{"id":240600,"date":"2026-05-22T15:11:06","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T15:11:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/240600\/"},"modified":"2026-05-22T15:11:06","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T15:11:06","slug":"on-this-day-washington-arrives-at-staten-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/240600\/","title":{"rendered":"On This Day: Washington arrives at Staten Island"},"content":{"rendered":"

The following is an installment of \u201cOn This Day,\u201d a series celebrating America\u2019s 250th anniversary<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

Gen. George Washington<\/a> is traveling to speak before the Second Continental Congress and its president, John Hancock. While en route from New York to Philadelphia, he breakfasts at Woodbridge, New Jersey. There, he reads fresh dispatches from the campaign in Canada and immediately writes<\/a> to Major Gen. Israel Putnam in New York, urging swift support for the army in Canada \u2014 tools, powder, lead, and provisions that must be sent without delay.<\/p>\n

George Washington to Major General Israel Putnam, 22 May 1776<\/p>\n

To Major General Israel Putnam<\/p>\n

Amboy [N.J.] 22d May 1776<\/p>\n

Sir<\/p>\n

Your Letter of the Last night with the dispatches from Canada, Came to my hands at Woodbridge this morning, I wish that the information given you by Captain Goforth respecting the number of prisoners taken, may prove true, what he told you about the enemy\u2019s not haveing Sallied out, differs widely from General Thomas\u2019 acct of that affair.<\/p>\n

you will please to give every assistance which General Schuyler requires, that may be in your power, & Lest you may not have Kept a Copy of his Letter, I will transcribe that paragraph, which Contains his Demands \u201cIntrenching tools of every Kind will be wanted, more powder, Lead, & Cannon balls and Guns for the vessels on Lake Champlain Rigging, Sail Cloth, & sail makers to be Sent up.[\u201d]<\/p>\n

for Intrenching tools, Rigging Sail Cloth, & Sail makers, I woud have you apply immediatly to the Provincial Congress, who will probably be able to procure them for you. Some of the members mentiond to me that they Coud procure a quantity of tools of which you will Send off as many as you Can Spare, you must take Care not to Leave your self destitute, I sent five tons of Lead forward, which General Schuyler Knew not of, however I woud have you exami\u27e8ne\u27e9 what quantity there is in Store, & if you Can Spare it Send up two tons more, as to the Cannon Ball & Guns, you will Consult with Colonel Knox, who must judge what Sort of each is necessary, & Send them up with the other articles\u2014I have allready Spoke to the Commissary General to Send off as mu\u27e8ch\u27e9 Salt provisions as he Coud, but you must urg\u27e8e\u27e9 him on this head, as they are in very great want, & have no other place to depend on, but what goes from New york, he must Lay in all he Can get, to Supply the quantity whi\u27e8ch\u27e9 he Sends up, for he must take Care to Keep up his Stock.<\/p>\n

it was a misfortune indeed, that the vess\u27e8el\u27e9 with powder & arms shoud fall into the hand\u27e8s\u27e9 of the enemy\u2014Let the Committee by all means have the Pettiauger to Cruise off the back of the Island, the Sooner She is out the better, as more vessels with them articles may be daily expected.<\/p>\n

I have Said nothing of powder to be sent up which necessary Article shoud not be forgot you will please to send off two tons thereof which will Serve until we Can Spare a farther Supply. I remain with great regard Sir Your most H: Sert<\/p>\n

Go: Washington<\/p>\n

P.S. please to forward the inclosd by the first express or the first post which goes to Albany\u2014it is left open for your perusal, you will please to Seal it & forward it.<\/p>\n

ON THIS DAY: WASHINGTON IS REQUESTED TO SPEAK BEFORE CONGRESS<\/a><\/p>\n

The challenge for Putnam? None of these support items, tools, powdered lead, or provisions can be at the expense of New York\u2019s defenses.<\/p>\n

Washington then visits probable land protection at Staten Island, surveying the ground firsthand and studying its harbors and approaches for possible fortifications.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The following is an installment of \u201cOn This Day,\u201d a series celebrating America\u2019s 250th anniversary by following the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":240601,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[33453,30766,23877,6638,9,24,63,134,136,135],"class_list":["post-240600","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-staten-island","tag-america-250","tag-american-history","tag-american-revolution","tag-george-washington","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-staten-island","tag-staten-island-headlines","tag-staten-island-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/240600","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=240600"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/240600\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/240601"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=240600"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=240600"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=240600"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}