1. The undated enclosure from Woodford reads: “Substance of inteligence Collected by Lieut. Thornton in the english Neighbourhood.

“From Mr Day, by a letter from his wife in New York, dated last Saturday. The enemy have embarked all the Troops they have Transports for, and that the whole would leave the City as soon as they could get shiping. Those who allready embarked, sailed last wednsday or Thursday amounting to 11.000 men—Their destination a profound Secret—That the refugees from Rhode Island are in a very distressed Situation lying in the Street.

“From Mr Jacob Nagle (a man of good Character), but would not tell how he came by his intelligence, and requests his name should not be mentioned. That the Enemy have receivd intelligence from the Southward, since the sailing of the above Fleet—which has determined them to remain in N. York this winter, To try if no measure can bring about a reconciliation with America—he also confirms Mrs Day’s acct of the Fleet sailing with nearly that number of Troops.

“Mr Thorntons own Observations, That the enemy were errecting a Fort between Fort Washington & Spiken Devil—and, That only thirteen ships were to be seen in the north river, between the narrows & HoeBuck, and one guard Ship above Fort Washington, with a Sloop & a Schooner.

“And, That he could discover only five Ships in the East river.

“A Gentleman whose name Mr Thornton has forgot—inform’d him that he had seen Rivingtons Paper of the 2d or 3d Inst. giveing an account of the takeing Savannah, with all the Troops &c., And, that Compt De Estaing had sailed a different Course from New York—but does not recollect where.

“Mrs Day informed that [Van] Buskirks Regt Mutinied & refused to do duty—but were left on Govorners Island, & all the Boats withdrawn to prevent any of them coming off.

“Judge Herring [Haring] was informed by a Cle[r]gyman from Eliz[abe]th Town that their had been a severe Action in Europe between the Allied Fleet & that of Brittain in which the latter lost several Capital Ships & were totally Defeated” (DLC:GW). Woodford probably received this intelligence report from Lt. Presly Thornton.

For the only significant departure of British ships from New York City during the previous two weeks, see Samuel Culper, Jr., to John Bolton, 29 Oct., and n.6, printed as an enclosure to Benjamin Tallmadge to GW, 1 Nov.; GW to Henry Lee, Jr., 2 Nov.; and Lee to GW, 3 November.

An item that appeared in James Rivington’s Royal Gazette (New York) for 3 Nov. reads: “We are informed that the accounts from Georgia now announced by the rebels, (without the sanction of Secretary Thomson) have changed the boasted reduction of that province, and the taking the post of Beaufort, with the Honourable Colonel Maitland and 900 men prisoners, into a formal inva[si]on of Georgia, and a confession of that officer’s, with all his troops, having joined General Prevost at Savannah. Not a word mentioned of their great and powerful ally, the Comte d’Estaing and his fleet.”

2. Since 4 Nov. was a Thursday, Woodford likely enclosed The Royal American Gazette (New York), a Loyalist newspaper that published on that day of the week.