To George Washington from Major Henry Lee, Jr., 28 June 1780
From Major Henry Lee, Jr.
Paramus [N.J.] 28th June 80
I wrote your Excellency this morning.1 Since which I have acquired more explicit knowledge of the enemy’s situation in Bergen Woods.2
They certainly may be expelled the country. Perhaps they may be made prisoners. It would give peace to the inhabitants for twenty Miles around & very much assist agriculture.
Scarce a night passes but ten or twelve horses are stolen.
Another good consequence would result from this expidition; we might collect two or three hundd bushels forage, our horses are in great want.
I have fifty infantry now with me—100 more will be necessary.3
If your Excly approves of the attempt, I wish to attempt it tomorrow night; therefore the necessary reinforcement ought to arrive at Paramus M. house4 by 10 in the morning.
I shall wait here for your Excly answe[r]. yours most respectfully
Henry Lee Junr
N.B. If they cannot reach Paramus by 10, we must postpone till the next night—In this case I wish them to halt tomorrow (till they hear from me) at Mr Fells.5
ALS, DLC:GW. A notation on the cover indicates that a dragoon conveyed this letter.
GW replied to Lee from headquarters at Ramapo, N.J., on this date: “I have received Your Letter of this afternoon. I have had it for some days in contemplation to have the attempt made to which you allude; but from the information I had received with respect to the Enemy’s situation & post, I did not imagine that it could be made—nor do I now, in the way you seem to think it may. I wish you to inform me more particularly than you have, of their force according to the intelligence You may have obtained and of the nature of their Work; and that You will still if circumstances admit, gain a more perfect knowledge of them than You may now possess & communicate it to me” (L[S], in Robert Hanson Harrison’s writing, ViHi; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW).
1. This letter has not been found.
2. Lee is referring to the outpost of the Loyalist associators under Lt. Col. Abraham C. Cuyler near Bull’s Ferry, N.J. (see Thomas Lloyd Moore to GW, 22 May, and n.3 to that document).
3. Lee’s infantry battalion had not yet rejoined his partisan corps (see GW to the Board of War, 21 June, n.2). Lee’s command still may have included an infantry company assigned to him on 23 June (see Document XI in Battle of Springfield, 23–24 June).
4. Lee is referring to the church, or meetinghouse, at Paramus.
5. New Jersey delegate John Fell lived in Bergen County, N.J., about four miles from the church at Paramus along the direct road running east from near Ramapo.