The Virginia Gazette

Extract of a letter from Brigadier General Maxwell, dated Elizabethtown, March 28, 1779.

"Yesterday and the day before about 28 sail came into the Hook, mostly transports from England. At the same time landed at New York, a Hessian Colonel with between 3 and 400 English troops from Halifax. General Clinton is returned to New York, and it is reported that their expedition to the eastward has failed, as they allege owing to the storm, but more likely (if true) that they have found the troops alarmed that way. There is no account of the British troops or vessels being returned yet; they may be towards the east end of Long Island.

I am informed that Admiral Gambier is on the outside of the east end of Long Island, with 6 or 7 ships and frigates; his design, it is said, is for New London, to take our vessels there.

Their troops to the southward, it is said, are very sickly. A report in New York says, that their accounts from the West Indies are bad; that General Grant is beat by the French."

Fourteen transports out of the 28 which had sailed to the east end of Long Island, supposed to convey a number of troops from thence on an expedition to New London, to destroy several vessels in that harbour, were cast away on Fisher's Island, in the Sound off Stonington, and it was expected the greatest part of them would be lost. It is said that Sir Henry Clinton had returned to New York from the failure of this expedition, which had been some time in agitation.