Extracts from the Log of Dependence, Galley,
Lieutenant James Clark, Commander
Oct. 7 - Oct 25, 1777. In the Hudson River[1]

1777    
Oct. [2] Bearings Remarks &c
Tuesday
7
Fort Mont-
gomery
N. by E.
Fresh breezes and Clear Weathr. these 24 Hours. At P. M. Anchd. here H. Majesty's Ship Preston Commodore Hotham with the Mercury, Tartar, and a number of Transports.  at 3 p. m. Weigh'd per Signal in Compy with the Diligent Brig Spitfire, Hotham Tender and Crane Galley Kept standg. off and on until 4 p. m.
Fort Clinton
N. by W.
Do. made Sail at ½ past  the Forts Montgomery & Clinton begun a Cannonading on us  at 5 begun the action per signal  at ¾ past 5 the Cannonading Ceased the Forts being both Stormed by our Troops We fired during the Action 95 twenty four pound Shot four lbrs
½ a Cables
Length
round shot at the Forts and Reble Frigates   at 6pm. the Reble Frigates seeing our Troops in Possession of their Forts they Cut their Cables and run on shore and set fire to them  at 7 p. m. Anchd. per Signal in Compy. as before.
Wednesday
8
Do. Mod. and fair Weathr  p.m. received from his Majesties Ship Preston 2 Barrels of Powder & 2 half Barrels of Do & 100 twenty four lb. round Shot & 100 24 lb. Cartridges  at 3 p. m. sent the Master to try for a Passage over the chain at 5 retd not findg Water enough over for the Galley  at 9 a. m. Anchd. here His Majesties Ship Mercury  at 11 a. m. the Artificers cut the Chain.
Thursday
9
Robertsons
Landg.
South
Light Airs Inclinable to Calm for the first part middle & latter Mod. Breezes  at 1 p. m. Weigh'd and Row'd up the River in Compy H. Majt's Galleys Spitfire & Crane & 22 Flat Boats with Troops on Board  at 5 p. m. the Troops landed at Fort Constitution with't any
  Sugar Loaf
Hill
SSW
Oposition the Rebels havg. Evacquated it  at 8 p. m. Anch'd with the best Bower in 9 Fm Water Butter Hill N. 1 mile Martoons Rock S. b E ½ a mile in Compy as before  at 9 a. m. Weigh'd and Came to sail with Do Comy  at 10 a.m. Anchd. with the best Bower in 9
  Off Shore 1
Cable's length
Fm. Water Robertsons Landg. South  Sugar Loaf Hill SSW. Dist off Shore 1 Cables Length in Compy. the Vidgelent Brig [3] Spitfire and Crane Gallies.
Friday
10th
Anthony's Nose
SSW
Fort Vaughan
West
Off Shore ½ a mile
First Part Fresh Breezes with heavy Rain  Middle and latter Mod. and Clear Weathr  at 11 a. m. came on Board a Compy. of Coll. Robertsons Battalion  at 11 a.m. Weigh'd in Compy. as before  at Noon Anthony's Nose SSW  Fort Vaughan[4] West, Off shore 1½ mile.
Saturday
11
Conshook
Ild.
NNE
½ a Mile
Mod. Breezes and hazy Weathr. these 24 Hours  at 3 p. m. Anch'd per Signal in Compy. as before in 13 Fm. Water Veer'd to 1-3 of a Cable  Fort Montgomery NNW  Anthony's Nose SSE  Off shore 1 Cables Length. Empld. puttg. the Troops on shore  at 9 weigh'd and Came to sail in Compy as before  At 11 Anch'd with the best Bower in 13 Fm. Water   in Compy the Brig and 2 Gallies  Conshook Isld NNE ½ a Mile.
Sunday
12
Dunsomer Pt.
W b S
5 or 6 miles
Do Weather these 24 Hours  at 3 p. m. Weigh'd and Came to sail in Compy H. Majesties Brigg Diligent, Spitfire and Crane Galleys  at 5 p. m. pass'd the Chivoux de frize Polepers Isld E b S ¼ of a Mile  at 4 p. m. Anch'd with the best Bower in 12 Fm. Water  Poughkeepsee N b E 2 Miles   at 6 a. m. Weigh'd and Came to sail  at 8 a. m. sent the Boats on shore Man'd and Arm'd to burn 2 Reble Vessels and some store Houses   fired 2 twenty four lb. Shot and 1 four lb. Do. to cover the Boats  at 10 they retd havg. compleeted what they were sent for  at Noon Dounscomer Point W. b S. 5 or 6 Miles.
Monday
13
Dunsomer Pt.
NE 3 miles
