From George Washington to Brigadier General William Maxwell, 23 May 1780
To Brigadier General William Maxwell
Head Quarters Morris Town 23d May 1780
Sir
We have had repeated accounts that a considerable Fleet has been seen off the Coast of Monmouth, but as none of them have been sufficiently accurate to determine whether it is really so, or whether if so, they are Friends or Enemies, the Marquis de la Fayette concludes to send down Colo. Jimat to the Coast to gain certain information.1 He will be at Brunswic tomorrow Morning by 10 OClock. You will therefore be pleased to make choice of an intelligent Officer of your Brigade, well acquainted in the County of Monmouth, to meet and accompany Colo. Jimat, and that they may be secure against the disaffected,2 you will be pleased to order a party of eight or ten Dragoons from Bedkins Corps if he can mount so many, and if not, to take some of the Militia Horse to make up the number3—The Officer will keep an account of the Expence which he incurs upon this occasion and it shall be repaid him. Let the party be punctual to the time.4 I am &c.
Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. Major General Lafayette wrote French minister La Luzerne on 24 May that “we have recently had news that a French fleet was before New York.” Lafayette “did not believe this story, but in an excess of caution,” he dispatched his aide-de-camp Jean-Joseph Sourbadère de Gimat “to the coast with a letter for the commander of this alleged squadron” (, 3:31–33). The fleet in question probably was the British fleet bound for Quebec (see Elias Dayton to GW, 19 May, n.2). Hessian officer Jakob Piel’s diary entry for 24 May suggested another possibility: “At daybreak we saw five strange ships in the distance, to the south. Two of them were large and had three masts. The other three had two masts. The latter appeared to be enemy privateers, and the two former to be their prizes” (, 45).
2. Monmouth County, N.J., was notorious for Loyalist activity, including depredations by “Freebooting Tories” (William Livingston to Nathaniel Scudder, 24 Dec. 1779, in , 3:278–81; see also Livingston to GW, 14 Dec. 1778; GW to Francis Wade, 28 March 1777; and Wade to GW, May 1777).
3. On 24 May, GW wrote an officer in Maxwell’s brigade from headquarters at Morristown: “You are to accompany Colo. Jimat to the County of Monmouth and to such parts of the Coast as he may find occasion to visit. You are, I imagine, well apprized of the disaffection of many of the inhabitants in that Quarter and of the necessity which there will be of guarding against any attempts of theirs to take you off. It may perhaps add to your security if you can prevail upon some of the well affected Gentlemen of the Country to accompany you whenever you ride towards the shore” (Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW).
4. Maxwell replied to GW from Connecticut Farms, N.J., on 24 May: “Your Excellencys Favour of the 23d Instt I last night received at nine oclock. I had Major Burrows, an Officer and 25 Men ordered to set out for Monmouth County this morning at 7 oclock. The Major was to purchase two whaleBoats that lay at Brunswick, if he could not pick up some along the shore, at Monmouth County where they ought not to be; Coll Dayton informed me he had spoke to Your Excellency, about the Boats at Brunswick. The reason of the partys going to Monmouth was the scearcity of meat with us; and I am creditably informed that there are always, considerable quantitys of Cattle brought from the West Jersey, and lodged near the shore to be handy to send off to New York, as a good opertunity serves. I have directed the Major if he finds such cattle, that he will apply to the purchaser of the County, and if the people who has them in charge, or the owners, refuse to sell them, that he will have with him a Majestrate at the same time, and I make no doubt he will give him orders to take them. The Major set off at 6 oclock with 9 of Capt. Bedkins Dragoons, to Joyn Coll Jimmet at Brunswick, the officer and party set off after him, at 7. With respect to the Fleet at the Hook it was supposed yesterday to be a Fleet that had lately gone out from new York, but last night there was a heavy firing of Cannon heard supposed to be beyond the Hook a good ways from about 8 at night till about 2 in the morning A Gentleman Just now informs that he heard before sun down last night several Guns much further off than the Hook. this is all the News I have at present” (ALS, DLC:GW). Piel also “heard a heavy cannonade at sea” the night of 23 May (Burgoyne, Defeat, Disaster and Dedication, 45). For the purchaser in Monmouth County that could procure the cattle for the Continental army, see William De Hart to GW, 13 Jan., n.2.