Dear Sir,

You hear seldom from me for want of opportunitys to write to you, and because I have nothing material to acquaint you with. The history of a defensive kind of war, which has been my misfortune for some time past to have been engaged in, is painful for me to relate, and would give you no pleasure to read. In short, the support & protection that I have been under the absolute necessity of giving to Lord Dunmore & his floating Town, consisting of a Fleet of upwards of 90 Sail, destitute of allmost every material to Navigate them, as well as seamen, has given full employment for three Ships, for these three month past, to prevent them from falling into the hands of the Enemy; and had we to deal with People the least enterprizing, we should not have been able to have done it so long. However this inconvenience is now nearly at an end, as I am sending all that is able & in a condition to go to Sea to St Augustine, after having destroyd about twenty sail, and put the people that inhabited them into other Vessels. We shall then be much more at liberty to act offensively against the Enemy than we hitherto have been, which if we had a sufficient force to do might be done to great advantage, as on Account of the Navigable Rivers of this Country, there is no part of the continent where ships can assist land operations more than in this. But unfortunately my Lord Dunmores Troops have been so few in number, such a motley set, and so full of disease, that it has been totally impossible to do or attempt any thing of consequence; and our whole exploits have amounted to nothing more than burning & destroying Houses on the Banks of the Rivers, and taking the Cattle off the Farms; which decides nothing. Whenever a Thousand Men can be spared, properly equipt, for the service of this Colony, with eight or 10 sail of small Ships to act with them, they may distress the Colonys of Maryland & Virginia to the greatest degree, and employ more than ten times their numbers to watch them.

I say nothing to you about what is going on at head Quarters, as from a want of small Vessels for Packets, our communication and correspondence with each other is less frequent than you can possibly imagine. I hope that defect will be supplied us from home, as we cannot here get proper Vessels, and if we could, we should want both Guns & Men for them; and without them we shall never be able to stop the kind of Trade the Rebels mean to carry on during the Winter, which is to be done in fast sailing Pilot Boats, and caried on from the small inlets on the Coast, where our Ships will not be able to get near them; and to confess the truth, I am clearly of opinion that unless we can withhold the foreign supplys from getting into the Country, this is likely to be a very tedious war. The Troops in these two Colonys have scarcely a second shirt, and their Coats are allready in Rags, so that they will certainly feel great distress next winter. They however talk largely of resources within themselves, but, upon my word, from the best authority I can get, the fact is much other ways.

I have the pleasure to tell you that since the Congress have declared themselves independant states, there is a spirit of loyalty broke out in the lower Counties of the Delaware and on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, which properly managed & cultivated may turn to a very good account. It seems they have long had divisions among them on religious accounts, and the Churchmen are clearly of opinion that it is the Presbyterians that have brought about this revolt, and aim at getting the government of America into their hands, which they (the Churchmen), are rather determined to die than submit to. These Friends are numerous, and inhabit a Country that forms a Peninsula, by the Chesepeak Bay on one side and the R. Delaware on the other, which from water to water is only about twelve miles. Whenever an Attack is made upon Philadelphia, which I hope will not long be delayed, these People declare they will assist; and want only arms & ammunition (which the other party have by degrees got from them) to do it by themselves.

In the beginning of the Year I sent to Admiral Shuldham to ask for such a force to be sent to me, that would authorize me to make an attempt to clear the passage of the Delaware and an attack upon the Town, which at that time was very defenceless. By unfortunate and unavoidable delays, it was the end of April before I received his answer. He agreed with me, he sayed, in every article of my request, but from the distress of the Army, which had obliged them to evacuate Boston, no, troops could be sent to assist me, nor was there a cohorn or Howitzer in store. Upon this, I gave up all thoughts, as you may conclude, of attacking so formidable a pass; but being desirous of reconnoitring the River, and seeing a little what the thing was, to enable me the better to proceed when a force should arrive, I took the Liverpool with me and sailed up the River within a few miles of their Chevaux de frizes, as they call them, which are immense frames of thick wood, sunk with Ballast in a narrow part of the River, defended by batterys on each side, and a floating one in the middle; together with 13 Row Galleys, each carrying one Gun, from a thirty two pounder, to an eighteen pounder, and from Seventy to fifty Men.