Fresh Breezes with shouts of Rain at times  Empld turng. to Windd.  at 2 p. m. sent our Boats Man'd & Arm'd to Destroy the Reble Vessels that Lay haul'd up in a Creek fired 10 four lbrs with round shot and 2 with round and Grape to Cover the Boats retd havg Compleeted what they were sent for   at 4 p. m. Anch'd in 9 Fm Water with the best Bower  Dounscomer point N. E. 3 miles
Tuesday
14
Anthony's
Nose
SSE ¾ of
a mile.
Fort
Montgomery
WNW 1
Cables length
Fresh Breezes and fair Weathr these 24 Hours  at 1 P. M. Weigh'd in Compy His Majests Brig Spitfire and Crane  at ½ past 2 p. m. the Rebles open'd a Battery on the Heights of New Windsor  fired 3 twenty four lbrs. and 18 four Do with round shot which pass'd the Battery  in passg the above battery they Wounded our Main Yard and Cut away the MainTSl Halliards and Larboard Fe sheet and several of the running Rigging and the after Leach of the Main sail  at 5 p. m. Anch'd with the best Bower in 26 Fm Water  Anthony's SSE ¾ of a Mile  Fort Montgomery WNW 1 cables Length.  At 9 a. m. the Commodore made the signal to Weigh   Endeavouring to Weigh parted the best Bower in the Hause by which means the Anchor was lost with 26 Fm of Cable and the Bouy Rope  Row'd in shore and lash'd alongside of a hulk  Compleeted our Water   Anch'd here several Transports.
Wednesday
15
Pokeepsey
Landg NNE
3 or 4 miles
Mod. and Hazy Weather these 24 Hours   at 4 p. m. Cast off from the Hulk and made Sail in Compy 13 Transports  at 10 p. m. Anch'd with the small Bower in 6 Fm. Water in Compy His Majesties Brig Diligent Spitfire and Crane Galley and 13 Transports  Poleppers Isld NW Butter hill south 1 mile  at 9 a. m. Weigh'd per signal in Compy as before  at ½ past Passed the Chiveoux de frize brought too to wait for the Transports   at 11 made sail at Pokeepsy Landg NNE 3 or 4 miles in Compy the Fleet.
Thursday
16
Esopas Creek
W. b S. 1 Mile
Mod. Breezes and fair Weather these 24 Hours in Compy the Fleet   at 4 p. m. burnt 3 Reble sloops  at 8 p. m. Anchor'd per signal in 16 Fm Water   Esopas Meaddow North 2 miles  at 9 a. m. Weigh'd per Signal in Company the Fleet   at ½ past 10 a. m. the Rebles begun to Cannonade us from their Battery at the Mouth of Esopas Creek fired 9 twenty four lbrs round shot at the Battery and Reble Galley that were playing on us  at 11 Pass'd the Enemies Batterys brought too for the Transports  at Noon the Enemies Batteries at the Entrance of Esopas Creek W. b S. 1 Mile  Fir'd 24 four pounders with Round and Grape to scouer the Woods.
Friday
17
Contin's Isld N. ½ a mile First Light Breezes and fair Middle and latter Calm  at 1 p. m. Stood close in shore   at ½ past 1 p. m. Anchr'd with the small Bower in 5 Fms Water Contins Isld south off shore 50 yards in Compy with the Diligent Brig and Spitfire Galley   at 2 the signal was made for Landg. Do. fired 13 twenty four lbrs with round and Canister and 28 four lbrs. with Round and Grape  at 3 p. m. the Troops were all Landed and met with very little opposition   at ½ past 3 Weigh'd and Row'd down to the Mouth of Esopas Creek. Anch'd with the small Bower in 2 Fm Water  Contins Isld N ½ a mile  at 4 the Commodore made the signal for all Boats man'd and Arm'd to go on shore to Destroy the Reble stores and Magazine  at 6 the Boats retd. havg. compleeted what they were sent for with the Lieut. and Master and 3 Men very badly Wounded  at 11 p. m. the Troops all Embark'd havg. burnt the Town of Kingston and several Magazines of Proviss.  A. M. Empld. Occasy.
Saturday
18
Sleepskine
Isld. N. b E.
1 mile.
Light Breezes and Vble  at 9 a. m. Weigh'd and came to sail in Compy with the Fleet  at 11 Anchor'd with the small Bower in 4 Fm. Water Sleepskine Isld N. by E. 1 mile in Compy as before  at Noon a Detachmt. of the Army Landed to Destroy some stores  Fired 3 twenty four lbrs to Cover their Landg.
Sunday
19
Slipskine Isld.
