My Dear Sir Cha^s: 

Since my Letter of the 7^th: Instant¹ (in answer to yours of March the 23^d) The Toulon Squadron under Monsieur D'Estaign² have made their appearance. they first anchored in the Delaware with a view no doubt of blocking up Lord Howe;³ and the Transports, but He had fortunately left it with all his Ships about ten days before, being thus defeated, his next appearance was off this Port, on the outside of which he anchored about four or five miles from Sandy Hook, where he remained about a Week. My Lord Howe with his usual foresight had previously drawn the greatest part of his Force (which though but weak in comparison to theirs) to new york and the judicious Disposition which he made of them to defend the Entrance of the Harbour I believe weighed as much with the Count, as the pretended difficulty of passing over the Bar with his long legged Ships might do; however that might be, after looking at us for some days, the last of which he probably liked our appearance worse than the first, He thought proper to move off, and the last we have heard of them by our Scouts is, that they were seen about 30 Leag^s: to the Eastward of the Delaware standing to the SE upon the Larboard Tack, from which you are Seaman enough to know that the wind of course must be about ENE being so far off the Delaware and still standing to the SE it is concluded that Rhode Island Boston or the West Indies must be their Point. It is a mortifying stroke that we can hear nothing of Admiral Byron,⁴ whose arrival we have been eagerly expecting, and had he fortunately appeared at this Critical Juncture it would have been a happy Event for England. As it is, I can only rejoice that his Lordship is yet here instead of being upon his passage home which might have been the Case. From the very superior force of the French Squadron to that of ours, you may judge we were in daily expectation of their attempting to force the Entrance of the Harbour and to pass our small Ships (that in comparison to theirs) but it would have been difficult, and the Conflict must one way of the other have been decisive, and would at the same time have decided the Fate of the Army, for whether that, or the Transports had been destroyed I look upon pretty much the same thing. it would have been playing a deep Game, & I suppose the Count thought it too hazardous an one. The Spirit of the Soldiers and Seamen upon this occasion is not to be described; some Marines being wanted on board the Ships, a Detachment was ordered from the Army for that purpose, to be made up of Volunteers, when the whole of the Grenadiers and Light Infantry turned out to a Man, as did the whole Body of Seamen from the Transports. I am very apprehensive our Fleet will come too late, as the Expectation of it has been notified to the French Admiral by the Congress, who you to be sure have heard will have nothing to say to the Commissr^s:5 until the Fleet and Army are withdrawn, or that they are owned as what they say they are, Independent States. Thus have I given you the News of these parts, as I hope all the Nation will give the Credit which is due to Lord Howe for his admirable Conduct throughout this Business, for had the Squadron been divided, they consequently in this instance would have been useless, and the Destruction of the Transports by the Enemy getting possession of this Port, you will see must have been attended with the worst of consequences to the Army. Whatever was intended for me, is from this Event of course put off for the present, but be assured that in no Situation or Quarter of the Globe shall I be other than My Dear Sir Cha^s: most Affect^y: Yours 

I beg Lady Dorothy & Miss⁶ to accept of my Affectionate Compliments & wishes for their Health—Your friend Cha^s: O'Hara commands upon Sandy Hook,⁷ and Doctor Roberts is very well with whom I am become very intimate for all his Shyness.