1. Hessian major Carl Leopold Baurmeister described the “Distribution for Winter Quarters” of British forces around New York City, including Staten and Long islands, in his dispatch dated 8 Nov. (Baurmeister, Revolution in America, description begins Carl Leopold Baurmeister. Revolution in America: Confidential Letters and Journals, 1776–1784, of Adjutant General Major Baurmeister of the Hessian Forces. Translated and annotated by Bernhard A. Uhlendorf. New Brunswick, N.J., 1957. description ends 318–20).

2. Seely is referring to the 2d Battalion of the New Jersey Volunteers under Lt. Col. John Morris, Col. William Schaw Cathcart’s British Legion, and Col. Beverly Robinson’s Loyal American Regiment, all Loyalist commands.

John Morris (born c.1735) served as an ensign and lieutenant in the British army during the French and Indian War. He became lieutenant colonel of the 2d Battalion of the New Jersey Volunteers in December 1776 and remained with this Loyalist unit until 1782. For further details, see Jones, Loyalists of New Jersey, description begins E. Alfred Jones. The Loyalists of New Jersey: Their Memorials, Petitions, Claims, Etc., From English Records. Newark, N.J., 1927. In Collections of the New Jersey Historical Society, vol. 10 description ends 146–47.

3. For the British evacuation of Rhode Island on 25 Oct., see GW to Duportail and Alexander Hamilton, 30 Oct., and notes 1 and 2 to that document. For the distribution of these troops, and the assignment of only one Hessian regiment to Staten Island, see John Sullivan’s first letter to GW, 6 Nov., n.2.

4. Gen. Henry Clinton decided not to send troops to Halifax (see Samuel Culper, Jr., to John Bolton, 29 Oct., n.5, printed as an enclosure with Benjamin Tallmadge to GW, 1 Nov.).

5. The major British expedition to Charleston, S.C., would not embark until late December (see Anthony Wayne to GW, 26 Dec., source note). For a British fleet then preparing to leave New York City for Cork, Ireland, see Wayne to GW, 9 Nov., and n.4 to that document.

6. GW replied to Seely from West Point on 14 Nov.: “I have recd your favr of the 11th and am obliged by the intelligence it contains. Should you obtain a confirmation be pleased to inform me and of the time which the fleet sails. Should the other embarkation which you mention take place, I shall be obliged to you for endeavouring to know of what Corps it is composed” (LS, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, in private hands; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. GW signed the cover of the LS).

Allegations that Seely participated in illegal trade with New York led to his removal from command at Elizabeth later in November (see William Livingston to Seely, 26 Nov., in Prince, Livingston Papers, description begins Carl E. Prince et al., eds. The Papers of William Livingston. 5 vols. Trenton and New Brunswick, N.J., 1979–88. description ends 3:233–34; see also GW to Samuel Huntington, 25 Dec., n.1). A court-martial subsequently acquitted Seely (see Livingston to Abraham Clark, 1 Feb. 1780, and Livingston’s approval of the courtmartial findings, 27 May 1780, in Prince, Livingston Papers, description begins Carl E. Prince et al., eds. The Papers of William Livingston. 5 vols. Trenton and New Brunswick, N.J., 1979–88. description ends 3:294, 398–99).