Major General Benjamin Lincoln to George Washington, 2 July 1781
From Major General Benjamin Lincoln
Dobbs Fer⟨ry⟩ [N.Y.] 2 July 1781
My Dear General
We arrived and landed our troops here between three & four this Morning immediately our boats were covered with Green boughs & our Men secreted in a neghbouring wood[.] many things combined to cause a failure of landg as first proposed[.]1 Majr Darby miss understood Majr Bayley re[s]pecting the plac[e] the Boats were to be carried which prevented his finding them this caused a delay of one hour we had to contend with the evils of overloaded & leaky boats poor oars men & wind & tide part of the time against us.
Early in the morning I set off with Colo. scamel for Fort Lee—on my arriving near it I found my self in full view of the ene[m]y & of their work[s] & encampments.
They have encamped so far as we could discovr and Have lately set the shades t⟨o⟩ covr the te⟨nt⟩’s cam[p] groun[d.] indeed they were hawling bushs to compleat them[.] three regiments in the Howlow north of Fort Trion—They have one regiment in huts just by Fort St George[.] this Work & other encampments much as have been represented to join Ar[t]illery This State of matters alone being so different from what was expected would have induced me to give up the thought of attempting what was first proposed—But did none of these obstacles exist—the situation of the ship (which is opp[osi]te to the incampment I first mentioned & near the middle of the river) would with the present age of the moon & state of the tide would have been sufficient to have rendered abortive a plan which under other circumstan[c]es would have had the highest appearan[c]e of success for if we go down with the Ebb so as to make little use of our Oars then it would be at a time when the moon would give so much Light as would give an oppertunity of see[in]g a boat near two mil[e]s If we wait untill the moon setts we must so forceably contend with the flood tide as our rowers not withstandg the precautions to prevent it will be heard at a long distance Colo. Scamel is with me in opinion.2
If I hear nothing to the contrary from your Exclly I shall endeavour fully to Cary into Execution your second object.3 I am &c.
Df, MHi: Benjamin Lincoln Papers; Df (incomplete), MHi: Benjamin Lincoln Papers.
The incomplete draft reads: “From unavoidable Delays we did not reach this post till between three & four this Morning, which was too late to admit of our proceeding further down—Immediately on the Debarkation of the Troops, the Boats were covered with green Boughs, & Our Men concealed in a neighbouring Wood. Early in the Morning I set off with Colo. Scammell for Fort Lee—On my Arrival near it.”
1. For this operation, see GW to Lincoln, 1 July, and the source note to that document.
2. Struck-out material continues on the draft: “If from this State of matters your Excelly should think We had judged wrong by the return of the boat you will be so good as to let me know it for it will not then be too late [to] correct the Error.”
3. Lincoln refers to supporting French brigadier general Lauzun’s attack (see GW to Lauzun, 1 July).