To George Washington from Brigadier General William Maxwell, 27 April 1779
From Brigadier General William Maxwell
Elizth Town [N.J.] 27th April 1779
Sir
I have the pleasure to inclose Your Excellency Yesterdays New York Paper giving an account of the Packet’s arival.1
I likewise inclose you a note I got with the Paper last nigh[t].2 The person who deliverd my man the papers, last night says that the Flat bottom’d Boats went down to the Hook the day the note was wrote. Some emajins they are for Munmoth others for Egg Harbour I think it must be along that shore; therefore I thought proper to give the earleyest notice and am Your Excellencys Most Obeydent Humble Servant
Wm Maxwell
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. The 26 April edition of the New-York Gazette; and The Weekly Mercury announced that “Last Saturday [24 April] his Majesty’s Packet, the Carteret, Charles Newman, Commander, arrived here in 8 Weeks from Falmouth.”
2. Maxwell apparently enclosed a copy of an unsigned intelligence report dated at New York on 25 April: “this morning By Sunrise the forty second thirty third and two Bat. of Gards Imbarked On Board flat Boats for Someplace And I Believe Amboy as they Have taken G[u]ides for that place Colonel Bartens and Buskercks Battallions are to Go with them and three Ridgts of Hessions are to draw provisions for Six Days to morrow morining I have Greate Reason to Believe they are Bound for Amboy As Govener francklin is made magor Genl of all they new Leves and Likewise Commander of them He Hath appointed Hatfield Sherref of the County Sqr. forster Judg of the Coarts and all the other Sivel officers are Chosen But Cornelius Has His Commition I have Seen it and He Swares He will Hang Every one of those Committy men And Others that Have Sworn to the King and Congress Boath and then taken arms Against the King after words if this Does not Reach you to night you will Have the papers with it to morrow the packet is arrived and Brings news of twelve thousand troops Comeing to America British and two D[itt]o of Hessians nothing But slaughter is to Be Depended on this Summer I Shall Stay in york my Self as I Dare not Come to the Island During the Imbarkation or mouvements they are taking a number of Heavy Cannon On Board transports Supposed to fortyfy At Amboy” (DLC:GW).