1. Paterson enclosed two letters that Capt. John Pray had written him on 14 May. The first letter, written from the blockhouse at Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., at “12 O’Clock at Night” reads: “This After noon about 6 o’clock we were Allarmd by the Firing of three cannon at the block house. I immediately Repair’d to this place from Nyack with the warter Guards, about 10. o’clock was inform’d that the Enemy (about two hundred in Number) with three pieces of cannon, ⟨were⟩ Errecting a Block house at Fort Le⟨e wh⟩ich they have been talking of Some time.

“There is a considerable Number of Militia collected not far from this” (DLC:GW; “Majr Pierse will forward this immediately” is written on the cover, which is addressed to Paterson at West Point). The second letter, written from Nyack, N.Y., at “12 o’Clock Night,” reads: “Since I wrote at the block house I came up with part of my men to this place, and an Express Just informd me that there is 15. Saile of Shiping and twenty flat bottom boats lays off of ⟨For⟩t Lee. Tis expected that the ⟨block⟩ house is their Object.

“I have two boats on the River Just below the block house which I expect will give an Allarm every moment” (DLC:GW; “⅌r Express” is written on the cover, which is addressed to Paterson at West Point). In his diary entry for 15 May, GW acknowledged Pray’s intelligence (see Diaries description begins Donald Jackson and Dorothy Twohig, eds. The Diaries of George Washington. 6 vols. Charlottesville, Va., 1976–79. description ends , 3:365). For subsequent intelligence that reported fewer ships near Fort Lee, N.J., see Paterson to GW, 16 and 17 May; see also Jonathan Lawrence, Jr., to GW, 16 May, and GW to Alexander Scammell, 17 May.

2. Paterson refers to a Loyalist attack near Croton River (see his first letter to GW on 14 May, and the notes to that document).

GW replied to Paterson from headquarters at New Windsor on 15 May: “Your favor of this Morning with the enclosures, is just received.

“You will be pleased immediately to order a Detachment of 200 Men properly Officered, to fall down by Water to Kings Ferry, & to Move as expeditiously as possible to cover the Country & to support the Garrison of the Block House at Dobbs Ferry; if the Enemy should appear to have any serious designs against it.

“It will be well to give advice of this Movement to the Commanding Officer of the Water Guards instantly, with direction for him to comm[un]icate with the Commanding Officer of the Detachmt, and to inform you, by the most rapid conveyance, of any thing important that may happen” (Df, in David Humphreys’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW). Lt. Col. Ezra Badlam commanded the detachment ordered to Dobbs Ferry (see the entry for this date in Diaries description begins Donald Jackson and Dorothy Twohig, eds. The Diaries of George Washington. 6 vols. Charlottesville, Va., 1976–79. description ends , 3:365; see also Paterson to GW, 16 May, and General Orders, 17 May).