(No 4)
My Lord

Since Writing your Lordship of the 26th of June at Gwins Island, we have again been obliged to Shift our quarters, the Enemy brought down Ten pieces of Ordnance, and on the 9th Instant began to play on my Ship from two Batteries; She was laid very near the Shore in order to prevent the Rebels from Landing on the Island, We were so near one of their Batteries (which consisted of an Eighteen and a Twenty four Pounder) that they Struck the Ship every Shott, I got our raw and weak Crew to fire a few Shott. at them, but I soon perseived that our Six Pounders made no impression on their Batteries, our Boatswain being killed and several of the People Wounded, I found it impracticable to make them stand any longer to their Guns, we were therefore obliged to cut our Cable, tho' there was not a breath of Air Stirring, but the little Tide there was drifted us from the Shore; when the Rebels found their Guns had no further effect on us, they next day turned them on two small Tenders, that we found it requisite to place in the Haven between the Island and the Main, which soon obliged our People to quit them, and get on the Island, one of them was Set on fire; Mr Thomas Midshipman of the Fowey, who Commanded the other, was obliged to Abandon her before he could effect it, being almost surrounded by the Boats of the Enemy, in making his escape he received ー two Slight Wounds, so near had they got to him, They made only one Boy a Prisoner; On the Eleventh we left the Island, and on the Night of that day, came to an Anchor in the Bay, at the Mouth of the River Potowmack, there Sprung up a Fresh of Wind, which parted the Cabels of many of the small Craft of our ill provided Fleet, some few of which were lost, but the People of all were Saved, except of one Sloop, which drifted on Shore and fell into the Hands of the Rebels. We next Morning put into the River Potowmack, where we are Wooding and Watering on an Island.

I have taken the opportunity of Advising all those who have put themselves under the protection of His Majesty's Ships, to proceed to such place of Safety, as they shall think proper; some go immediately to Great Britain, others to the West Indias, and others to St Augustine, by which means we shall be disencumbered of every thing but the Transports; which I hope will enable us to harrass and distress those inveterate foes to the best of Sovereigns, and a Most indulgent Parent State.

Not finding Water in that abundance we could wish, on St Georges Island, I ordered all the empty Water Casks of the Fleet to be put on board two of the Transports, with which Captn Hamond in the Roebuck, and this Ship went up the River, about a Hundred Miles, into fresh Water, w[h]ere we soon filled all our Casks: during our Stay here about three hundred of the Rebels assembled themselves at the House of a Mr Brent, (who is one of their Colonels) We were with the assistance of the Roebucks Mariners, Volunteers, Blacks and Whites, able to muster one hundred and Eight Men, with these we landed, under Cover of two small Tenders, and a small Row Galley, which I had fitted up at Gwins Island, in which Captn Hamond had put a Six Pounder, and occasionaly an Officer and Twenty Men, She is proof against Musquet Shott, and draws but eighteen Inches of Water; We were no sooner landed, than the Rebels fled on a 11 quarters from the House and Offices, all of which we burnt, and having done all the Mischief in our power, we reimbarked without the loss of a Man killed and only four or five Wounded, of which Number is Lieut Wallace of the 14th Regiment, it is only a flesh wound which I am satisfied will be well in a few days, every praise is due to the Spirit of this Yourig Gentleman; We found only three of the Bodies of the Rebels, but we flatter ourselves there were several more, that the rest had carried off; in Mr Brents house we found the inclosed News Paper (No 1) by which your Lordship will see that the Virginians have altered their Constitution into a Strange Motley, which they can a Commonwealth, they therein to set forth their reasons for so doing.²

I have also the honor to transmit to your Lordship five letters which were intercepted by Captn Hamond, I need not comment upon them to your Lordship whose Judgement will much better direct you what is proper to be done with them and their Authors than I can possibly do; sorry I am however to find that the letters of Mr. Lee which I transmitted home in No 34, was not found Sufficient to secure him from giving further infqrmation to his Countrymen here; 3 The letters No 2 & 3, were from the Whartons who seem to me to have good intelligence, and very willing to communicate it to their friends here, I wish I was able to inform your Lordship where they had it from, I hope your Lordship will make them discover it. 4 I am realy sorry to inform your Lordship that Cox, the bearer of these Letters, together with Mr Jennings His Majesty's Attorney General for Maryland, and the Master of the Sloop, in which they came from the West Indias, made their escape from the Sloop, on the Night before they were to have been delivered over to me, had I been so fortunate as to have got them into my possession I should most certainly have sent them home to your Lordship, as I must believe they are both freighted with every information their friends in London could communicate to them; It is by the West Indias that the Rebels receive all their information, it is first sent to the British West India Islands and from thence conveyed to St Eustatia with which place the Rebels have a constant intercourse, and are supplied, by the Dutch with Powder and Ammunition of every kind, as well as all sorts of dry Goods, Rum and Sugar; I had certain information a few days ago of the safe Arrival of a Brig from that Port with Thirty Ton of Powder, besides small Arms and Ammunition of all sorts to one of our out Ports; in short it is impossible for Captn Hamond (who does all in his power) without more assistance, to prevent them from running small Craft, and sometimes larger into the Numerous Ports of these two Colonies; They are now become so formidable, even by Water in this Bay, that they have actually drove all our Tenders up to the Fleet, and Captn Hamond does not think it safe to trust one of His Majesty'sSloops alone in the Bay, Nay they had the impudence a few days ago, with one of their Ships of Eighteen Guns and two of her Tenders to run up within a few Miles of the Fleet, We were then just turning down the River from Watering, the Roebuck, and Fowey, both gave them chase, but they were so far to Windward, that they could not come up with them. At the same time the Rebels on Shore opened a Battery on the Fowey whilst she was gettting under way.

We are now Anchored in the River and I hope to Morrow will clear us of every thing but the Ships of War and Transports; but where we are to go, or what we can do next to render Service to His Majesty I own I am puzzled to know, and as I find there is now not even a Chance of our receiving any assistance, I realy am at a loss what to determine on, for next Month it will become very unsafe for the Ships to keep the Bay, and I do declare I know not where we can go with our present force to make a Harbour of any tollerable safety, for we no sooner appear off the Land, than Signals are made from it, when the Coast is covered with Men, and if we come to an Anchor within Cannon Shott of either Shore, Guns are immediately brought to bear upon us, which it is not in the power of the Ships to dislodge, as the Sholes will not permit them to get near enough.

Inclosed is another paper (No 4) that was found whilst we were last on Shore but I hope most sincerely that Matters may be greatly exaggerated in it, We have had no other Account of the matter either by Land or Water, but what I enclose your Lordship." Least your Lordship should not have seen the Resolutions of the Congress relative to Independency, I have sent it to your Lordship Marked No 5.