Their belief in widespread Loyalist support was based on the accounts of Loyalist exiles in London who had direct access to the British Secretary of State for America, George Germain. Keen to recover their lands and be rewarded for their loyalty to the crown, these men realized that the best way to convince the British to undertake a major operation in the South would be to exaggerate the level of potential Loyalist support.
Their perception of widespread Loyalist backing was shaped by the testimonies from Loyalist exiles in London who had close relationships with George Germain, the British Secretary of State for America. These individuals sought to regain their properties and receive compensation for their loyalty to the crown; they understood that the most persuasive approach to convince the British to launch a major operation in the South would be to exaggerate the level of potential Loyalist support.