1. The previous Thursday was 17 May.

2. The New-Jersey Gazette (Trenton) for 16 May printed an item under the heading Chatham, N.J., 9 May, which reported that the British “have a larger number of transports lying in the East and North-River than they have had at any period since the commencement of the present war;—that an embarkation is on the tapis (perhaps a total evacuation;).” The Pennsylvania Packet or, the General Advertiser (Philadelphia) for 5 June printed part “of a letter from a gentleman in Chatham, to his friend in Morris town,” dated 1 June, with news that an evacuation of New York City “is expected in a month’s time.” For a similar speculation, see Samuel Johnston to Allen Jones, 8 May, in Smith, Letters of Delegates description begins Paul H. Smith et al., eds. Letters of Delegates to Congress, 1774–1789. 26 vols. Washington, D.C., 1976–2000. description ends , 17:219. Evacuation reports proved erroneous, but a British expedition had sailed from New York for Virginia (see William Heath to GW, 1 May, n.1).

British major Frederick Mackenzie, stationed in New York City, wrote in his diary entry for 17 May: “I was informed this Evening that The Commander in Chief would go soon to Virginia, and that I was to prepare to go with him.” Mackenzie wrote in his diary entry for 19 May that British general Henry Clinton “has altered his intention of going to Virginia” (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 , 2:522).

Clinton wrote in his memoirs: “The very critical situation of our affairs to the southward would have certainly induced me to have proceeded to the Chesapeake myself, that I might expedite the necessary arrangements in that quarter either for a temporary defensive or [for] the move I had proposed to the head of the bay, whichever might be found most expedient when I got there; and indeed I had applied to the Admiral for a proper conveyance to carry me thither for this purpose. But General Knyphausen’s precarious state of health (who was the only officer to whom I could entrust the command in my absence) and our late discovery of the enemy’s designs against New York made my own presence there indispensable” (Willcox, American Rebellion description begins William B. Willcox, ed. The American Rebellion: Sir Henry Clinton’s Narrative of His Campaigns, 1775–1782, with an Appendix of Original Documents. New Haven, 1954. description ends , 306, brackets in source). Captured mail had disclosed the allied plans (see GW to Lafayette, 4 June, n.1).

3. The intelligence presumably came from Abraham Skinner, commissary general of prisoners, then at New Windsor. He recently had conferred with British officials about prisoner exchanges and could have spoken with Loyalist brigadier general Cortlandt Skinner (see Abraham Skinner to GW, 19 May).

4. GW replied to St. Clair from Wethersfield on 23 May: “I have recd your favr of the 21st: If it can be reduced to a certainty that the enemy are making another embarkation, I shall not think a total evacuation of New York improbable, except they hold us in a light more contemptible than I can suppose they do, or unless they look for speedy reenforcements, of which from the latest European intelligences, there were no appearances.

“I shall probably set out from hence on Friday Morning. But you will say nothing of it” (Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW). GW left Wethersfield on Thursday, 24 May (see The Wethersfield Conference and Aftermath, 14 May–16 June, editorial note).