Dear Sir

I have Just had with me three Gentlemen who have landed here this Evening from on Board a packet Boat arrived at Sandy Hook from England in Nine Weeks, two of them you are doubtless acquainted with ー Mr Wm Temple & Mr Dennie of Cambridge, the other is a Mr Rickson who has letters to several Members of Congress and other Gentlemen at Philadelphia they are to set out for philadelphia tomorrow Morning and will give you the particulars of the News they are possessed of; what I can gather from them is, that Seven Regiments Consisting of about 4000 Men, Commanded by Lord Cornwallis were to Sail from Cork about the 10 January for the Southern provinces to be Joining & Commanded by Genl [Henry] Clinton; and that no other British troops were destined to this Continent, that 4000 Hanoverians & 6000 Hessians were engaged to Come out, & in treaty for 10,000 Russians, that the french Embassador on this had declared that his Court did not want to Interfere in the Quarrel between Great Brittain & the Colonies while she made use of her own force, but that if foreign Troops were employed, they Could not be Idle Spectators, the Gentlemen Also say, that when they left London it was not known that any french Troops were embarked for or Arrived in the West India Islands. they say that the Mail is an Immense large one, and I suspect well Stored with Materials preparatory to the Arrival of the Commissioners, who are reduced in Number to twenty, and were to Embark about the Middle of January; as their Coms & Instructions were not to be Compleated, Till after the Second meeting of parliament. This Mail I shall have my Eye on, and endeavour to prevent any of its Contents being dispersed without passing thro' my hands.

The Eastern post is arrived this Evening, but has not brought a letter from any place farther Eastward than N London Misterious, But I dare say all Right.

General Lee has doubtless informed the Congress of our Scituation here; our whole Number is about 1700, Effectives of those about 1000, the Connecticut troops, will leave us on the 25 of this Month; of the remainder about 300 are New York Minute Men, without Arms. it will therefore be highly Necessary to order several Regiments to this place as soon as possible; It will employ Six thousand Men for at least two Months to Compleat the works Necessary at this place, its Environs & Long Island. The four Regiments raising in this province I believe are very backward in their Recruiting, we learn here of them; No feild Officers yet fixed, nor have I heard of a Single Company Musterd, and Consequently none of them have Joined the Army. I am [&c.]

Stirling.