John Mercereau
The Rebel Spy
1732-1820
Letter from John
Mercereau to General George Washington
Woodbridge June 20, 1780
Intelligence received from Staten Island
Clinton arrived from the southward with about fourty sail
and came in at Sandy Hook on Saturday afternoon and
Sunday morning - and landed on Staten Island on Monday
six thousand men, by common report there, however it is
certain that some of the troops are advanced on both the
roads leading to Amboy as far as within five miles of the
ferry on west end of the Island. The Enemy's boats have
been sounding about the mouth of the Rariton River, and
sett up some stakes which has since been pulled up. I saw
four topsail vessels sail out at Sandy Hook on Sunday
afternoon. I took them to be frigates.
John Mercereau
P. S. The movements of the Enemy has prevented us from
receiving our weekly accounts but are in hopes that it
will be more regular soon.
I have been infored that one of our privateers has
captured a pilot boat and thirteen fishing boats mostly
from Staten Island, and don't doubt but if the prisoners
are detained, we might might engage some of them as
pilots for us.
John Mercereau to George Washington, June 20, 1780
George Washington Papers at the Library of
Congress, 1741-1799: Series 4. General Correspondence.
1697-1799
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