On this day 250 years ago in New York, General George Washington and his staff crossed King’s Bridge onto Manhattan Island and into New York City where Washington established his headquarters for the next four months awaiting the British invasion. Most of the Continental Army units redeployed from Boston were already in New York or were on the march to New York City to join the Continental Army units from New York and New Jersey that were already in the city.

Sources: Johnston at p. 55 accessed at https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcmassbookdig.georgewashington00joh/?sp=89&st=image&r=-1.052,-0.029,3.104,1.585,0; https://www.edwardglengel.com/blog/the-ride-from-boston-to-new-york-april-1776-george-washington-250

On this day 250 years ago from Saratoga, New York, Benjamin Franklin wrote to John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress about the progress of the mission to Canada:

We have been here some Days waiting for General Schuyler’s Orders to proceed, which we have just received, and shall accordingly leave this Place to morrow. Tho’ by the Advices from Canada communicated by him to us, and as we suppose sent forward to you, I am afraid we shall be able to effect but little there. We had a heavy Snow here yesterday and the Waters are so out, as to make Travelling difficult by Land, and there is a strong Fresh in the River against the Boats, but we shall endeavour to get on as well as we can. 

Source: “Benjamin Franklin to John Hancock, 13 April 1776,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-22-02-0239. [Original source: The Papers of Benjamin Franklin, vol. 22, March 23, 1775, through October 27, 1776, ed. William B. Willcox. New Haven and London:: Yale University Press, 1982, p. 400.]