To George Washington from Major Henry Lee, Jr., 3 November 1779
From Major Henry Lee, Jr.
No. 3d 79.
sir
On monday the 1st inst. a fleet sailed from the hook consisting of thirteen square rigged vessels under convoy of three men of war. My spies have not given us their report for the last week: none of them having yet returned; therefore I know not the contents nor object of the fleet.1 I have the honor to be sir with inviolable affection your Excelleys ob: servt
Henry Lee Junr
N.B. on saturday the heavy cannon planted on the batteries at the hook to secure the channel was taken off.2
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. Lee’s informants possibly saw a departure that included Commodore George Collier’s ship on its return to England (see Samuel Culper, Jr., to John Bolton, 29 Oct., and n.6, printed as an enclosure to Benjamin Tallmadge to GW, 1 Nov.; see also GW to Lee, 2 Nov.).
2. GW replied to Lee on 11 Nov. (see GW to Duportail and Alexander Hamilton, same date, n.4).