1. British brigadier general Benedict Arnold did not return to New York City until June. The previous Saturday was 28 April.

2. Vice Adm. Marriot Arbuthnot again had requested removal from his command when he wrote the Earl of Sandwich, First Lord of the Admiralty, from the Royal Oak at New York on 15 April: “Excuse this repeated prayer to be relieved, as my impatience increases hourly. Command me anywhere else” (Barnes and Owen, Sandwich Papers description begins G. R. Barnes and J. H. Owen, eds. The Private Papers of John, Earl of Sandwich, First Lord of the Admiralty, 1771–1782. 4 vols. London, 1932-38. In Publications of the Navy Records Society, vols. 69, 71, 75, 78. description ends , 4:171). British captain John Peebles, then on Long Island, N.Y., had written in his diary entry for 12 April: “Various accounts of the late sea action off the Chesapeak, some accuse old Mariot of want of spirit & conduct, & some make relections on the behaviour of other ships” (Gruber, Peebles’ American War description begins Ira D. Gruber, ed. John Peebles’ American War: The Diary of a Scottish Grenadier, 1776–1782. Mechanicsburg, Pa., 1998. description ends , 437). British major Frederick Mackenzie, stationed in New York City, wrote in his diary entry for 17 April: “Some Officers of Navy speak more freely than ever of Admiral Arbuthnot’s conduct on the 16th March, and say he deserves to be hanged. Others say they will bring him to a Court Martial.

“The Admirals Arbuthnot and Graves do not speak, and the fleet is divided into parties. While such dissensions prevail, nothing great can be expected” (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 , 2:508). For the Battle of Cape Henry on 16 March, see Destouches to GW, 19 March. William Smith, royal chief justice of New York, recorded in his memoirs for 25 April: “Arbuthnot in a Corner told me he should leave us within a Month” (Sabine, Smith’s Historical Memoirs (1971) description begins William H. W. Sabine, ed. Historical Memoirs from 26 August 1778 to 12 November 1783 of William Smith. . .. New York, 1971. description ends , 402). Arbuthnot retained command of the fleet until his departure from New York City in July (see the entry for 4 July 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 , 2:560).

3. The fleet put to sea on 14 May (see William Heath to GW, 1 May, n.1). British major general James Robertson, military governor of New York, wrote Lord George Germain on 6 May with a report that Arbuthnot had “landed fourteen hundred sick and scurbutick men” and “is here unable to go to sea for want of hands—On the Admiral’s requisition, with the Commander in Chief’s consent, other applications having proved ineffectual, all the sailors here have been pressed for the fleet” (Klein and Howard, Letter Book of Robertson description begins Milton M. Klein and Ronald W. Howard, eds. The Twilight of British Rule in Revolutionary America: The New York Letter Book of General James Robertson, 1780-1783. Cooperstown, N.Y., 1983. description ends , 190–91). Hessian major Carl Leopold Baurmeister had written in his dispatch from New York City on 26 April that Arbuthnot’s “fleet has many sick, and only a few return from the hospital established on Governor’s Island—most of them die—which is the reason why the navy has pressed already four times” (Baurmeister, Revolution in America description begins Carl Leopold Baurmeister. Revolution in America: Confidential Letters and Journals, 1776–1784, of Adjutant General Major Baurmeister of the Hessian Forces. Translated and annotated by Bernhard A. Uhlendorf. New Brunswick, N.J., 1957. description ends , 424).

4. The New-York Gazette: and the Weekly Mercury for 23 April reported: “Yesterday a Fleet of Victuallers, and some private Vessels, arrived here from South-Carolina, under Convoy of several of his Majesty’s Ships.” Mackenzie wrote in his diary entry for 22 April: “Signals early this Morning for a fleet of Men of war, and Merchant ships or transports. The whole came up this afternoon, and anchored safe in the harbour.” He described the ships as the Assurance, 44 guns; Charlestown, 32 guns; Amphitrite, 24 guns; and “about 40 other vessels, principally transports, from Charlestown; with Clothing, Camp Equipage, Military & Naval Stores. … The Assurance has brought out a large sum of Money in specie for the Army” (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 , 2:509–10).

5. In his diary entry for 1 May, Mackenzie reported: “The two Battalions of Hessian Grenadiers from Jamaica & Flushing, crossed from Brooklyn this Morning and took up the quarters of the Anspachers” in New York City (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 , 2:516).

6. See GW to Benjamin Harrison, 27 March. For the recent interception of GW’s mail, see his letter to Elias Dayton, 4 April, and n.2 to that document.

7. Parsons expanded on earlier intelligence regarding Vermont (see his letter to GW, 30 April, and n.3 to that document).

8. GW replied to Parsons on 3 May.