1. Tallmadge apparently enclosed a letter to him from Samuel Culper, Jr. (an alias for Robert Townsend), written at New York City on 3 Nov., and one from Samuel Culper (an alias for Abraham Woodhull) headed “No. 27” and dated 5 November. A copy of the letter from Culper, Jr., in the writing of GW’s aide-de-camp Tench Tilghman, reads: “Being more hurried than usual these three days past, and the Bearer coming unexpectedly, prevents my writing so particularly as I would wish. I have this day recd yours of the 19th ulto and I will endeavour to follow your instructions No arrivals of any consequence since my last The information I gave you, concerning the sailing of the fleet for Hallifax, I thought so good that I might have given it as certain. I could not have wished for better unless from the Admiral [Marriot Arbuthnot] or General [Henry Clinton]. They did not sail and I am since informed have disembarked. Eight or nine private Vessels were to sail from the Hook for Newfoundland a few days ago. They are in Ballast and are to take in Fish for the West Indies. I have not heard from the Hook these three days past, I therefore cannot say whether they have sailed. It was positively said the latter end of last Week that several Regiments were to go into suffolk County. But I beleive it is now given over I beleive at least for the present. A considerable number of transports (say 10000 tons) are under orders to take in troops, but it is not said where they are going. Lord Cornwallis is said to be going with them. No Forts or Redoubts near this City but those I have mentioned. The people in general now think that the French Fleet will not be here this fall—We have no certain accounts from Georgia—General Clinton and the Admiral were at Oister Bay on Monday observing the Harbour It is positively said a number of Transports are to be sent there to Winter. I beleive it is to be depended upon that the heavy ships of War are to winter at Hallifax. I will write you more particularly in my next” (DLC:GW). Tallmadge’s letter to Culper, Jr., of 19 Oct. has not been identified. For the most recent known letter from Culper, Jr., to Tallmadge, see Culper, Jr., to John Bolton, 29 Oct., printed as an enclosure to Tallmadge to GW, 1 November. Intelligence from Culper, Jr., agreed with British officer Archibald Robertson’s diary entry for Monday, 1 Nov.: “went to Oyster Bay. The Admiral [Arbuthnot] sounded the Harbour with Commodore Drake. I attended Sir Henry [Clinton] into Hog Island” (Lydenberg, Robertson Diaries, description begins Harry Miller Lydenberg, ed. Archibald Robertson, Lieutenant-General Royal Engineers: His Diaries and Sketches in America, 1762–1780. New York, 1930. description ends 204).

The letter from Culper (Woodhull) reads: “I have Just receved the Dispaches—And verbal accounts, that Coll Fanings Regt is at Loyds Necke and the Prince of Wales Amarican Regt formerly Commanded by Monfort Brown Farried last night at Jamaica on their Way to Huntington, One Regt is Orderd to Jerusalem South Side Hempstead Planes—Much talk about their Comeing to this Place Soon—And We are Greatly alarmed about it Should they come here I Shall most certainly retreat to your Side as I think it will be impossible for me to be Safe. Shall See Culper Jur on the 10th Inst. at Which time Shall hope to compleat your directions, And Order Affairs So that the damage I hope will not be great if it Should become necessary to Quit the Island depend I Shall not do it without Absolute necessity—if you have any thing material to communicate to C. Jur let 725 [Caleb Brewster] come one Night before (Say on the 9th[)]—I give over intirely the Arival of the French fleet—Nothing is Said about them in Newyork. And the movement of the Enemy looks like their going into Winter Quarters Friends are all Well” (DLC:GW). For the code employed in this letter, see Tallmadge to GW, 25 July, and n.2 to that document.

2. See GW to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 30 Sept. and 4 Nov., and to George Clinton, 3 Nov.; see also Tallmadge to GW, 1 Nov., and the notes to that document, and Clinton to GW, 7 November.

3. The diary entry for 6 Nov. of a British officer stationed in New York City may corroborate this report. That entry in part reads: “Lieutenant [Colonel] Graff’s Battalion of Grenadiers joined the Garrison of N. York from Staten Island” (Ritchie, “New York Diary,” description begins Carson I. A. Ritchie, ed. “A New York Diary [British army officer’s journal] of the Revolutionary War.” New-York Historical Society Quarterly 50 (1966): 221–80, 401–46. description ends 443).

4. For the repositioning of this command, see GW to Robert Howe, 27 Oct., found at GW to William Heath, same date, n.2.