New York May 16th 1776
[Extract]
Such opportunities as the present do not often turn up in the course of human events ー The picture ー happiness or misery of a great proportion of the human race is at Stake ー and if we make a wrong choice ourselves and our posterity must be wretched ー wrong choice! there can be but one Choice consistent with the Character of a people possessing the least degree of reason ー And that is to Seperate ー to Seperate from that people who from a total dissolution of virtue among them must be our enemies ー An Event which I directly pray may soon take place; and let it be as soon as it may I Hope we shall like the romans when Hannibal was thundring at the Gates of Rome carry the War into the enemies Country.
I know many people would laugh at this proposition I think but whoever Considers of the total blindness of the present ministry; and the Unprepar[e]d situation In which they will be if the intended armament comes here ー their veterans in America ー their regular militia Coxcombs ー their peasantry unarm'd ー In this Situation of affairs admiral Hopkins with three or four frigates might I think plunder & burn Liverpool a place where they seldom or ever have Ships of war a retali[ati]on for Charlestown Falmouth & Norfolk ー a successfull expedition of this Kind would give strength and energy to any ambassadors of America which might be at foreign Courts ー perhaps this may be chimerical ー I know Monsieur Thurot with 2 or 3 frigates landed At Carrick fergus in Ireland in War time, when the whole British fleet almost was cruizing for him and the whole coast alarm'd, and it was a mere accident he was met by Capt Eliot ー2 If so when prepard something might be done now by an enmy they effect to despise and they unprepar'd
We are going on rapidly in fortifying this place and in a few days I think we shall be able to give any troops a proper reception ー I wish Boston was as well fortified not that it appears probable the enemy will attempt it again ー but it would give a greater confidence knowing it to be secure ー I am afraid sir you will repent the Invitation you gave me to correspond with you and under the influence of that fear I shall wait for one short line to dispel it. In the Interim I am Dear Sir [&c.]
H. Knox
1. Adams Papers, MassHS. Materials drawn from the Adams Papers at the Massachusetts Historical Society are copyrighted and printed by special permission of the Society.
2. An exploit of the Seven Years War which culminated with the capture of Thurot in the frigate Belleisle by Captain John Eliot in the British frigate Aeolus.
