appointed Waterbury on 24 March to serve as brigadier general and commandant of state battalions raised to defend “the sea-coast from Horseneck to New Haven inclusive” (Conn. Public Records description begins The Public Records of the State of Connecticut … with the Journal of the Council of Safety … and an Appendix. 23 vols. to date. Hartford, 1894–. description ends , 3:351).

British general Henry Clinton’s intelligence from late April included this report: “Violent measures are pursuing by Connecticut, and have nearly prepared the minds of the people to receive any proposals for peace—their taxes are insupportable.

“General Waterbury puts the violent laws in force on the lines. He has whipped a number and sent to the mines others, who were charged with breaking the laws” (“Clinton’s Secret Record,” description begins “Sir Henry Clinton’s Original Secret Record of Private Daily Intelligence.” Contributed by Thomas Addis Emmett, with an Introduction and Notes by Edward F. DeLancey. Magazine of American History with Notes and Queries 10 (1883): 327–42, 409–19, 497–507; 11 (1884): 53–70, 156–67, 247–57, 342–52, 433–44, 533–44. description ends 11:67).

1. Waterbury had detained a boat that had brought the double agent William Heron to Long Island, N.Y., where he had reported to British officers on the identities of American spies and efforts to secure Maj. Gen. Samuel Holden Parsons’s betrayal (see Pennypacker, General Washington’s Spies description begins Morton Pennypacker. General Washington’s Spies On Long Island and In New York. Brooklyn, 1939. description ends , 219–26; see also Parsons to GW, 14 March, n.1).

2. Capts. Gilbert Dean and William Smith Scudder successfully gathered intelligence on Long Island (see their letter to GW, 14 May, DLC:GW).

Gilbert Dean (Deane; 1735–1810) became lieutenant in the 1st Regiment of Westchester County, N.Y., militia in September 1775. He ascended to captain in 1778 and subsequently gathered intelligence under Maj. Gen. Alexander McDougall (see McDougall to George Clinton, 24 March 1779, and Clinton to McDougall, 27 March 1779, in Hastings and Holden, Clinton Papers description begins Hugh Hastings and J. A. Holden, eds. Public Papers of George Clinton, First Governor of New York, 1777–1795, 1801–1804. 10 vols. 1899–1914. Reprint. New York, 1973. description ends , 4:664–66, 671–73). During GW’s presidency, Dean unsuccessfully sought compensation for his espionage efforts (see Henry Knox to Tobias Lear, 3 Feb. 1793, in Papers, Presidential Series description begins W. W. Abbot et al., eds. The Papers of George Washington, Presidential Series. 21 vols. Charlottesville, Va., 1987–2020. description ends 12:95).

For the raid on Long Island that Scudder had carried out in December 1778 with his privateer crew, see Middlebrook, Maritime Connecticut description begins Louis F. Middlebrook. History of Maritime Connecticut during the American Revolution, 1775–1783. 2 vols. Salem, Mass., 1925. description ends , 2:188.

3. New York officials revoked Scudder’s commission on 29 June 1781 for letting his men plunder inhabitants of Long Island (see O’Callaghan and Fernow, N.Y. Documents description begins E. B. O’Callaghan and Berthold Fernow, eds. Documents Relative to the Colonial History of the State of New-York. 15 vols. Albany, 1853–87. description ends , 15:254).

4. GW later received intelligence from Waterbury (see GW to Waterbury, 13 June, and Waterbury to GW, 14 and 19 June, all DLC:GW).

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Source Project: Washington Papers
Title: George Washington to Brigadier General David Waterbury, 29 April 1781
Author: Washington, George
Recipient: Waterbury, David
Date: 29 April 1781

Reference

Cite as: “George Washington to Brigadier General David Waterbury, 29 April 1781,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-31-02-0405. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 31, 7 March–5 May 1781, ed. William M. Ferraro. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2023, pp. 568–569.]

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