1. See GW to Tallmadge, 31 May, found at Tallmadge to GW, 29 May, source note. Tallmadge received GW’s letter on 3 June. For the only known enclosure, see GW to Elisha Sheldon, 31 May.

2. The enclosed letter from Samuel Culper (Abraham Woodhull’s alias) to John Bolton (Tallmadge’s alias) was written at Setauket, N.Y., on 4 June: “Your favour of the 29 of May is Just come to hand—togather with five ginis—Austin Roe hath Just returned from New York but brings very little intelligence—He Saith all is Silence And no kind of movement about to take place—Admiral Arbothnot is off Sandy Hook—And the Fleet for Urope mentiond in my last are in number near one Hundread and are about to Sail The Confedaricy is one of their Convoy farther cannot Say. The Enemy are much alarmed at So large a French Fleet arriveing in the West Indies See the Papers forward with the Magizean. We think here that a peace must Shortly take place—A few days past a number of men commanded by one Stephen Smith a Deserter from Coll Ludloes Regnt much abused and plunderd Several Houses at a place Called Drownd Meadew, Broke their windew, fired into their houss whiped and threatend both old and young—The licke hath happend at the South Side of long Island and Eighteen (out of forty two[)] by thirty men under the command of one Henry Nicol (Were) made prisoners—We live in dayly fear of death and destruction, This added to my usual anxiet[y] hath allmost unmaned me—I must now (as painfull as it is to me) disappoint your expectations, And out of my power to avoid if matters were ever So Secure on my part which is the reverse. I dare not visit New York myself and those that have bene employed will Serve no longer, Through fear I am fully perswaided by various circumstances and observation that have made from time to time—That if it were in my power to continue it regular without any intervail, Should Shortly be devoted to ruin, And it appears Clear to me that it would be presumption to take one Step further at present—And could not expect that protiction from Heaven that have hitherto enjoyed You must acknowledge and readily conclude that have done all that I could, And, Stood by you, when others have failed And have not left you in the darkest hour But when our affairs appears as Clear as the Sun in the Heavens, And promiseth a Speedy and I hope a happy Conclusion Inclosed you have an account of transports as required and Should be exceedingly happy to See you. And in the Interim wishing you health an[d] prosperity” (DLC:GW; underlines signify decoded text; for the code, see Tallmadge to GW, 25 July 1779). The enclosure about “transports” and Tallmadge’s letter dated 29 May 1781 have not been identified (GW’s aide-de-camp Tench Tilghman erroneously deciphered the date as 23 May). New York printer Hugh Gaine reported in his journal entry for 11 June that the Confederate “went down this Day to the Hook, and a number of Vessels with her in order to proceed to England, but they will not Sail for some Days” (Ford, Journals of Hugh Gaine description begins Paul Leicester Ford, ed. The Journals of Hugh Gaine, Printer. 1902. Reprint. [New York] 1970. description ends , 2:119; see also Tallmadge to GW, 12 May, n.1). The fleet sailed on 14 June (see the entries for that date 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 , 2:544, and Ford, Journals of Hugh Gaine description begins Paul Leicester Ford, ed. The Journals of Hugh Gaine, Printer. 1902. Reprint. [New York] 1970. description ends , 2:120). The Royal Gazette (New York City) for 30 May reported that British warships in the West Indies had battled “a French fleet from Europe, consisting of at least 22 sail of line of battle ships.” For that action, see Samuel Huntington to GW, 3 June, n.5.

3. British forces under Lt. Gen. Charles Cornwallis and Brig. Gen. Benedict Arnold joined at Petersburg, Va., on 20 May (see Lafayette’s first letter to GW, 24 May, and n.1 to that document).

4. The magazines and newspapers presumably brought from New York City to Long Island have not been identified.

5. Tallmadge refers to Culper and Samuel Culper, Jr. (Robert Townsend’s alias).