N. B.—The detachment will move to-morrow morning early.
_To Mr. Nath’l Sackett._
It is evident that the contemplated movement was not to be far away,
as only two days’ provisions were called for. There was something to
be performed in the secrecy of the night. Col. Butler was probably
Col. Richard Butler, who was a capable officer of the 9th
Pennsylvania. Major Hull was later Gen. Hull, of the War of 1812.
Sackett had his home in the neighborhood near where Wayne was writing,
and had been very active in civil life. He graduated at Yale, and was
prominent in revolutionary committees. He brought to Fishkill the news
of the Battle of Lexington, organized local patriotic meetings, and
was associated with the leaders in that historic time. It seems that
Wayne looked to him to give him some important aid where nothing was
accomplished, because of some new turn for other action. Such are
familiar to the soldier. Many soldiers were quartered in Fishkill,
where those officers and men to be called must have been.