1. See Barras to GW, 17 May.

The British warships were looking for a French convoy bound to Virginia with troops (see the entries for 6, 9–11, and 13 May 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 , 2:517–20; see also the entry for 21 May in Diaries description begins Donald Jackson and Dorothy Twohig, eds. The Diaries of George Washington. 6 vols. Charlottesville, Va., 1976–79. description ends , 3:369). Lieutenant General Rochambeau’s aide-de-camp Ludwig von Closen recorded in his journal entry for 18 May that at 11:00 A.M. “10 sails were discovered, which were signalled a little later to be warships. They anchored off Judith Point and Block Island” (Acomb, Closen Journal description begins Evelyn M. Acomb, ed. The Revolutionary Journal of Baron Ludwig von Closen, 1780–1783. Chapel Hill, N.C., 1958. description ends , 79). French lieutenant Verger wrote in his journal entry for the same date: “This morning the English fleet was sighted. … Consequently some troops were immediately embarked aboard the ships to serve the guns, and the fleet prepared to go out; however, it did not leave. The reason given by our sailors was that, when forces are equal, a large battle would serve no purpose but to kill men without advancing the cause; therefore, they remained on the defensive” (Rice and Brown, American Campaigns of Rochambeau’s Army description begins Howard C. Rice, Jr., and Anne S. K. Brown, eds. The American Campaigns of Rochambeau’s Army, 1780, 1781, 1782, 1783. 2 vols. Princeton, N.J., 1972. description ends , 1:130).

2. See The Wethersfield Conference and Aftermath, 14 May–16 June, editorial note.