Dear Sir

It is with a heavy heart I sit down to write to you, as the late unfortunate turn of American Affairs, leaves no room for joy in the mind of any true friend of our Country. — I am now the only member of Congress left in this City; & cannot pretend to give you a regular detail of our manifold Misfortunes, because my Papers are all sent with my Family into the Country; They commenced however with the loss of Fort Washington, by the reduction of which the Enemy made near 2700 of our best Troops Prisoners, & at that critical Period intercepted some dispatches from Genl Washington to Congress, with some of the General's Private Letters, particularly one to Ned Rutledge in which he had fully laid open the unfortunate Situation he was then involved in by the Cursed Short enlistments of our Army, the greatest part of whose times expired on the first of December, & those of the rest on the first of January, when he foresaw that the whole army would leave him, as they had undergone great Fatigue during the Campaign, had Suffered very much by sickness, and were like to Suffer much more for want of Cloathing in the approaching Winter —The Enemy being thus possessed of a most Authentic account of his real situation, determined to take advantage of it, & before Genl Washington had time to make any new Arrangements at Fort Lee, on the West Side of the North River, to which he had Crossed with about 3000 men, a large body of the Enemy landed above and another below him, so that he was near being surrounded by a force much superior to his own, & had nothing left but to retire hastily off the Neck of Land on which Fort Lee Stands, & Leave behind him considerable Baggage & Stores with most of our Large Cannon & Mortars: He retreated to Hackinsac and was there in hopes of making a Stand, until the Militia of the Country should come to his assistance, but the Vigilance of the Enemy did not give time for this; they pursued & he retreated all the way through the Jerseys to Trentown & from thence they forced him across the Delaware where he still remains, to oppose their passage across the River. Lord Cornwallis Commanded the British Forces in the Jerseys until they reached Brunswick where Genl Howe joined them with Reinforcements, determined to make his way to this City without farther Loss of time. You may be sure the Militia of New Jersey and of this State were called upon to turn out and defend their Country in this hour of distress, but alas our internal Enemies had by various Arts & means frightened many, disaffected others, & caused a general Languor to prevail over the minds of almost all men, not before actively engaged in the War; many also were dissatisfied with the Constitutions formed for their respective States; so that from one Cause or another, no Jersey militia turned out to oppose the Enemy's March thro: the Heart of their Country, & it was not without much difficulty that the Associators of this City were prevailed upon to march & join the General which they have now done & their example is likely to be pretty generally followed — During Genl Washingtons retreat thro: the Jerseys he wrote for Genl Lee, who had been left to Command on the East side of the North River, with about 10000 men, most of whose Enlistments are either Expired or Expiring; & he Obeyed the Summons & brought with him about 3000 men, with whom he followed the Enemies rear, but was obliged to make Slow Marches, his people being in great want of Shoes, Stockings, & other Necessaries, which he was forced to Collect from the Tories in the neighbourhood of his Rout. Having passed a place called Chatham, near Elizabeth Town, he Lodged at a Farm House, last thursday night, sev'night, & some treacherous Villain gave Notice to the Enemy, & the Generals ill fate or some cause which I am ignorant of having delayed him there until 10 O'Clock on the Fryday morning, when his Army had Marched and their rear was about 3½ miles before him, he was surpris'd & taken by about 70 Light Horse, who hastily carried him off in Triumph; an Event much to be Lamented. — The Command of this Party then devolved on General Sullivan, who Continuing his Rout fell in with Genl Gates & about 500 men returning from the Lakes, & both joined Genl Washington yesterday; A junction which has been impatiently waited for; but still I fear, that our force is too small to drive the Enemy from their Posts near the Delaware without which Philadelphia must be in danger of Falling, & they doubtless mean to attack it whenever they can cross the River on Ice, & have only been Kept from it by our having sent up the Gondalo's & brought off or destroyed all the boats along the Jersey Shore. — The scattered Cantonments of the Enemy, seem however favorable to an Attack from us & we are preparing to make one, but it will be a work of extreme difficulty to get at them: they have excellent intelligence of all our Movements, while we have scarce any that is certain, of theirs: Lord & General Howe have besides issued a Proclamation offering Pardon without exception to all who submit & apply for it, which a great Part of the Inhabitants of the Jersey's are supposed to have done, & thus strengthened the Hands of our Enemies.

