Philip Schuyler to George Washington, 21 May 1781
From Philip Schuyler
Saratoga [N.Y.] May 21st 1781
Dear Sir
I had the honor to write Your Excellency about two hours ago1 since which the person whose Intelligence was transmitted me with Your letter of the 15th ult.,2 has sent me the Inclosed No. 1. and No. 2, the deserter mentioned in the latter is the one whose Information I transmitted this Morning,3 Besides what he said to Bell and Partlo, who are both Tories I find that he has been with one other notoriously disaffected and with one whom he believes to be so, to both of which he has declared that the British & Royalists at Crown point and Ticonderoga amounted to four thousand and that they would Shortly appear here and on the Mohawk river.
No. 3 is an Original letter from Ethan Allen; there is little probability that the Enemy would declare any Intentions they might have with regard to me—to the persons he mentions, and It appears to me only as an Introduction to the last paragraph of his letter, whether he is sincere or whether he Intended to ⟨make⟩ me relax from any enquiries which he may suspect I am prosecuting I know not.4 I am Dear Sir with perfect respect and affection Your Excellencys Obedt Humble Servant
Ph: Schuyler
A man who has found as he sayd four Brass Mortars, asked me what reward he might Expect, unable to Inform him, and he unwilling to discover, without Some certainty, I promised him twenty five Dollars, and any thing more your Excellency might allow, he has since taken up one of five Inches which will be sent down, and expects to raise the others assoon as the waters (which are now very much out) shall Subside—As I have no money permit me to Intreat Your Excellency to order him payment, the man thinks5 he shall be able to find three brass field pieces of which he also had Information.
ALS, enclosed with James Clinton to GW, 22–23 May, DLC:GW. Schuyler addressed the cover to GW at New Windsor. GW replied to Schuyler on 30 May.
1. See Schuyler’s first letter to GW on this date.
2. Schuyler refers to GW’s letter to New York governor George Clinton dated 15 April, with an intelligence report on British operations along New York’s northern frontier. John Fish sent the intelligence (see Schuyler’s first letter to GW, 4 May; see also Clinton to GW, 6 May, and n.2).
3. Schuyler refers to Corporal David Higgenbottom, a deserter from the British army.
Schuyler enclosed two intelligence reports from Fish, one dated 21 May at Saratoga and the other without date or place (both DLC:GW). The first reads: “on my Return to the frontier I found to my Surpris that Mr S[h]erwood was not Gone but one Gillerew Conducted the Recrutes then Colected Seven in Number of them and one Day last week 1 S[t]out and Thomas Loveless who had been to Palmertown met in the Scotch pattin and went off with their Recrutes 23 in Number both parties went by the west side of Lake George[.] Sherwood Expected to march the same Road last Night. his Number Unknown whether John Gillis is Going with him or not I Cant till[.] I was Informd yesterday by a friend to Goverment that there is a party of 4 or 500 Loialests and Indians that is gone to the South west of albiny to begin thier burning and that there is fifteen hundred More now at Ticonderoga which are to Come in by the way of palmertown on the Same business and that Albiny and Shenactida is thier main Object Saratoga Barracks Included[.] this last Inteligence was brought to Kingsbury by one Mr Shipman from Cambridg who Says he knows of 3 boats Landing men Since Sherwood Some of which parties are gone to Livingston Manner and the Rest pritty well Downwards[.] all Recruiting matters are said to Goe on with the Grants in the Same Stupid Road they Did.”
The undated report reads: “the Desarter that Come in last Night I Understand has told many Deferent Stories on the Road[.] to Bell he Says there is 4 Sail of Shiping at Crown point and a Draft from Every Core in Canady and their Troops and Loialists Amount to 7 or 8000 and to partilo a Much Less Number and to Others I Larn he tells quite Different.”
Similar intelligence reports prompted GW to order troops to New York’s northern frontier (see James Clinton to GW, 30 May, and n.1 to that document, and GW to Clinton, 16 June, n.3). Later intelligence convinced him that the reports were false (see James Clinton to GW, 15–18 June, and the source note and n.11 to that document; see also GW to George Clinton, 21 June).
4. The enclosed letter from Ethan Allen to Schuyler, dated 15 May at Bennington, Vt., reads: “A flag which I sent last fall to the British Commanding Officer at Crown-point and which were there detained near one month on their return gave me to understand that they at several different times threatned to Captivate your person, said that it had been in their power to have taken some of your family the last Campain, but that they had an Eye to your self.
“I must Confess that Such Conversation before my flag seams rather flummery than real premedicated design. However that there was Such Conversation I do not dispute which you will make such Improvement of as you see fitt.
“I shall Conclude with Assuring your Honor that Notwithstanding the late reports or rather Surmises of my Corrisponding with the Enemy to the prejudice of the united States it is wholly without foundation” (DLC:GW).
5. Schuyler wrote “things” for this word.