1. In this lengthy letter of 13 Sept., addressing the states’ debt and the depreciation of the currency, Congress tried to shore up faith in the success of the American cause and in the states’ ability to repay the debt. Congress asked the people of the states to “keep your battalions full, to encourage loans, and to assess your taxes with prudence, collect them with firmness, and pay them with punctuality” (see JCC, description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends 15:1051-62; see also Smith, Letters of Delegates, description begins Paul H. Smith et al., eds. Letters of Delegates to Congress, 1774–1789. 26 vols. Washington, D.C., 1976–2000. description ends 13:495). The particular copy Jay enclosed with his letter has not been identified.

2. Both this intelligence report and that of 18 Sept. had been provided by GW’s spy in New York, Robert Townsend (“Samuel Culper, Jr.”) (see GW to Benjamin Tallmadge, 24 Sept., n.1).

3. The 50-gun warship Experiment sailed for Georgia on 12 Sept. (Davies, Documents of the American Revolution, description begins K. G. Davies, ed. Documents of the American Revolution, 1770–1783; (Colonial Office Series). 21 vols. Shannon and Dublin, 1972–81. description ends 17:234).

James Wallace (1731-1803) entered the Royal Navy in 1746, became a lieutenant in the Royal Navy in March 1755, was promoted to commander in November 1762, and was made a captain in January 1771. On the North American station, he commanded the 20-gun Rose and then the Experiment. He served as a captain for over twenty years before becoming a rear admiral in April 1794 and a vice admiral in June 1795. From 1794 to 1796, he was governor of Newfoundland. Wallace ended his career as an admiral of the blue, to which rank he was advanced in February 1799.

4. A British officer in New York wrote in his diary that, on 8 Sept., “the 44th Regiment … together with the Hessian Regiments of Knyphausen & Losberg, embarked on board the several Transports alloted for them, and on Friday the 10th They sailed out of Sandy Hook under Convoy of the Renown, Captain Dawson” (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 436). These troops and transports were indeed bound for Canada; for their ill-fated voyage, see GW to d’Estaing, 4 Oct., n.6. British vice admiral Arbuthnot did plan to send his line-of-battle ships to reinforce the West Indian squadron, but he countermanded his plans when he learned that French vice admiral d’Estaing was coming to North America (see Barnes and Owen, Sandwich Papers, description begins G. R. Barnes and J. H. Owen, eds. The Private Papers of John, Earl of Sandwich, First Lord of the Admiralty, 1771–1782. 4 vols. London, 1932-38. In Publications of the Navy Records Society, vols. 69, 71, 75, 78. description ends 3:134).

5. Since 16 Sept. the British had been embarking regiments for Lt. Gen. Charles Cornwallis’s expedition to Jamaica. On 23 Sept., the transports carrying six British and two provincial regiments had moved down to Sandy Hook, N.J., bound to sea. However, the fleet soon returned to New York after receiving a report that d’Estaing was on the American coast with a large fleet of warships (see 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 203; 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 436-38; and Henry Clinton to George Germain, 26 and 30 Sept., in Davies, Documents of the American Revolution, description begins K. G. Davies, ed. Documents of the American Revolution, 1770–1783; (Colonial Office Series). 21 vols. Shannon and Dublin, 1972–81. description ends 17:221-22, 229-30; see also Willcox, American Rebellion, description begins William B. Willcox, ed. The American Rebellion: Sir Henry Clinton’s Narrative of His Campaigns, 1775–1782, with an Appendix of Original Documents. New Haven, 1954. description ends 143-44).

6. “The gorge or pass at Fort Washington” refers to the narrow gorge just east of that fort, which ran between the high hills in the northern part of Manhattan Island and through which passed the only road to King’s Bridge, New York. The British fortifications defending the north of the city ran along Bayard Hill and Bunker Hill, both just northwest of Hester Street. The chief fort on that section of the line was constructed on Bunker Hill.

7. This information had been provided by GW’s spy on Long Island, Abraham Woodhull (“Samuel Culper”), and was taken from Samuel Culper to “John Bolton” (Benjamin Tallmadge), 19 Sept. (see GW to Tallmadge, 24 Sept., n.1).

8. British officer Archibald Robertson recorded in his journal entry for 21 Sept.: “Sir Andrew Snape Hammond Arrived At the Hook with a Fleet of Victuallers and Transports with some Recruits” (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 203).

9. Edward Fox of Philadelphia had held a minor post under the last royal governor of Maryland and, after the state government was formed, acted as a clerk to the state’s board of accounts. In 1778 he moved to Philadelphia, and in May of that year he became a clerk to the Continental treasury board. In August, Fox became a signer of Continental currency. Taken prisoner by the British near the end of August 1779, Fox was taken to Long Island and then to New York, where he secretly engaged with Maj. John André, aide-de-camp to Gen. Henry Clinton, to send intelligence to the British (see Van Doren, Secret History, description begins Carl Van Doren. Secret History of the American Revolution: An Account of the Conspiracies of Benedict Arnold and Numerous Others drawn from the Secret Service Papers of the British Headquarters in North America now for the first time examined and made public. New York, 1941. description ends 224-26). After his release, Fox made his way through Elizabeth, N.J., to Philadelphia were he relayed his intelligence report to Congress (see Smith, Letters of Delegates, description begins Paul H. Smith et al., eds. Letters of Delegates to Congress, 1774–1789. 26 vols. Washington, D.C., 1976–2000. description ends 13:541-42, 557-58 and JCC, description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends 15:1103). In October 1782, Superintendant of Finance Robert Morris appointed Fox commissioner to settle the accounts of the hospital department, a post Fox held until May 1786. As part of his appointment, Fox attested to his loyalty to the United States (see Morris Papers, description begins E. James Ferguson et al., eds. The Papers of Robert Morris, 1781–1784. 9 vols. Pittsburgh, 1973–99. description ends 6:551, 643).

10. See GW to Anthony Wayne, 20 September.

11. See GW to Stirling, this date. Robertson says in his diary entry for 18, 19, and 20 Sept. that on those days the 63d, 64th, and 33d British Regiments left King’s Ferry, N.Y., after completing work on the fortifications at Stony Point (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 202-3). GW soon ordered a reconnaissance of the forts in preparation for a possible attack (see GW to Anthony Wayne, 26 Sept., and n.1 to that document; GW to William Heath, 29 Sept. [second letter]; and Henry Knox to GW, 30 Sept.).