In this perplexing situation of things Congress were informed this day sev'night that an advanced Party of Hessians & Highlanders had taken Possession of Burlington; that they were pushing for Coopers Ferry (opposite this City) & that they had the means of Crossing it: There were no Troops to oppose them, our whole force both by Land & water, being above; it was therefore deemed unsafe for Congress to remain here, and it was absolutely necessary that they should be in a place of Safety where they could deliberate freely & without interruption: they therefore last Saturday adjourned to Baltimore, where they are now sitting. This City was for ten days in the utmost Confusion and distress — Almost all have removed their Families & Effects from it except the Quakers who with their Families pretty generally remain: Besides these we have many sick Soldiers, & some few effective ones under General Putnam, who is come here to throw up Lines, & prepare for the defence of the Place if Genl Washiagton should be forced to retreat hither — You may be sure that I have my full share of trouble on this occasion. — We are told the British Troops are kept from Plunder but the Hessians & other Foreigners looking upon that as a right of War, Plunder wherever they go, from both Whigs & Tories indiscriminately, & horrid Devestation they have made. —

I must add to this Gloomy Picture one Circumstance more distressing than all the rest, because it threatens instant and total ruin to the American Cause, unless it be effectually and Speedily remedyed; I mean the depreciation of the Continental Currency; The Enormous Pay of our Army, the immense expence at which they are supplied with Provisions, Clothing and other necessaries, & in short the extravagance that has prevailed in most departments of the public service, have called forth prodigious Emissions of Paper money both Continental and Colonial; and our internal Enemies who are numerous & many of them rich, have always been undermining its value by various Artifices, and now that our distresses are wrought to a pitch, by the Success & near approach of the Enemy they speak plainer &some of them positively refuse to take it at any rate, &those who do otherwise, receive it with fear & trembling & you may judge of its value even amongst these, when I tell you that 666 continental Paper Dollars are given for a Bill of Exchange of 100 £ Sterling, 3 Dollars for a pair of Shoes, 12 Dollars for a Hat, half a Dollar for a pound of Butter & so on: A Common Labourer asks two Dollars a day for his Work & idles away half his time; all which amounts to a real depreciation of the money: —The War must be carried on at an Expence proportioned [to] this nominal value, which must inevitably call for immense emissions, and a farther depreciation must therefore ensue; unless prevented by borrowing in the money now in Circulation, which we are attempting both by Loan & Lottery; though from our present troubles, but little has been done in either of these Ways here: How they succeed in the other States I am not well informed. Something more will however be necessary; force must inevitably be employed, and I dread to see the day of employing it: We have already Calamities sufficient for any Country, & the Measure will be full when one part of the People of America are obliged to Dragoon the other, and at the very time when they are Contending with a Powerful external Foe. For my part I see but two ways of releif, & one of these must be from you: If France will open her Eyes to her true Interest & think the Commerce of North America worth the Expence & Evils of a War with Great Britain, she may easily create a diversion, & totally change the face of our Affairs; but she must do it soon: our situation is Critical & admits of no delay I dont however mean that instant submission must ensue, if we should be left unassisted; but there is a great difference between the Benefits which she may derive from a Connection with this Country in full health & vigor & those which can be obtained after it shall be exhausted by the expensive Efforts of a tedious War, in which its Cities will be destroyed, its Fields ravaged, its inhabitants diminished in number, plu[n ]dered of their property, & disabled from Cultivating the most fertile soil in the World. Neither can she after a tedious delay expect that Vigorous Assistance, from us which she may be assured of, with a more early declaration in our favour-If they join us generously in the day of our distress, without attempting undue advantages because we are distressed, they will bind a grateful people to promote their future glory & intrest with unabating Zeal, & from my Knowledge of the Commerce of this Country with Europe I dare assert that Whatever European power enjoys the preference of it, must necessarily become the Richest & most Potent in Europe. But alas should time be lost in tedious negociation, & Succours be withheld America must sue for Peace from her Oppressors. Our People knew not the hardships & Calamities of War when they dared Britain to Arms — Every man was then a bold Patriot, felt himself equal to the Contest, & seemed to wish for an opportunity of evincing his Prowess — but now when we are actually engaged, When Death and ruin stare us in the face, & when nothing but intrepid[i]ty & vigorous exertion can deliver us, sorry am I to say, that many of those who were foremost in noise, shrink back like Cowards from the Danger. This indeed is not generally the Case, but fear often becomes Epidemical, & there is danger of its spreading like Contagion among us, unless some fortunate event should stop the Disorder in time.

