To George Washington from Colonel David Forman, 23 June 1780
From Colonel David Forman
Freehold [N.J.] 23d June 1780
Sir
I had the Honr of receiveing Your Excely Favr of the 21st last Evening, wherein your Excly expreses an Opinion that Sr Henry Clintons Object at prest is West Point1—My Want of knoledge of that place hardly permits my Attempting to form a Judgement of the Appeara⟨n⟩cees that might indicate an Attack—Yet the Mind will on ⟨su⟩tch Important Subjects Attempt forming a Judgt—My Last Inf⟨or⟩mation to Your Excly was that report said a Number of Sr Harrys ⟨flee⟩t had gone up the North River without Stoping at New York2—⟨mutilated⟩ report preveild here Untill yesterday—When a Gent. from below ⟨w⟩hose Attachment I am well Assured—Informed me that a Number ⟨of⟩ the Troops from Carolina ware Landed on Stratin Island—he ⟨g⟩ave full Credit to the report—and allthough he got it from the disaffected Imagined full confidence might be giveon the report.
the Encloseed Diary down to Tewsday Evening will Inform Your Excly that at Least all the British Ships of Considerable force are gone to Sea or Laying at the Hook3—from an opinio⟨n⟩ that I have recd that Ships of War would be absolutely Necessary to Sir Henry Clintons Attack on West point Induced me to give Credit to the Acct of his Troops Landing on Stratin Island & to Imagine Nothing was Immideately intended up the North river.
On Tewsday Evening last about 150 of the refugees Landed in this County—They Took Ten of the Inhabitents from there Houses and Plundered them of Every thing and drove ⟨o⟩ff a Considerable Number of Stock—Before they Got off they ware Attacked by the Militia—they retook all the Stock and report Says killed and wounded Several—the Enemy Took off there Prisoners and all there portable p [l]under—The Militia Took one prisone⟨r⟩.
On his Examination he Confesses he is not a Soldier—Neither was he to receive any pay—that there Sole Business Was to take ⟨a⟩ Number of the Inhabitents from there Houses and to Plunder & that the plunder Was to be divideed amongst them—The fact is they ware properly a Marauding Gang—Genl Sir William How while the British Army Lay in this State published an order declaring all persons Not uniformed & Acting without a Commissioned Officer if Taken Should be hang’d Immediately As Marauders.
Some Sutch Example is I am Sure Necessary in this part of the Country to deter that Class of People—or property Can No Longer be secure for a Night—My Next dispatch shall Cover for Your Excly perusal the Prisoners Confession at Large on Which I shall be happy to have Your Excly opinion4 and if Agreeable to the rules of War prisoners Taken in that way sho⟨uld⟩ be Executed Beg your Excly direct Sutch Order—Docr Campbe⟨ll⟩5 the Bareers Impatience to Set out Will not permit my Copy⟨ing⟩ the Prisoners Examination. I have the Honr to be Your Excly Obdt Humble Servt
David Forman
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. This letter has not been found.
2. See Forman to GW, 19 June.
3. The enclosed “Diary” reported the daily wind and weather and noted ship movements in New York Harbor between Sunday, 18 June, and Tuesday, 20 June. Among the more significant entries the diarist noted that on 18 June “thirty Sail Came in Several Large Ships of War … Between 6 OClock and 9 Came in Upwards of twenty More Some Small in this fleet there May be 9 or 10 Above 50 Guns besides frigates and Smaller Ships of War.” After noon that day “Came Down and Went to Sea—3 Ships of War.” On “Monday Evening Came Down 5 Ships of War 4 Went to Sea one of 64 Guns (With A flag at foretopmast Head) Lies at Sandy Hook.” And “Lies 6 Ships of War With out the Hook 2 of 64 one of 50 the Others about 40 Guns.” On “tuesday Morning th⟨e⟩ 20[:] … them Six Large Ships that Lay at Anchor Without the Hook put to Sea—and are gone. the Admiral Lies at the Hook 1 Ship of 60 Guns 1 of 44 Guns ⟨illegible⟩ frigates Lies to Keep him Company the Small fleet for Sink⟨ing⟩ Lies there Still” (DLC:GW).
5. This may have been George W. Campbell (1758–1818), of New Jersey, a third surgeon, or surgeon’s mate, in the army’s flying hospital. He later became a hospital physician and surgeon (see , 21:980–81).