“First—­Two men with a guide, seconded by two others, for the purpose of seizing the sentinels—­these men to be armed with naked bayonets and dressed in sailors’ habits—­they are not to wait for anything, but immediately execute their orders.

“Second—­Eight men including guides with myself, preceded by two men with each a crow-bar, and two with each an axe, these for the purpose of forcing the doors should they be fast, and followed by four men, entering the house and seizing the young Prince, the Admiral, the young noblemen, aides, &c.

    “Third—­A captain and eighteen to follow briskly, form, and
    defend the house until the business is finished, and retreat a
    half gun-shot in our rear.

“Fourth—­A subaltern and fourteen, with half of the remaining boats’ crew, and form on the right and left of the boats, and defend them until we return—­the remainder of the crews to hold the boats in the best possible position for embarking.

    “Necessary—­Two crow-bars, two axes, four dark-lanterns, and
    four large oil-cloths.

    “The manner of returning as follows:—­

“Six men with guns and bayonets, with those unemployed in carrying off the prisoners, to precede those engaged in that business, followed by the captain (joined by the four men from the sentry) at a half gun-shot distance, who is to halt and give a front to the enemy, until the whole are embarked in the following order—­

    “First—­The prisoners, with those preceding them.

    “Second—­The guides and boatmen.

    “Third—­The subalterns and fourteen.

    “Fourth—­The rear.”

Such was the daring plan laid for the capture of the Prince, and which, even if not fully successful, might have placed his Royal Highness in a most perilous predicament.  It appears, however, from a fragment of a letter addressed by General Washington to Col.  Ogden, and apparently written almost immediately after the preceding one, that some inkling of the design had reached Sir Henry Clinton, then in New York, and Commander-in-chief of the British forces.  General Washington communicates, in his letter, the following paragraph from a secret despatch, dated March 23rd, which he had just received from some emissary in New York:—­

“Great seem to be their apprehensions here.  About a fortnight ago a great number of flat boats were discovered by a sentinel from the bank of the river (Hudson’s), which are said to have been intended to fire the suburbs, and in the height of the conflagration to make a descent on the lower part of the city and wrest from our embraces His Excellency Sir H. Clinton, Prince William Henry, and several other illustrious personages, since which great precautions have been taken for the security of those gentlemen, by augmenting the guards, and to render their persons as little