ing on we hauled our wind, and failed in fight of her all night. About twelve at noon the next day, it being almoft calm, and the ftrange fhip about half a mile to leeward, the hoifted Rebel colours, and gave the Atalanta and us a broadfide, we being then very nigh to each other; we then bore up clofe alongfide of her, the Atalanta on the ftarboard, and the Trepaffey on the larboard quarter, and began to engage. About an hour after the action began, Capt. Smith, of the Trepaffey, was killed; upon which I fent to Lieutenant King to acquaint him thereof, in order to his refuming the command, and engaged the enemy in the fame pofition for two hours and an half longer, and at laft ftruck the colours, in obedience to the orders he fent me by Mr. Samuel Pitts, a midfhipman of the fhip: we loft five feamen killed, and ten wounded in the action, which ended at half past three P. M. The Atalanta continued to engage fome time,

and then ftruck alfo.

The rebel frigate proved to be the Alliance.

Captain Edwards of the Atalanta, and his lieutenant, and alfo Lieutenant King of the Trepaffey, are carried away as prifoners, and myself was left in charge of the two fhips companies put on board of the Trepailey by Mr. Berry, Captain of the Alliance, who for that purpose diffabled and turned the Trepaffey into a cartel brig; and have brought her in here, with

I

HAVE received difyour patches of the 2d of Jan. together with the letter from Sir Henry Clinton of the 21ft of the fame month, and have had the honour to lay them before his majefty. The proclamation of 29th December, which came inclosed with your difpatches, will, I hope, produce thofe good effects which you expect from it, and which, by its being fo well-timed, gives every reafon to hope for. It will be a great fatisfaction to me to prefent the king with an address from any one of the revolted provinces, begging your interceffion

for

for pardon, and its being restored to the privilege of British fubjects. The narrow limits within which you have circumfcribed your exceptions, and the generality of affurances given by you of re-establishing the former conftitutions, were, I doubt not, very judicious, neceffary, and convenient but as there are many things in the conftitution of fome of thofe colonies, and indeed in all of them, in which the people wifhed to fee fome alterations; and there being others, which it is the common interest of both countries to change, you must be very careful left either your actions or proclamations fhould preclude a thorough investigation of thofe objects, or prevent the poffibility of introducing, in their conftitution, fuch alterations as the people may chufe to grant or folicit."

Extract of a Letter from William Knox, Efq; Secretary to Lord Geo. Germain, to James Simpfon, Efq; dated Whitehall, March 7, 1781.

ΟΡΕ will be as good

"HOPE you

as your word, and write to me as foon as you can reach New-York. When I confider, from the deplorable condition of the rebellious forces, and our great fuperiority, that the inhabitants of the revolted provinces will probably folicit for a negociation, and perhaps fuch a requeft may come from Congrefs itfelf, I wish you to be prefent; for knowing your perfect acquaintance with the difpofitions of the inhabitants to republican principles, and their utter aver

fion to monarchy, it may be in your power to prevent the commiffioners making any conceffion that may tend to keep up thofe principles amongst the inhabitants, and to fee that no alteration be made in their conftitutions, as it is intended to establish amongst them diftinctions of rank, and new model their government, by that of Great Britain. This method would certainly be more advantageous to the people, as it would bind them more firmly to this country, and be the means of preventing calamities fimilar to those they now experience."

Parliament-fireet, 30th Jan. 1781. "SIR,

"I have received the honour of your different letters, inclosing bills of exchange upon Harley and Drummond (bankers to the court) to the amount of 5,000l. fterling, of the receipt of which I regu larly gave you notice. On the day they were paid, I placed the fum in the funds in compliance with your intimation; and as the time was extremely favourable, I flatter myfelf with the pleafure of meeting your approbation, and that you will be pleafed with the manner in which I have disposed of it.

As

As it is probable that fome orders may arrive from you, directing the difpofal of your money in fome different way from that in which I have employed it, I thought it best not to fhut up entirely, as a long time might elapfe before I received from you the neceffary powers for transferring the capital, in case I had purchased the ftock in your name; mean while the dividends could not have been received for your ufe. The method I have adopted is commonly practifed in fimilar cafes, and I can immediately alter it in whatever manner you think proper, as foon as you will do me the honour to give me notice of your fentiments by a letter. The account is as follows:

Bought by Meffrs. Samuel and William Scholey, Stock-Brokers, for Major-General Arnold, 7,000l. fterling in the new annuities, at 721 per cent. in the manner following:

There then remains of the 5,000l. three pounds thirteen shillings and fix-pence.

