Major General William Heath to George Washington, 1 May 1781
From Major General William Heath
West point, May 1. 1781.
Dear General,
The enclosed news-paper came to hand the last evening. Major Flagg, who commands on the lines, informs me that Mr Pines one of our guides, had been below, where he learnt that it was currently reported the 17th dragoons are to embark, and, it is said, Sir Henry Clinton with them: that Arnold is expected in New York—and is to command on the lines.1
Our situation at this post grows more alarming on account of provisions. Eight beef-cattle arrived here this morning—I suppose a proportionable number are sent to the other posts—But not a barrel of the salted meat has yet come on from Fish kill. The Commissary there writes he has done every thing in his power—the matter rests with the Quarter master’s department, to whom he has made repeated representations, and urged the necessity of the provisions being forwarded.2
If the Commissary has contracted for a quantity of shad, and they are now taking of them, an immediate relief may be derived—They may be bloated and thrown in pickle, and by the time they are brought here, they will be fit for use, and will be very agreeable to the troops two or three days in the week.3 I have the honor to be With the highest respect, Your Excellency’s Most obedient servant,
W. Heath
LS, DLC:GW; ADfS, MHi: Heath Papers.
1. Maj. Ebenezer Flagg had written Heath from Crom Pond, N.Y., on 30 April enclosing “a paper” dated 27 April and providing intelligence: “Mr Pines (one of the Guides) assures me he has undoubted information that the 17th Regt Dragoons are to embark & ’tis said Sir Henry Clinton with them; Genl Arnold is expected in New York he is to Command on the Lines” (MHi: Heath Papers). The enclosed newspaper has not been identified. Brig. Gen. Benedict Arnold did not return to New York until June.
Gen. Henry Clinton did not accompany the British embarkation then preparing for departure. British major Frederick Mackenzie, stationed in New York City, wrote in his diary entry for 21 April that “500 Troops are to be embarked on board the Fleet previous to its sailing from hence. “Tis said the fleet will be ready on Monday the 23rd Inst. I do not think they will” (
, 2:509). Mackenzie recorded in his diary entry for 29 April: “The troops under orders for Embarkation, received orders to embark toMorrow at 9 o’Clock” ( , 2:514). He then wrote in his diary entries for 30 April and 1 May: “The 17th and 43rd Regiments, the two Battalions of Anspach, and the Recovered men belonging to the Corps now in Virginia, embarked this morning at 9 o’Clock. …“1st May—Very fine day. Wind S.E.
“The transports with the two Anspach Regiments, and the Recover’d men, went down this day to the watering place Staten Island.
“The horses belonging to the Corps now embarked, were put on board the vessels appointed for them, & they all went down to Staten Island.
“The troops now embarked on board The transports amount to above 1600 Rank & file. They are under the Command of Colonel De Voit of the 1st Battalion of Anspach.
“There are also 492 British and Provincial troops embarked on board The fleet” (
, 2:515–16).Mackenzie identified the forces sailing for Virginia as the 17th Regiment of Light Dragoons, 43d Regiment of Foot, 1st and 2d Anspach regiments, and “Convalescents” from Arnold’s command (see the entry for 29 April in Smith’s Historical Memoirs [1971], 404).
, 2:515; see also Heath’s third letter to GW, 14 April, n.2). William Smith, royal chief justice for New York, wrote in his memoirs for 7 May: “The Fleet still at the Watering Place, tho’ Soldiers lent and Seamen impressed to the Number of 1200. … This Complement exceeds all the Sick put on Shore on their arrival from Chesapeak by 5 or 6 Hundred, and I believe more” (Sabine,New York printer Hugh Gaine wrote in his journal entries beginning with 6 May: “Pleasant and the Fleet preparing to Sail. … 7TH An Uncommon Storm of Wind and Rain. … 8TH Weather continues disagreeable indeed. … 9TH The Fleet went down to the Hook. … 10TH Again, very rainy Weather, that Prevents the Fleet from going away.” In his entries for 12 and 13 May, Gaine wrote: “the Fleet for the Southward put out to Sea this Day, but the Wind being contrary they came in again. … 13TH The Fleet for the Southward with their Convoy, got under Way, and was clear of the Sound by Night” ( , 2:117).
Pvt. Stephen Popp of the Bayreuth Regiment wrote in his journal entries for 29 and 30 April that orders came “to sail to Virginia and” that he “went aboard ship, making with the English troops a fleet of 30 sail.” He then wrote in his entry for 13 May: “Our fleet now counted 40 sail,—of these 13 men of war,—one of them the London with 104 guns.” Popp’s entry for 19 May reads: “Arrived in Chesapeake Bay,—in a heavy fog, and it was 12 hours after the other ships” ( in his diary entry for 30 April: “Our two regiments were embarked at nine o’clock in the morning. Everything that was in the warehouse, the sick and unserviceable, and the wives, except two for each company, remained in New York. The Bayreuth and Ansbach regiments received six transport ships.” Döhla then wrote in his entry for 13 May: “During the morning we left Sandy Hook and sailed into the ocean with a favorable wind. Our fleet consisted of forty-six sail, including our escort of thirteen warships and frigates” ( , 150–51).
38). Pvt. Johann Conrad Döhla of the Anspach Regiment wrote2. This letter from Nathaniel Stevens, deputy commissary general of issues at Fishkill, N.Y., has not been identified, but see n.3 below; see also Heath to GW, 29 April, and n.8.
3. Heath wrote Stevens from West Point on 2 May: “Our Situation on account of Provisions is Still alarming and approaches near to want, relief must be thrown in, I am informed from Head Quarters that the necessary empress warrants to take Teams are Sent to the Quarter Masters department, press Colo. Hughes to exercise it without loss of time, and let the provisions be Sent down the moment they arrive at the [Fishkill] Landing, I am informed the Contract for the Shad is completed … please order accordingly” (MHi: Heath Papers). Stevens replied to Heath from Fishkill on 3 May: “Your favour of yesterday I have received, Sixty barrels of meat has been sent to the Landing since yesterday morning, and forty we have will go to day, the proper proportions of which I have given directions to have forwarded to New Windsor and West Point, soon as possible.
“I am informed there is more on the way from Connecticut, but what quantity I could not learn—it is probable we shall have so⟨me⟩ Cattle on soon.
“Our applications to the Quarter Masters respecting meats being forwarded have been constant, acquainting them commonly daily, the particular number of barrels we have to send on, and the necessaty of its being immediately done, who I believe have excercised their best endeavours to perform the same—I have ordered the shad im[m]ediately sent for agreeable to your request” (MHi: Heath Papers; see also Stevens to GW, 1 and 3 May).