[Extract]
Dear sir

previous to writing on Business suffer me to give you & my Country Joy, of our late Acquisition by sea, in a Capture of an 28 Gun frigate 'by the Hancock & Boston. she is called the Fox and has not been off the stocks Sixteen months, they engaged a forty Gun Ship a few days before, & would have carried her, had she not been resqued by a 64 wch came to her assistance, Manly lost seven men, McNeil four, & the fox fourteen, the latter is arriv'd at Sheeps cut to Careen and Clean out to proceed to Sea again to join manly & the fox which is mann'd by fifty Americans entering out of her after being taken, and fifty Brittons following their Example, each frigate put fifty men on board, & she was left Cruising with manly com­ mand'd by Capt Waters² may they still be succeeded [sic successful] till our infant Navy grows up to manhood, your favour of the 7 I Recd but last Evg and this day, that of the 12 was handed me by Capt Veasy it gives me pleasure that after your several disappointments you have at leangth furnished the providence with a mast am glad to hear Capt Rathborn [John Peck Rathbun] has so near Completed his Hands, We are lucky in its being in your power to replace them, The Sergeons Instruments Ive Collected, allso the Medicine, I did not hear of the post being Robb'd, till I saw your Ltr last evening, my Letter accompanied his money, a copy of which I now inclose you, in answer to what you write respecting the payment, of the sergeons Bill, for the Care of the man whose Legs were broke and nursing him, Nothing similar has happen'd in my department, but the laws of humanity loudly proclaims that the prisoner should be whole at the Expence of the publick, in answer to which you write Relative to Mr Veasy if he has a Warrant or Commission for any ship in the navy, he is intitled to Board wages, but not otherwise, But I am Confident he is not intitled to Board for this plain Reason Olney contrary to all rules inlisted his men only for the Cruise, therefore when the brig was hove away the Cruise ended.³

The disastrous affair of Loosing Ticonderoga give me the most pungent feelings for our poor Brethern in the frontiers. An express Arrived yesterday from General Washington to acquaint this state that the enemys fleet had fallen down to the narrows and that the Generals [Howe] Baggage Was all pack'd up at York, but w[h]ere bound he could not tell desired us to be on our Gaurd. . .

I Inclose you a List of Jones's At this late hour you've heard he has Superceded Roach in the ship at portsmo The master of Anthony & prince (two Blackmen) Appears and claims them one remains on board the Alfred, & the other is taken up and now under gaurd, What money remains in your hands belonging to them, please to stop in order to repay the bounty, they have recd from the continent. . .