Baltimore February 3d 1777
[Extract]
Dear Sir,
The impossibility of getting intelligence at present thro' this Bay, has obliged us to send an Express to the Council of Massachusetts, requesting they will immediately dispatch a quick sailing Vessel with letters to the Commissioners. The -only vessel we have sent from hence for this purpose, is now shut up in a small Creek below by the Men of War four or five of which are now in this Bay, as we are informed, & some of them as high as Smiths Point, mouth of Potowmack, they have taken Buchanans ship as she went down. We have reason to suppose that these are the ships that lately block'd up the Delaware, and that they are brought here by the fugitive Guthridges' [Goodrich's] and the Tories on the Eastern shore of Maryland. The latter are numerous, and we apprehend have informed of a quantity of Provisions preparing there for the Troops which they mean to assist in getting to the Enemy.
We are doing all we can in this slow place to get armed Vessels down to obstruct this wicked design. In the mean time would it not be highly proper to send out immediately the Sachem or Race Horse, or both to the Capes of Virginia to notify coming in Vessels of their danger, and also to suppress any Tenders that they may have out to intercept Vessels coming in, whilst they think themselves secure from interruption from hence by the large ships covering the passage of the Bay opposite Potowmack. Captain Isaiah Robinson is as perfectly well acquainted with our Bay that he could in a swift sailing Vessel not only give notice to Vessels bound in, but come in himself, suppress their Tenders, and, regardless of the bigger Ships run into a thousand places of protection and security where they cannot molest him, taking care of the Counties of Somerset, Wor[ce]ster, and an adjoining Maryland Eastern shore — If you approve this Plan can it not be immediately executed? 2 I am inclined to think your Bay is open now, and it is a good opportunity to push [Nicholas] Biddle and the other Vessels out on the business you mention. We shall keep the letters you sent us for France until we can get an opportunity here, when we propose sending out the Lexington