(Copy)
Secret Intelligence
New York 8th April 1776.
Since I left Your Excellency on Sunday Night last, I have done my Endeavour to discover anything that might be hurtfull to His Majesty's Arms ー There is no alterations in those Batteries I gave Your Excellency an account of-but now they are in the greatest hurry to get the Ambrazures finished on the Lower Battery under Fort George and has already placed 432 Pounders ー and what more they intend mounting there I cannot as yet inform you ー They have also this morning mounted on the Hill by Black Sam's House 2-32 Pounders. & last Night 2000 Men got on the Governor's Island, where they have begun an Entrenchment, and another on Red Point facing the Harbour ー I am afraid when those two Battery's are finished they will do Damage to the Shipping ー if there can be no method of putting a stop to them ー they have got no Guns over that I can hear of-Permit me to say from the little Experience I have of Gunnery, that a Ship or a Sloop to get in behind the Governor's Island, might take both the Battery on the Island & that on Red Bank, as my opinion is, no Shot could reach there from any Battery they have erected
The Riffie Men are all over on Staten Island, except Thirty; by the best accounts I can get there is about 1100, of the Jersey men, likewise on Staten Island, or at Amboy The Number gone from hence, to the above places, may be about 1800 Men ー I cannot learn that more then Four Companies are over on Long Isiand.
I am made to understand from undoubted authority that they have lodged in the New Hospital 252 half Barrels of Gun Powder ー and now they are employed in making Travelling Carriages for Nine & Twelve Pounders ー and this day I was called upon, to know if I could give them the dimensions for a Nine & Twelve Pounder Travelling Carriage, but direcly told them I could not as I was no Artificer, & that part of the Artillery was entirely unknown to me, so got clear of them ー There are Orders given out in print by Mr Putman [Israel Putnam] this Morning for all Communication be cut off from this day between the Men of War, & the Town, and that they shall have no more Provision ー no Boat is to leave the Town, but from Beekman's Slip-and then must have a pass from one of their Captains appointed for that purpose, ー So God help us in our distress ー But still such Friends to Government as are left in Town keeps us good Spirits ー I shall Conclude 'till another Opportunity And am &c.&c.&c.
