New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-18

state of things. The work OF DEltIsh ilion'i"i
| at Yorktown went on with great INDUSTRY. II hau
all along been the opinion Of Clinton that Washing
ION contemplated an attack upon NewYork, and
the American commander was quite willing that the
British should be of that mind. Clinton had force
of nearly eighteen thousand meD including militia.
II was in VAIN that his subordnates reported that
Washington was obviously preparing TO move
against CORVALLIS. He did not believe II, and lett
his lieutenant to lis fate.
We may here pause 20 consider the demonstra-
tons made upon New-YOrk by Washington previous
10 the siege of Yorktown, which have been the SUD
| ect Of much historical comment and conjecture
There is no doubt that sir Henry Clinton then IN
| command at New-York, anticipated All attack upon
that city, and an attack in very considerable force
| This accounts for his peremptory call upon corn
wallis Tor Ienforcements from Virginia The latter
| intended to answer this demand and he had lhoNed
toward Portsm outh embark the troops but
| Clinton was equally unwilling to give up hold
upon Virginia and this the secret OF his order
TO CORVALLIS &c fortfy himself at some point from
which communication by sea with New-Nork might
still be mantaned he yielded the point OF the re-
Inducements from Virginia, well he might.
! CORVALLIS HAD eight Thousand effective men,
| This was a small enough force for what was now
| before him. OF WashingOn's real intentions re-
specting New-York we are fortunately III .thc pos
session of the best of evidence which is his OWL
| An interesting correspondence, which has never
before been published with perfect accuracy en-
| abes us to understand the intentions OF the Ameri-
| can commandments We reprint it from the
privately printed edition forty copies OF Master
Paul L. Ford the original letters being Ill the pos
session of his father:
NOAH BsrER TO GENERAL WASHINGTON
| NEw-YoRK July IA, 1883.
| Srp. Having engaged to write for Mr.. Morse's
| Geography sketch of the History oil the laie war
| take the liberty of making an inquiry reSpcctli
| fact which | am tolu is commonly miSrepIc'Gnttu'
ana which perhaps no person but the conInandef-n-
chief of the late armies III America can Het ileHt
An opinion. sir Is very general that lhe Juhc'i" VI
| the French fleet and the American armies it luih
! town was the result of prcconceTtcd pan between
| Yourself and the Count de Grassc; aud mat the
/ DENOMINATIONS made at the time Tor attacking NeN-
! Norl, were merely a icInt. But the late Quarter
| master-GcueIal Colonel timothy llckeIlhgl hi'
assured me that q combined ataeH was ihithu'u 10
| he made on New-Nork, and that the arrive OF thG
French fleet III the Bay of Chesapeake ma cIal-'u
| the plan of operations true state o. the iacts Is
all have to request of your ENceliency ana Ir'lr
that this request may he improper an" lhu''l'.',,
But in writing history, II is OF nm NE consequence
to know the springs of action as wen as ih' eNti'a
! and a wish to discover and communicate truih j.
INV sole motive for writing. lie pleased 7lr. l" aC-
cent this apology for giving trouble to gentleman
who must bc oppressed 10y hultitude Of attentions
| of more conse iucncc; and be assured ihal Win
prrlect respect for yourself and family. am, Slr
Your Excellencys most obliged ana most humble
| servant, 80 NVNu y, '-''-''"
! His Eycellcncy. GENERAL WASHINGTON.
GIxrRAI WASHINGTON TO >oAH wFDsrrE.
| MOUNT VTrVcs, July 81, 17Ns.
SIR: duly received your letter "l the I4in 'il',,
and can only assure you briefly anu SrhrfJl lI"'i
| memory, that combined operation OF lhe liHu a'I
naval forces of France IN America fer the year -
was prccOucered the year before" that me POM o!