As soon as the Enemy perceived that we had stoped, and were busyly employed in filling out empty water Casks, they sent all the armd craft down to attack us, and brought with them a Vessel fitted as a fire ship for the purpose of destroying us. We met them under sail (as the Tide ran too rapid to ride with a spring upon the Cable) and lay under the disadvantage of being obliged to engage them at the distance they chose to fix on, which was scarcely within point blank shot: and being such low objects on the water, it was with some difficulty that we could strike them; so that we fired upon them near two hours before they thought proper to retire & row off.

unfortunately at this juncture the Roebuck grounded and being highwater, could not be got off 'till 4 the next morning, but as it was soft mud, the ship did not receive the least damage.

It was then so thick a fogg, that nothing could be discerned 'till about 8 o'clock, when it clear'd up, and we perceived the Galleys at Anchor about 3 Miles above us. The wind had changed and now blew up the River, and we pursued them imediately with all our sails; and they as industriously avoided us by plying their oars & sails. This Chace lasted only about two hours, when it fell so little wind, that we were not able to stem the tide of ebb, and not having six inches water more than the Ship drew in the best of the Channel (which was not above a quarter of a Mile wide, though the River from bank to bank was about a Mile & half) I was under the necessity of Anchoring.

The Galleys rowed to a point of land on the western shore & anchored also.

When I found there was no prospect of bringing them to a close engagement, but that they meant to retire as I advanced, and not having a force sufficient with me to make an attack upon the chevaux de Frize, I found it would answer no good purpose to go further up the River, which every mile made more intricate; but it was best to try if we could draw the Galleys down to a wider part of the River, where we should be in less danger of getting aground, when we could run near them and have a better chance for destroying them. Accordingly when the ebb tide made, about 5 in the afternoon, we got under way and turned down the River with an easy sail; The Galleys with their former attendants, encreased by several large Launches, with each a Cannon in their Bow, imediately followed us, and kept up a smart fire, but cautiously remained at their usual distance. This gave me great hopes, I should be able to draw them into a wider part of the River, but about 10 at Night they thought proper to stop near New Castle. when I found I could not get them any further I anchored also for the Night, intending to pursue them again at day light, which when I attempted to do, they run again up the River; at least those that we saw did, which was only 11 sail; the rest I conclude were disabled: but have never to this hour been able to get an exact account of what they suffered.

after waiting in their Neighbourhood three days, finding there was no prospect of getting them down, and having fully executed all I had in View in going up the River, and entirely repaired the very little damage they did us, I came down the River, and finding letters from the Admiral acquainting me that Sir Peter Parker was gone to Attack Charles Town: I imediately intended sailing to join him thinking the Roebuck could be of more use there than to remain cruizing off the Delaware. However in this I was dissapointed for when I came of[f] the Capes of Virginia, I received such an Account of Lord Dunmore's situation, as obliged me to look in upon him, wher[e] I found I had just arrived in Time to save him out of the hands of the Rebels.

Before this letter reaches you I conclude you will have heard of the ill success of the unfortunate expedition; on which I shall make no comments, but least you may have heard the story imperfectly send you the General's letter. These little miscarriages I trust will have a good effect in the end. Englishmen allways ralley when things are at the worst, and I have not the least doubt but our Affairs at the end of the Campaign will wear a better aspect than they do at present. One thing I must own astonishes me, which is the astonishing delay the Troops have made in getting out here. They arrive now in the very worst season. The Heat of these two months is more than an Inhabitant of the northern parts of the World can endure, and an Army acting here should go into Summer Quarters, as well as winter ones.

The letter you did me the honor to write to me in January, came to me about two months ago, and made me extreamly happy; as I ever shall be to hear of your health & wellfare, events that I can never be indifferent about, while I have breath to draw.

The Vessel that carry this is now getting under sail therefore am under the necessity of concluding it. Pray give my kindest love to Mr Sloane & his family Pon Brewer & all Friends.

I allways am my Dr Sr with the sincerest attachment [&c.]