The following is an installment of “On This Day,” a series celebrating America’s 250th anniversary by following the actions of Gen. George Washington, the Continental Congress, and the men and women whose bravery and sacrifice led up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
May 14, 1776
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Gen. George Washington is facing deeply disturbing intelligence coming from all points of the war.
Jonathan Sturges, an attorney in Connecticut, sends a note to Washington warning him that they have captured men aboard a small sloop who confessed to being loyalists out to join the British forces on Long Island. Sturges warns Washington about a growing Loyalist plot in the colonies.
ON THIS DAY: A SURGE OF LOYALISM IN NEW YORK ALARMS WASHINGTON
From the Hudson Valley, Lt. Colonel Henry Beekman Livingston reports that garrisons are in a “most deplorable Situation,” lacking supplies, boats, and proper care for the sick. Beekham’s alarm underscores a stark reality: the American defense is stretched thin.
