1. Jabez Bowen, deputy governor of Rhode Island, wrote Heath from Providence on 5 June: “Yours of the 4th directed to his Exellency Governor Greene came to my hands ⅌ Post I shall forward the same to him immediately but as the Returns of Provisions and Votes for supplies are to be found in the Sergeants Office in this Town shall undertake to Answer your Letter: for your owne Information and that their by you may be enabled to Stimulate the other States to a Complyance by citing the Example of this little poor State for their Imitation. The Governor having ere this wrote His Exellency General Washington a full Answer to the Requesition.

“This State ment to Comply Litterally with the Reqestion of Congress of 4th of November in Depositing in Magazines The Beef and Rum requird of them. part of the Beef and Rum have been Issued for the use of The Militia that have been called on Duty on Rhode Island their now remain about Seven Hundred Bbs. of Beef which is now Repacking and Eleven Thousand Gallons of Rum in good order. as we have Orderd Five Hundred Men on Duty to Garrison Rhode Island suppose they must be supplyed from the Magazine in part.

“We have Orderd Thirty Thousand Wt of Fresh Beef to be delivered at the Army in The Month of June and The like quantity in the Month of July which I doubt not will be punctually complyed with.

“The Summer Cloathing for our Ridgment with the Number of Men requird of us (except 39) are Inlisted for three Years or the War and sent forward. We shall soon forward One Hundred and Twenty new Tents for the use of the Ridgment, and intend supplying them from Time to Time as their wants require.

“The Burthens of the War are verry heavy on this State nevertheless we shall endevour to support them with Manly Fortitude and persevear to the End.

“I Expect Count de Rochambau to Morrow or next day on his Route Westward. God grant that such spirited Measures may be adopted as shall end This Cruel War without another Campaign” (MHi: Heath Papers; see also Samuel Huntington to GW, 12 Nov. 1780, and n.1). Heath’s letter to Rhode Island governor William Greene on 4 June 1781 has not been identified, but see Heath to GW, 24 June, and n.4 to that document. Greene wrote GW about requisitions on 7 June; see also Circular to the States, 18 Oct. 1780; Circular to State Executives, 10 Dec. 1780; Circular to New England State Executives, 17 April 1781; and GW to Greene, 1 July.

2. A resolution adopted in the Massachusetts legislature on 12 June named Justin Ely and Oliver Phelps as commissioners from the state to meet commissioners from other New England states at Providence on 25 June “to agree upon some regular method of sending on supplies of beef, &c. to the army, during the present year.” The measure called upon the governor to request action in other states to designate commissioners (Mass. Acts and Laws, 1780–81 description begins Acts and Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 1781. Reprint. [Boston] 1890. description ends , p. 614). For Heath’s favorable summary of this gathering and its outcome, see GW to Heath, 9 May, n.9; see also Heath to GW, 4 July, and n.1 to that document.

3. See Document IV with The Wethersfield Conference and Aftermath, 14 May–16 June, editorial note.

4. Two Boston newspapers, The Continental Journal, and Weekly Advertiser, and The Independent Chronicle and the Universal Advertiser, printed accounts on this date about the arrival of the Alliance. The Boston Gazette, and the Country Journal for Monday, 11 June, printed additional details: “Wednesday last arrived here the Continental frigate ALLIANCE, Capt. BARRY, from l’Orient, in France. She left that port on the 29th of March, in company with the Marquis de la Fayette, a ship of about 600 tons burthen, mounting 26 18 and 14 6 pounders, and had 250 men, with cloathing on account of the continent, with whom they parted company in a violent gale on the 25th of April, and she has not since been heard of. The day after the Alliance sail’d, a conspiracy was discovered, which was, that the crew were to rise and take the command, and carry her into the first port of his tyrannic majesty’s dominions;—Capt. Barry secured 3 of the ringleaders, and after severely whipping them, put them in irons, hands and feet, and ordered them to be kept on bread and water.” On 2 April, before being separated, the two allied ships “captur’d and mann’d” two privateers. On 2 May, the Alliance captured two vessels “bound from Jamaica for London” with 590 hogsheads of sugar. On 21 May, “the Alliance fell in with two sloops of war, belonging to George the Tyrant … and after a smart engagement of near three hours, they both struck—In the action the Alliance had five killed, and 24 wounded, 4 of which have since died. Capt. Barry is amongst the wounded, (having received a ball through his shoulder) but is in a fair way of recovery.” Capt. John Barry sent most of the prisoners on one of the captured warships, “as a cartel to Newfoundland” and retained two British officers “as hostages” (see also Ezekiel Cornell to GW, 24 May, n.7; Robert Morris to GW, 2 July, n.4; and Allen, Naval History description begins Gardner W. Allen. A Naval History of the American Revolution. 2 vols. Boston, 1913. description ends , 2:550–54).

For previous disappointments regarding clothing from overseas, see GW to Samuel Huntington, 9 Sept. 1780, and n.3 to that document, and Edward Hand to GW, 18 Feb. 1781; see also John Paul Jones to GW, 7 May, and Robert Howe to GW, 17 May.

5. The Boston Gazette, and the Country Journal for Monday, 11 June, printed an item under Boston, same date: “Since Thursday last have arrived in this port from France, a 50 gun ship, two frigates, and 12 or 14 transports with troops to join the army of our ally at Newport” (see also Rochambeau to GW, 10 and 15 June).

6. GW already knew about this French fleet (see Rochambeau to GW, 31 May, and La Luzerne to GW, 1 June; see also John Laurens to GW, 24 March, and n.8 to that document). Heath later wrote in his memoirs for 4 June: “Intelligence was received by a vessel from the West Indies that the Count de Grasse, with a French fleet of upwards of 20 sail of the line, had arrived in that quarter. The same day, there was a confirmation of this news, and that the fleet, with troops on board, was seen coming this way” (Wilson, Heath’s Memoirs description begins Rufus Rockwell Wilson, ed. Heath’s Memoirs of the American War. 1798. Reprint. New York, 1904. description ends , 305).

7. For Heath’s mission to New England, see GW to Heath, 8 and 9 May, especially n.9 to the latter document.