To George Washington from Major General Horatio Gates, 13 October 1779
From Major General Horatio Gates
Providence, 13th October 1779.
Eight o’Clock in the morning
Sir,
I have the Honor to send Your Excellency a Letter I received Yesterday from Lieut: Colonel Olney.1 The intelligence it contains, is strongly marked with The Enemy’s intention to evacuate Rhode-Island. I am endeavouring by all possible means to discover if that be their real design. I have the best look out, as well upon the water, as the Land; and have even some Friends upon the Island, who will give me the earliest Information in their power. An Express shall instantly Convey to your Excellency every extraordinary movement of the Enemy.2 I am, Sir, Your Excellency’s most Obedient Hume Servt
Horatio Gates
P.S. I have no Letter from Yr Exy, since that of the 3d Instant.
ALS, NHi: Gates Papers.
1. The enclosed letter from Lt. Col. Jeremiah Olney has not been identified. In his second letter to Samuel Huntington of 17 Oct., GW indicated that Olney’s letter reported the arrival at Newport, R.I., on this date, of fifty-six British transports “in Ballast” (empty).
2. See Gates to GW, 15 October. Gen. Henry Clinton had ordered the evacuation of the British garrison at Newport on 7 October. All British troops had embarked by 25 Oct., and on 27 Oct. the transports arrived at New York, the troops being sent to various stations at New York and on Long and Staten Islands (see GW to Gates, 1 Nov. [NHi: Gates Papers]; 17:236–37; 1:188; and 442–43).