Major General William Heath to George Washington, 4 May 1781
From Major General William Heath
West point, May 4. 1781.
Dear General,
The enclosed news-paper came to hand the last evening.1 The officer commanding the water guards, writes me, “All accounts agree that there is the greatest preparation in New York for some movement—The Confederacy is arrived in New York—is thought to be one of the finest ships in their navy.”2
I have been much indisposed this day or two past—but hope I shall shake it off.3 I have the honor to be With the greatest respect Your Excellency’s most obed. servant
W. Heath
LS, DLC:GW; ADfS, MHi: Heath Papers. GW acknowledged this letter when he wrote Heath on 5 May.
1. Heath likely enclosed The Royal Gazette (New York) for 2 May (see also n.2 below).
2. For the capture of the Continental frigate Confederacy, see Heath to GW, 25 April (second letter), n.4.
Heath quotes a portion of Lt. Joseph Shaylor’s letter to him written at Nyack, N.Y., on 3 May. Shaylor also wrote: “I send the General a paper of the 2nd inst. …
“Mr Donelson a Person who hath been imployd in our S⟨erv⟩ice was Lately taken by the Refuges and hangd without ceremony; he was an inhabitant of Rye.
“There is no apparance of any Shipping in the river but I think we have reason to expect th[e]re will be in a short time—we have nothing certain but many things that favour the suspicion” (MHi: Heath Papers).
Heath’s reply to Shaylor, written at West Point on 4 May, begins: “Your favor of yesterday came to hand the last evening—with the newspaper, I thank you for the Intelligence contained in your Letter as Well as for the paper” (MHi: Heath Papers).
3. Heath’s poor health persisted (see his letter to GW, 5 May, and n.3).