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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from Henry Clinton to George Sackville Germain, Viscount Sackville
Clinton, Henry, Sir, 1738?-1795
October 30, 1780
Volume 15, Pages 290-292

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SIR HENRY CLINTON TO LORD GEORGE GERMAIN.


New York, October 30th, 1780.

My Lord:

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of Your Lordship's Original Dispatch marked No. 66, and Separate one of the 22d July; also Duplicates of those marked 63, 64 and 65 of Your Secret and Separate Letters of the 4th July, with that of Your Private Letter of the 5th and Circular one of that Month, together with Two Original Letters, addressed to Vice Admiral Arbuthnot and myself, dated the 3d of August, by the Swift Packet, which arrived here on the 12th Instant.

I have the pleasure to acquaint Your Lordship that the Fleet from England, under Convoy of His Majesty's Ships Hyena and Adamant, with Recruits and Stores for this Army, arrived here safe, after a favorable passage, on the 15th Instant, and I have the honor to transmit Returns of the State and Number of Recruits received by this Opportunity.

Although I have received no Authentic Accounts from the Southward since Lord Cornwallis' Letter of the 29th of August, (a Copy of which I have the honor to transmit,) yet I think it my duty to send to Your Lordship some Extracts from Rebel News Papers lately received, without giving any opinion upon them, except the improbability of anything very important having happened in that Quarter, as it appears from that Letter that his Lordship did not seem inclined to make any such Detachment from his Army without supporting it. Should Major Ferguson, however, have met with a little Cheque, I hope it will not be productive of any very bad consequences, as I trust his Lordship's Abilities will soon recover it, to which the Expedition under Major General Leslie may in some degree contribute. A Copy of my Instructions to that General Officer I have already had the honor of Communicating to your Lordship. Major General Leslie sailed from hence on the 16th, and I understand was seen entering the Chesapeake on the 18th with a fair wind, so that he would probably be on James River on the 20th, and consequently interrupt Mr. Gates' Communication with Virginia, and, I hope, strike at

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his grand Depot at Petersburg soon after. Should General Leslie be so fortunate to succeed, it may be presumed Mr. Gates will be prevented from pursuing offensive Operations, but should he already have received Supplies to enable him to make a Move with the Army he shall have collected, I am persuaded Lord Cornwallis, with the assistance of the Co-operating Corps under Major General Leslie, which I have given entirely to his Lordship's Orders, will pursue such Measures as may oblige Mr. Gates to retire from those Provinces. Lord Cornwallis was informed by me, previous to General Leslie's sailing upon this Expedition, of that General Officer's being to act from his Lordship's Orders, and I sent him at the same time a Copy of my Instructions to General Leslie.

By the Present opportunity I have the honor to transmit to Your Lordship some Original Dispatches which were lately intersepted in a Rebel Mail we were lucky enough to take entire, and contain matters of no small importance. The Letters now sent appear to be such as are of the most consequence; those that are less so shall be transmitted to Your Lordship by the next opportunity.

I shall in a few days send to Charles-Town all the Recruits belonging to the Southern Army, and then, including the Corps under General Leslie, Lord Cornwallis will have full 11,306 Effective rank and file under his Orders. Washington has not as yet detached a single Man to the Southward, and by all Accounts from General Arnold, Gates cannot have above 800 Continental Troops with him.

General Washington still remains at or near Tappan, with a Corps of 11,400 Men under his immediate Orders. The French have not moved from Rhode Island, but are adding Fortifications to that Place. Admiral Arbuthnot is Watching Monsr Ternay. While we remain superior at Sea, and can Command the Sound of Long Island, I do not think the Enemy will attempt anything against us; but should they get the Command of the Sound, Your Lordship must be sensible that my present Force is very inadequate to that which can be brought against me.

Major Harnage, of the 62d Regiment, will have the honor of delivering my Dispatches. This Officer's Services with the

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Northern Army will, I doubt not, insure him Your Lordship's favor and Protection.

I have the honor to be, With the greatest Respect,
Your Lordship's Most obedient and Most humble Servant,
H. CLINTON.

P. S. I must observe to Your Lordship that in the Effectives that I have stated as under the Orders of Earl Cornwallis the Sick are included, and I am afraid their Numbers are not inconsiderable.

H. C.
Right Honorable Lord George Germain.