[Extract]
My dear Becky,

... And with regard to Howe, I am under no concern, provided we can keep the pass of the river, and prevent the ships coming up to the city,¹ of doing which I think we have a reasonable prospect. As my friends may have but a faint idea of the pass & the obstructions of the river, I will give a rude sketch of them.²

There are five ranges of Chevaux de Frizes, which the enemy must pass to get with their ships to the city. They have moved one single chevaux de frize a little way, (but not sufficiently to let them thro') at Billingsport; and Commodore Hazelwood has an old ship³ ballasted ready to sink in its place if they quite remove that Chevaux de frize. This commodore commands our armed vessels in the river, & I fancy is a ca­pable brave man.—Fort Mifflin is on a low island (called mud-island) where we have a garrison of 200 men Continental troops. The enemy a few days since threw up in the night the redoubt N^o. 2.⁴ within a small distance of the fort; but next morning the commodore sent in some of his gallies to the shallow water, which silenced the battery & made 56 of the enemy who were at it prisoners, one of them a lieut. & one an Ensign; and would have taken twice the number, but a party of the enemy ad­vancing from the house⁵ (N^o. 3) back of them, & the fort beginning a fire at the enemy, half of the battery men ran off to their Friends who were advancing. Province Island is diked all round, and by cutting the dike I am informed it may be overflowed at every tide. Why the dike had not been cut I can't devise. I presume it is done now.­ Red bank is a good eminence on the Jersey Shore, at which we have about 400 men lately sent down. A good piece of work had (Gen^l. Knox tells me) been raised there before to defend it against any attack by land; and the garrison are going on to com­plete the fortification⁶ While we possess Red Bank & Fort Mifflin, our gondolas, gallies & other armed vessels can lay between them, & effectually prevent (I am as­sured by judicious men, & well acquainted with their situation) the enemy's getting up a single chevaux de frize there, and without getting them up they cannot pass. And the Commodore says (in his letter rec^d. yesterday)⁷ that only keep him supplied with amunition, provisions & men, & he fears not what the enemy can do in the river. And these supplies I trust it will not be impracticable to furnish him with. He speaks of men because many have deserted him. Two captains & their whole crews left him, & I suppose have joined the enemy. But out of the Rhode Island regiments which are now arrived (two of them I think are gone to red bank for garrisoning the fort there)⁸ I should suppose a supply of Sea men might be given him. & in case of ab­solute need the General would surely give orders for it. ... y^rs. most affectionately