You will doubtless be surprized that our Navy is not farther advanced, because you are unacquainted with many of the difficulties which have retarded its Progress, particularly the Want of Sea Coal for our Anchor Smiths, the Disappointments in our first attempts to Cast Cannon, and above all the frequent calling out of our Militia in a manner which would permit an Exemption of the necessary Workmen. You will wonder at this, & it would require more time than I can spare to explain it & therefore you must be satisfied with knowing the Fact; Though Dr Franklin will be able to tell you many Particulars respecting the Flying Camp which mayaccount for it.

The Frigate in New Hampshire is a very fine Ship Completely fitted with every thing but Cannon which were to have been Cast in Rhodisland, where the Attention of all people has been so eminently engaged with business of Privateering that they have sacrificed every other Object public & Private to it. I understand however that the Guns Cast in Connecticut for the Frigate Building there, are Ordered to Portsmouth, and soon after their Arrival the Raileigh will doubtless put to Sea.

At Boston there are two fine Frigates nearly ready for Sea & their Commanders McNeil [Hector McNeill] & Manly [John Manley] are very good Officers. At Rhodisland were built the two worst of all our Frigates as I am informed by those who have seen them. They are however completely fitted & partly manned.

The Frigate built in Connecticut is said to be a very fine ship, but she cannot put to sea this Winter for Want of Sails Cordage &.c

The two New York Frigates are also very fine vessels but they are blocked up by the Enemy, & have been hawled into Esopus Creek for Safety.

At this place we have four very fine Ships, one of them the Randolph Capt. Biddle, carrying 26 twelve pounders, will I hope put to sea with this Letter; another, the Delaware, Capt. Alexander, is nearly ready; but the other two want Guns, Anchors and men.

At Baltimore there is a fine frigate wanting only an Anchor & some few men.

Besides these we have in the Public Service, the Alfred Columbus & Reprisal, from 24 to 16 Guns: The Cabot, Camden [sic Hampden], Andrew Doria, & Lexington from 16 to 12 Guns: The Sloops Providence, Hornet, Fly, Independance, & Sachem: And the Schooners Wasp, Musquito & Georgia Packet: We have besides two very fine Row Galleys of 90 feet Keel, built here, but they are not yet rigged — It has also been lately determined by Congress to build some Line of Battle Ships; and at all Events to push forward & pay the utmost attention to an American Navy; and I wish you to make Known throughout Europe that the greatest Encouragment is here given to Seamen; their pay in our Navy being eight Dollars p Month, with the best chance for Prize money that men ever had; together with the priviledge of being discharged after each Cruize, if desired: In the Merchants Service Seamen now get from 30 to 40 Dollars p Month.