Thus by this method, if I receive any inftructions from you for employing your money in a different manner, I can fell out the 6,900l. and difpofe of your money agreeable to your directions before this letter reaches you; and if it is your with that it should remain in the funds, it can be placed under your name, by my tranf ferring the 6,900l. and joining it to your tool. The reafon of my purchafing the latter fum in your name, was, that you might have an account open. The letter of attorney, here enclosed, enables me alfo to receive the dividends for the whole 7,000l. after I have transferred, if it is your with that I fhould do it. I hope that I have now explained every thing fufficiently, and I can affure you, I have acted with greater care in this tranfaction than if it had been for myfelf.

I have the honour to be,

£.4,996 6 6

Head Quarters, New Windsor,
Head Quarters, New Windfor,
March 27, 1781.

DEAR SIR, On my return from Newport, I found your favour of the 16th of February, with its inclofures, at Head Quarters. I exceeding ly regret that I could not have the pleafure of feeing you, not only from perfonal motives, but becaufe I could have entered upon the fubject of your mission, in a much more free and full manner than is proper to be committed to paper.

very early faw the difficulties and dangers to which the fouthern ftates would be expofed for refources of cloathing, arms, and ammunition, and recommended magazines to be eftablifhed, as ample as their circumstances would admit. It is true, they are not fo full of men as the northern ftates; but they ought for that reafon to have been more affiduous in raifing a permanent force, to have been always ready, because they cannot draw a head of men together, as fuddenly as their exigencies may require. That policy has unhappily not been purfued either here or there, and we are now fuffering from the remnant of a British army what they could not, in the beginning, accomplith with their forces at the highet.

As

your requifitions go to men, arms, ammunition, and cloathing, I fhall give you a short detail of our fituation and profpects, as to the, firft, and of our fupplies and expectations as to the three laft.

Men. By the expiration of the times of fervice of the old troops, by the difcharge of the levies engaged for the campaign only-and VOL. XXIV.

!

In my late tour to the eastward, found the accounts I had received of the progress of recruiting in thofe ftates, had been much exaggerated-and I fear we fhall, in the end, be obliged again to take a great proportion of their quotas in levies for the campaign, inftead of foldiers for three years, or for the war. The regiments of NewYork having been reduced to two, they have but few men to raise. Jerfey depends upon voluntary en liftments upon a contracted bounty, and I cannot therefore promife myfelf much fuccefs from the mode. The Pennsylvania line you know is ordered to compofe part of the fouthern army. General Wayne is fo fanguine as to fuppofe he will foon be able to move on with 1000 or 1200 men, but I fancy he rather over-rates the matter.

You will readily perceive, from the foregoing ftate, that there is little probability of adding to the force already ordered to the southward. For fhould the battalions from New-Hampshire to New

[R]

Jersey

Jerfey inclufive be compleated (a thing not to be expected), we fhall, after the neceffary detachments for the frontiers and other purposes are made, have an army barely fufficient to keep the enemy in check in New-York. Except this is done, they will have nothing to hinder them from throwing further reinforcements to the fouthward; and to be obliged to follow by land every detachment of their army, which they always make by fea, will only end in a fruitlefs diffipation of what may now be called the northern army. You may be affured that the moft powerful diverfion that can be made in favour of the fouthern ftates, will be a refpectable force in the neighbourhood of NewYork. I have hitherto been speaking of our own resources. Should a reinforcement arrive to the French fleet and army, the face of matters may be entirely changed.

Arms. I do not find that we can, at any rate, have more than 2000 ftand of arms to fpare, perhaps not fo many; for should the battalions, which are to compofe this army be compleat, or nearly fo, they will take all that are in repair or repairable. The 2000 ftand came in the alliance from France, and I kept them apart for an exigency.

fhould the defenfive plan be determined upon, what ammunition can be fpared will be undoubtedly fent to the fouthward.

Cluathing. Of cloathing we are in a manner exhausted. We have not enough for the few recruits which may be expected, and except that which has been fo long looked for and talked of from France fhould arrive, the troops must next winter go naked, unless their states can fupply them.

From the foregoing reprefentation, you will perceive that the proportion of the continental army, already allotted to southern service, is as much as, from prefent appearances, can be fpared for that purpose, and that a fupply of arms, ammunition, or cloathing of any confequence muft depend, in a great measure, upon future purchafes or importation.

Nothing which is within the compafs of my power shall be wanting to give fupport to the fouthern ftates; but you may readily conceive how irksome a thing it must be to me to be called upon for affiftance, when I have not the means of affording it.

I am with the greatest regard,
Dear Sir,

Your moft obedient
and humble fervant,
G. WASHINGTON.

HE following letter from

TH

Mr. Adams, ambaffador from the American Congress at Amfterdam, to Thomas Cufhing, Lieutenant Governor of Maffachusets, was found on board the prize Brigantine