My Dear Sir

Though I feel myself exceeding happy in having so able & approved an Officer as the Count De Estaing to co-operate with the Forces I have the Honor to command in reducing the common Enemy and though I already anticipate the joys of Victory from the Strength of Your Fleet, the Zeal of Your Troops and the Ardor of my own, yet it becomes my Duty to inform you of every unfortunate Event which has already happened or may probably turn up in the Course of our Efforts to reduce the Enemy General Washington's Letter of the 17^th Inst^t. notifyinq me that there was at least a Possibility of Your Excellencys being disappointed in Your Designs against the Enemy's Fleet at New York for Want of a sufficient Depth of Water to come at them and that in Case of Failure You would operate in this Quarter did not arrive 'till the 22^d. Ins^t. after Noon;¹ the positive Order for the Attempt & which notified me of Your Excellencys having sailed from Sandy Hook was handed me by the Generals Aid Lieut. Col^o. Laurens² the 24^th at 2 ^oClock At that Time I had sixteen Hundred standing Forces, & scarcely a Sufficiency of Provisions for them & was under no Apprehension of such an Attempt in this Quarter. Added to all this the Enemy in their Descent on the 25^th of May last had burned almost all the Boats prepared for a Descent³—But as this short Notice arose from natural & necessary Causes which could not have been foreseen I have used every Endeavor to prevent Your Excell^ys. being delayed in Your Design—I have forwarded the Pilots who will wait Your Signal at Point Judith: I have also collected a considerable Number of Boats sufficient I hope to make good our Landing under the Fire of Your Ships: I have established a Chain of Expresses on both sides Rhode Island⁴ upon the Main for the Purpose of receiving from & carrying to Your Excell^y every Kind of Intelligence that may be thought necessary I will also have Boats plying in the Bay round Your Fleet for the same Purpose when it arrives—I have taken every Step to procure Provisions & other necessaries that the Time would permit & I flatter myself we shall not be disappointed. I am exceeding sorry that our Situation renders it uncertain whether we can co-operate the Moment of Your Arrival—The Marquis La Fayette⁵ is on his March with a division of the main Army. I trust he will be here in four Days—As his Troops may be depended on & mine are principally Militia I think the Attempt even if we were ready in other Respects would be hazardous before his Arrival But as Your Fleet is superior to every Thing on the Sea I think no great Difficulty can arise from a Delay of one or two Days after Your Arrival should that from the above Circumstances happen. There are three Entrances to the Harbor viz. one on the East of Rhode Island at Seconnet Point,⁶ one on the West called the middle Channel which runs between Rhode Island and Conannicut which Island of Conanicut⁷ lies to the westward of Rhode Island to the westward of which is still another Channel called the West Channel⁸—This will at once appear to Your Excell^y. on View of the Map which I sent You by Lieu^t Col^o Laurens & will be sufficiently explained to You by the Pilots sent onboard— 

I have not sufficient knowledge in the Management of Fleets to give Your Excell^y. any Advice or useful Hints upon Your Operations under the present Circumstances but You will pardon me in offering the Thoughts which have occurred upon View of the Harbor, the Ships of the Enemy &c; and if my Hints should betray a Want of Knowledge in Naval Operations You will please to remember that I have already confessed my Ignorance in these affairs &c am far from a full Dependence on my own Judgement— 

I think the Mouth of the East Channel should be blocked up immediately on Your Arrival by three Frigates or by two Frigates and a small Ship of the Line: The Enemy have in that Channel a small Sloop of War⁹ with two large Gallies:¹⁰ they cannot remove as our Batteries above will prevent their going up & Your Ships below will prevent their going out—These Frigates will be ready to move up when notified that we are ready to go on & can soon silence the Enemy's Vessels & cover our Landing from Tiverton—I would also place four of the next smaller Vessels that can be spared at the Mouth of the west Channel, three of which should be sent up to capture two small Frigates¹¹ which lay in that Channel—These Ships may turn Conannicut Island on the North, fall into the Bay above Rhode Island & lay out of Shot from any Part of the Shore with their Prizes & remain there till they are notified to fall down to cover the Landing of Troops or assist in such other Operations as Your Excellency shall order—The Rest of Your Fleet should in my Opinion take Possession of the Middle Channel leading between Conannicut & Rhode Island and commonly called Rhode Island Newport Harbour & lay there out of Reach of their forts till we are ready to co-operate with You—This Disposition will in my Opinion cut off all Possibility of Retreat from the Enemy, prevent their receiving Reinforcements & enable Your Excell^y to co-operate with us whenever we are ready to act of which Your Excellency shall be timely advised—There are not in this Department more than seven or eight small Frigates¹² unless lately arrived & cannot at any Event be sufficient to injure You in this Disposition. 

I shall notify Your Excell^y when we are ready and of the Plan of Landing that You may order such Ships as You think proper to cover our Landing—The Enemy have a Number of Redoubts scattered through the Island upon commanding Eminences all of which I mean to pass after my Landing & proceed to the Town of Newport, which is defended on the Land Side by a Chain of Redoubts on an Eminence which runs nearly across the Island & commands the Town: These must be stormed & I doubt not will be carried without much Difficulty if attacked in the Manner hereafter mentioned—I wish at the Time of our Landing Your Excell^y would make a Show of landing Your Troops at or near Newport to deceive and amuse the Enemy & to give us an opportunity of getting possession of the Island—When we are ready to storm the Redoubts we will fix upon a Signal to notify Your Excell^y. & then if it appears advisable You will move up Your Ships to cannonade the Town of Newport which must soon be abandoned and then land all the Troops You can possibly spare under Fire of Your Cannon to co-operate with us in our Attempt upon the Redoubts above the Town—The Reason of my passing the Redoubts on the north Part of the Island is because we can pass clear of their Fire & as no Possibility of Retreat or Escape will remain we can reduce them at our Leisure after having made ourselves Masters of the Town—I shall have a sufficient Number of Troops to watch their Motions & keep them within bounds—The Reason of my wishing the larger Part of Your Force being destined to block up the Middle Channel is to prevent a Reinforcements being thrown upon the Island from New York, to render Your Fleet so strong as to prevent any Attempt of the Enemy's Fleet from New York & to co-operate with those Ships which pass up the west Channel & turn Conannicut in preventing three British Reg^ts. now encamp'd on that Island from passing over in their Boats to reinforce the Troops on Rhode Island who after that is carried must all become Prisoners of Course—Your Excell^y will please to pardon my Freedom in giving these Hints—Your much superior Judgement will induce You to reject those which You conceive improper & improve on those which You may deem worthy of Notice I should be happy to have Your Advice & Opinion upon the Operations which Colo. Laurens will instruct Your Excelly how to forward—I shall be exceeding happy to have Your Excell^ys Opinion with Respect to every Land Operation as well as Your Instructions respecting those by Water—I shall cheerfully co-operate with You in executing those Measures which You may think most adviseable & have the Honor to be [&c.]