! ott,rk was MOI Absolutely agreed upon because II
would bc easy for the Count de GraSSc IN good time
| before his departure from the West Indies 10 gave
notice by express at what point ne c9uu iapsI con-
yeuleutly first touch to receive adNceh ana because
| II coull not he fCrekuOWn where the enemy WOuId
be most susceptible of impression ana because we
| lhaving the command of the water, VITA sHl"ccul
means of couyeyanccl could transport ourselves 70
any spot with the greatest cclerty that II was d-
| tcrmIned by me nearly twelve months beforehand;
M ali loTds TO Give out and cause II to be believed
by the highest military well a. clVll oiccIs thiI
New York the destined place ol at!ack lor ING
| important purpose 0i lndncIfS IN? Eastern anu
Middle States to make greater cNcrllonS IN ufnlsh-
iur sprctc supplies than they otherwise Would nave
done a. well for the interesting purpose ol rem
| derng the cn-Iny less prepared elsewhere; that ny
these means and these alone artillery, bodl~, s'"T'
| and provisions were IN Scasondblc preparation 70
move with the utmost Iapldlty 10 any part o. the
! ron;incnt-for the difficulty consisted more 81 pro-
viding than knowing how ~ apply the II iltaIy d-
| pafatus: that before the arrival Of the Count de
tirasse II was the fixed determination to stilke the
enemy in the most vulnerable quarter, 80 Is 10
| ensure success with moral certainty, * our audII7
we're then in the most TuNous tram ilmIuIlpie;
| that Ncw-Nork was thought 10 be beyond our tu1I'
| and consequently that the only hesitation Ihdt
| remained was between an attack upon the Bfli,h
army in Virginia or that IN Charleston: ana hhdlIE
Oy The Intervention OF several communications ana
| some incidents which cannot be detailed III letter,
| and which we're altogether unknown u the late
| Ouarttrmastcr-Geucral of the army who was III
formed OF nothing but what related 10 the lhilHr-
date duties Of his own Department. the hostile port
| IN Virginia from being a pJ1rtsiCRGt dnd ShoHH
expected became the deaE!ro ana cert1" oGoci Of the
| ONLY add that it was never in contemplation 70
| attack New-NOrR unless the garrison should have
| been 80 far dcgarnl,hed to carry on the southern
operations as 10 render our success, IN he siege oil
that place as iniallbc rs any iutHIc military event
! can ever be made. For repeat il, and dwell upon
| II again and again, some splendid advantage
| whether upon n larger or smaller scale wa, almost
iInmaterai was essentially necessary 10 TcNIFc
| the expiring hopes aud languid cNcrtlpns Of The
| country at the Crisis III question. that Would
| never have consented 10 embark in any enterprise
| wherein from the most rational plan ana accurate
calculations, the favorable lesuc Should not nave
| appeared to my view ~ raJ ioil light. The
| failure of an attempt against the ports of the
enemy could. in other possible situation during
The war have been 50 fatal 10 orr Cause.
! That nuch trouble was taken and tncSsr used to
mis1ide and bewilder Sir Henry Clinton in REGARD
| TO the real object by fictitious communications rs
| we'll as by making deceptive provision OF ovens
| forage and boats in his nclgnbOrhood Is certain.
Nor were less pains taken to deceive our OTn army ;
for had always conceived, when the imposition did
not completely take place at home, 1t could never
| sufficiently succeed abroad ,
Your desire of obtaining truth IS very laudablc.
| I wish | had mole leisure 10 crafty ii, as ! am
equally solicitors the undsgused verify shoaid he
| known. Many circumstances WiIl unayold2hly be
| mi,cOnCcycd and mIsicFTescnted N0tWiths and
| ing many of the papers winch NAV properly be
deemed official are preserved, yet the knowledge OF
| innumerable things of more delicate and secret
nature is confined to the persha3lc remembrance Of
| some few of the present generation.
| With esteem, | am, sir, Your Most Obcdicnt
| Humble servant GO: W ASIINHION.
! NOAH WEBSTER, esq.
This correspondence would seem to settle as def
nitely rs they ever will be scutcd the intentions of
Washington. He began a series of reconnoitcrn-S
in the vicinity of New-York, cutting new roads
building ovens attacking the British foraging
PARTIES. and in other ways convincing Sir Henry
! Clinton of AN impending assault. The American
and French armies were now at Dobb's Ferry, and
ON the GreenLurg Hills. The destination of the
| French fleet for the Chesapeake confirmed Washing