Little Egg-Harbor, on board the sloop Montgomerie
May 22, 1776.
Gentlemen ー We yesterday put in here to wood and fill up our water, which we are now about, and shall sail again to-morrow, wind and weather permitting. On the 5th instant we brought too a schooner, Capt. Caysy, from Salt Tudeas, bound for Rhode Island, who informed me that on the 1st of May in latitude 36° 30" longitude 71°, he saw eight sail of ships standing to the northward, but what they were he could not tell. The 6th of May we was cruising off Montock, we saw a sail in the offing and gave chase, she stood from us; the day being thick and hazy; that we came in about a league of her; then we discovered that although she seemed to be running from us with topgallant sails set, her courses were hauled up and stay sails all down; the weather clearing a little off we saw she was a ship of war, we then gave over chase and hove too, as we was between her and the land; but no sooner she saw that we gave over chase, she gave chase to us, and followed us round Montock. We hauled close a board of a reef that lays within Montock, she then gave over chase and stood out again. From a Block island fishing boat that I spoke, I was informed that there was a ship of 28 guns, and a brig of 14 guns a cruising off there, that they had been on shore on the island and filled water about the 20th or 21st of April. We have not been into any of the inlets on the back of Long Island, but we sounded one with the boat, and found 13 foot water over the bar at about half ebb. The 18th we were off Sandy Hook, see but 2 ships in the bay; they did not send anything out after us, which we expected they would. I expected to find the schooner Putnam on this coast, but have not seen or heard any thing of her. We have not saw a sail of any kind since we left cruising off Montock, but the ships we see in at Sandy-Hook. When we go out again I expect to cruise towards Cape May: our ship's company is all well and hearty. And I remain [&c.]