SSE 2 miles
Do Weather these 24 Hours   at 1 p. m. the Troops Embark'd  at ½ past weigh'd per signal in Compy as before   at 3 p. m. anchd per signal in 9 Fms Water Slipskine Isld SSE 2 miles  at 4 p. m. sent the Boats Mann'd and Arm'd to Destroy some Reble Store on Livingstons Manner a. m. Lower'd Down the Main Yard to mend the Main Sail.
Monday
20
Do. Do Weather these 24 Hours  sailmakers Empld repairg. the Main sail   sent the Boats on shore Man'd and Arm'd per Signal to burn 2 Reble Vessels   at 5 p. m. fired 5 four lbrs round and Grape to Cover our Boats whilst Destroying the Reble Vessels   at 6 p. m. the Boats retd. havg. Compleeted what they were sent A. M. sail makers empld on the Main sail.
Tuesday
21
Do. Fresh Gales and Cloudy Weather these 24 hours Sailmakers Empld as before A. M. sailmakers finished the Main Sail Do bent it & sway'd up the Yard.
Wednesday
22
Slipskin Isld
N. 1 mile.
Fresh Gales and hazy Weathr. these 24 hours p. m. Empld. makg. Wadds  at 10 a. m. Weigh'd per Signal in Compy with the Fleet   at noon Slipskin Isld N 1 mile.
Thursday
23
Esopas
N 2 cables
length.
Light Breezes and hazy  at 6 p. m. Anch'd per signal in 9 Fm Water   Slipskin Isld N. b E. 5 or 6 Miles in Compy with the Fleet  at 9 a. m. Weigh'd per Signal in Compy as before  at 11 a. m. saw the Rebel Army posting themselves Advantageously behind the Heights of Pokeepsy brought too to scour the Narrow Pass between Esopas Meadow and the heights that the enemy were posted upon  fired 14 four lbrs. with round and Grape at them whilst the Transports were passg.  at Noon Esopas N. 2 cables Lengths.
Friday
24
New Windsor
NNW
Pelopars Isld.
N. b E. ½ mile
Light breezes and hazy Weather these 24 hours at 1 p. m. the Enemy open'd a 5 Gun Battery on the Transports Do brought too with the Spitfire and Crane Galleys and Cannonaded the battery whilst the Transports were passing   fired 14 twenty four lbrs at the Reble Battery   at 2 p. m. the Fleet pass'd made sail at 11 p. m.  Anch'd per Signal with the small Bower in 9 Fm water Pelopers Isld SSE 4 or 5 miles in Comp with the Fleet   at 10 p. m. His Majesties Brig Diligent Run foul on us and Carrd away our Mizen Mast and Mizen Yard Empld Clearg the Wreck and gettg the Mizen unbent from the Yard by which we lost the Mizen Mast being broke in 5 Pieces A. M. sailmakers Empld Repairing the Mizen where it was tore   at 7 a. m. Weigh'd per Signal in Compy as before   at 10 a. m. Anch'd per Signal with the small Bower in 8 Fm Water New Windsor NNW Pelopers Isld N. b E. ½ a mile found riding there His Majesties Ship Mercury in Compy with the Fleet.
Saturday
25
Fort
Constitution
SSE. 2 Miles.
Fresh Breezes and hazy Weathr.  at 2 p. m. Weighd per signal  at 3 p. m. brought too whilst the Transports were passing Butter hill fired 17 four lbrs. with round and Grape and 2 twenty four lbrs with Do at a Party of Rebles who had posted themselves on the above hill  at 4 p. m. made sail   at 5 p. m. parted Compy with the Fleet   at 6 p. m. Anchd with the small Bower in 15 Fm Water Fort Constitution SSE 2 Miles in Compy His Majesties Brig Diligent.




1. Taken from "Events on Hudson's River in 1777 as recorded by British Officers In Contemporary Reports," Year Book, Dutchess County Historical Society, Volume 20(1935), pp. 96-102.

2. These entries are dated by "sea time." The ship's day begins at noon, with the reading of the sun with navigational instruments, so an entry dated Tuesday 7 October, begins with noon on the 6th and continues through noon on the 7th.

3. Diligent Brig

4. The British renamed Fort Montgomery to Fort Vaughan apparently before noon on the 10th [Clinton's letter of the 9th is datelined Fort Montgomery and this log is the first use of the Fort Vaughan title].