"I had two very hard Gales of Wind—that my Convoy were scattered and parted Company—that Seven of them joined me before I got off the Mouth of the Delaware—and that the 6^th: Instant when I anchored within Henlopen Light House, joined the whole of them except the Kitty and Mermaid, which by the Account I received from Sir James Wallace of the Experiment, that they with a Schooner¹ passed him as he lay at Anchor on their way up the River that Day, without taking Notice of him, notwithstanding the Orders I gave them sealed up, which they were to peruse and follow when they lost Company; A Copy of which I send You enclosed.—From the 6^th: to the 8^th: thick, foggy Weather. when about ten Miles below Bombay Hook spoke the George, an Armed Sloop from New York for Philadelphia with Dispatches from Commodore Hotham for His Excellency General Sir William Howe. The Intelligence I received from the George, was, that he saw the two Transports taken that Day off Reedy Island by Gallies and GunBoats belonging to the Rebels. The 9^th: at Noon discovered a Sloop, a Schooner and four small Vessels at Anchor within Reedy Island. As the Experiment with a large Ship from Cork with Provisions Camp-Equipage and Recruits for the Army² were in Company, gave the Convoy in Charge of Sir James Wallace with Orders to push . . . . with all the sail he could to get up to the North Entrance of the Passage that leads between Reedy Island and the Pennsylvania Shore, whilst the Brune, Dispatch Sloop and York Armed Sloop entered the South Entrance, with Intent to take or destroy the Enemy Vessels. On our Approach the Schooner and Armed Vessels got under Sail, and the Ship was set on Fire. The Dispatch and York continued the Chase thro' the North Entrance of the Channel, and the Experiment and George Armed Sloop with all the Sail they could after them by the upper End of Reedy Island. The Gallies or Gun-Boats got off; but the Schooner was run onshore and taken by the Experiment's and Dispatch's Boats. She proved to be the Alert Armed Schooner belonging to M^r. Montresor³ from New York with Baggage and Carpenters for the Army. The Ships [that] the Rebels had taken proved to be the Kitty and Mermaid Transports of my Convoy. The former had been attacked by some Tenders of Captain Hamond['s] after she was in possession of the Rebels and burnt. The latter, the Mermaid, was hauled to the End of a Wharf at Port Penn, her Sails unbent, and her Gu[ns] on a Battery ashore close by her. The Brune, about a Cable's length from Ship and Battery, poured in a few Broadsides, and as she could not pass upwards [for] want of Water, tacked and stood out the Way I entered after seeing the Mermaid so effectually on Fire that it was out the power of the Rebels to extinguish it. I received no other Damage from the Rebels than some Shrouds and running Rigging cut by the Shot from their Battery. I joined the Convoy that Night at Anchor below New Castle."

Copy.

In Case of Separation, the Rendezvous is the Delaware. But as I have every Reason to imagine that the Rebels will have Armed Vessels in the River to intercept the Supplies for the Army; when You come off Cape Henlopen, You are not to sail up the River, without being joined by some of His Majesty's Ships; And You are to acquaint them what You have got for the Army at Philadelphia, and follow the Orders they give You. I shall leave the York Sloop by the Cape to look out for You.

Given onboard the said Ship in Rhode Island
Harbour 25^th: February 1778.
(signed) Ja^s. Ferguson.