Respecting our Commerce, the Eastern States are so intent upon the business of privateering that they mind little else, however there is some exportation of Produce from thence, & their Imports with their Captures have been so considerable, that they are much better Supplied than any other part of America. New York is in the hands of the Enemy, and the Produce of New Jersey will be totally consumed by their Army & ours. In this State, we had last Season the worst Crop of Wheat ever Known both as to quantity and quality: this being our Staple commodity & Staves prohibited, our Merchants have been led to purchase Tobacco in Maryland and Virginia, & to employ their Ships in exporting it, with some Flour, Boards Bees Wax &c. We have imported considerable Quantities of Goods but as fast as they arrive they are bought up for the Army or for the use of the neighbouring States, & therefore Continue to bear high Prices.

The Value of Ships has also risen in the same enormous proportion with every thing else, & the scarcity & insolence of Seamen, are beyond bearing.

In Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina & Georgia, they have plenty of valuable produce on hand but no Ships to Carry it away; & the cruizers which are constantly all along the Coast, make it dangerous to send Vessels from one Port to another: so that we are Surrounded by Difficulties in our Land & Sea Service & in our Commerce. Agriculture & Mechanic Arts have also their impediments by the Enlistments of Soldiers, & the frequent calls upon the Militia. In short nothing but the most arduous exertions & Virtuous Conduct in the Leaders, seconded by a spirited behaviour in the Army and a patient endurance of Hardship, by the people in general can long support the Contest. France should therefore strike with us at once & she will reap an immediate Harvest; her Manufactures will sell for almost any Price, & procure her in return Tobacco, Rice, Indigo, Deer Skins, Furs, Wheat, Flour, Iron, Bees Wax, Lumber, Fish, Oil, Whalebone, Pot & Pearl Ashes, with various other Articles; and she may here find an ample field to employ her Shipping and raise Seamen for her Navy; but she must put in for this Prize now or never.

I will enter no detail of our Proceedings in Congress, but you may depend upon this, that so long as that Respectable Body, persist in their attempt to execute, as well as deliberate on, their Business it never will be properly done, and this has been told them many, very many times, by myself and others, but some of them do not like to part with Power, or to pay others for doing what they cannot do themselves.

I have your favour of the 30th Septr now before me; the letter by the same Conveyance from Martinico, under the Cover of Mr Bingham, I have sent down to the Committe at Baltimore, & written them my opinion of the Justice of your Complaint for want of intelligence; I had often told it them before, and though, as you know, I was not put in to that Committe to Carry on, but forward the Correspondence, I have been obliged to write all the Letters which have been written for some time past; but as Col. [Richard Henry] Lee, Mr [William] Hooper, & Dr [John] Witherspoon are now added to the Committe, I shall hereafter excuse myself from that Task; thought it proper to give you this just state of our Affairs at present, because I suppose the Committe will not for some time get fairly in to their Guns at Baltimore and when they do, they probably may not be fond of laying things before you so fully as I have done. Some of us are indeed of very sanguine temperaments, and too apt to flatter ourselves that things are not so bad as they appear to be, or that they will soon mend &c; 1 however think that you should be fairly & fully informed of the state of our Affairs, that you may know how to act, & how to represent them; keeping secret what ought to be so, & promulgating what should be known. — You will shew this Scrawl to Dr Franklin for whose safe arrival my earnest Wishes have of ten gone forth &c &c —

My own Private affairs necessarily detained me here after the departure of Congress, & it is well that I staid; having set many things to rights, that would have otherwise been in the greatest Confusion: Indeed I find my presence, so very necessary that I shall remain here until the Enemy drive me away. I am Dear Sir [&c.]

1. Stevens, ed., Facsimiles, No. 1397. Other copies of this long letter, with variances, are in Stevens, ed., Facsimiles, No. 1396, in Arthur Lee Papers, HU, and in Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States (Washington, 1889), II, 231-38. Hereafter cited as Wharton, ed., Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence. In the last named source, the letter is dated December 21, 1776 and addressed to the Commissioners at Paris.