Albany, I would do my utmost to commu
nicate with him, & give him a supply of
provisions." In my situation, not having
heard from Gen[era]l Howe for six weeks, not
knowing where Washington was, having
left a small force in New York, with a
communication of 140 miles between
Albany & New York to open & keep, & the
important post we had taken, to garrison,
it was rather too greatly daring to at
tempt it, but I determined to venture 1700
men under Gen[era]l Vaughan, to proceed up
the river, under convoy of S[i]r James Wallace & the
gallies, &, if possible, to assist his opera
tions. I had likewise ready, in small ves
sels, such as could go within a few miles
of Albany, provisions sufficient to supply
Gen[era]l Burgoyne's arms for six months: all this