It was not doubted that when he got ready to act he would choose some point on .he Sound for his outflanking movement, since that const was wholly unprotected by American forts or improvised impediments to navigation, and from its low formation afforded perfectly satisfactory conditions for landing, which nowhere existed on the precipitous shores of the Hudson. But there to conwas an apprehension on the American side which inamounted force he would viction that before making his next movement secure the navigation of the Hudson;

and upon that quarter Aineri-

CAMPAIGN

BATTLE

WHITE

PLAINS

can attention was fixed with an anxiety which became painful after the easy passage of the chevaux dc frisc by the three hostile ships on the 9th of October. In a series of noteworthy official letters of that period, whose originals have been placed at the disposal of the editor of the present History, the whole situation from the American point of view is made strikingly clear. After the removal of the migratory State convention from White Plains to Fishkill, that body appointed "a committee of correspondence for the purpose of obtaining intelligence from the army"; and the committee, of which William Duer was the active spirit, made arrangement with Lieutenant-Colonel Tench Tilghman, one of Washington's aides, for a daily letter from army headquarters. The resulting letters extend from the 22d of September to the 21st of October. The originals furnished us, thirty-seven in number, are from the documentary remains of Colonel Tilghman now owned by his descendant, lion. Oswald Tilghman, of Maryland; behalf of and for the most part are the communications of Duer, on although the committee, in reply to Tilghmans notes of information, tocommittee, the o1 a few letters to Tilghman from other members gether with copies of some of Tilghmaifs notes to the committee, are of the comprehended in the collection.