On the basis of this news Washington and Rochambeau met at Weathersfield, Conn., on the L'LM of May, and subscribed to the following understanding: The enemy, by several detachments from New York, having reduced their force at that post to less than half the number which they had at the time of the former conference at Hartford in September last, it is thought advisable to form a junction of the French and American armies upon the North [Hudson | River as soon as possible, and move down to the vicinity of New York, to be ready to take advantage of any opportunity which the weakness of the enemy may afford. Should the West Indies fleet [de Grasse's] arrive on the coast, the forces thus combined may either proceed in operations against New York or may be directed against the enemy in some other quarter.

It will be observed that this agreement of the two generals was explicit as to the immediate operations of the united armies, but not as to the ultimate destination of the licet or as to the final joint objective of armies and licet. It was decided with all possible dispatch to effect a union of Washington's and Rochambeau's forces and " move down in the vicinity of New York," there to " take advantage of any opportunity which the weakness of the enemy may afford.'' But whither the licet was to conic was not definitely indicated; and manifestly it was intended thai the ultimate campaign of the armies should be determined by the destination of the fleet -- provided, of course, no decisive operations before New York should result previously to the fleet's arrival. Now, there were only two possible destinations for the fleet. One was Chesapeake Bay, where all the enemy's forces in the South were concentrating for the reduction of Virginia; the other was New Y'ork, if 1900