[Extract]
Dear Sir

I wrote to you the 28th of last Month by a Ship to Ireland, and now take the oppertunity of the Packet to acquaint you of the arrival of General Clinton from South Carrolina with Seven Regiments Vizt 15th, 28th, 33d, 37th, 46th, 54th, 57th the[y] got into sandy Hook the first Instt with two Ships of the Guards, and three of the Hessians that parted Company from Commodore Hothams fleet, some time ago, and put into Halifax; a Colonel Bluck Commands the Hessians, he speaks some English, & seems to wish to speak it better, one of the Ships that has their Rifle Men on board, fell in with & took a large Sloop bound from Philadelphia to France, loaded with Flour, they brought her to Halifax, where she is Condemned, and will be sold for their Account; the Rebells have several privateers at Sea, that have taken some West India Men homeward bound that are great prizes for them...

Our Army are in great Health & Spirits, and I beleive we wait only being Joined by the Hessians, to do something of Consiquence, as soon as they arrive & are Brigaded, I will send you the line of Battle ー The Phenix & Rose men of War are still about 40 Mile up the North River, but We have no Cummunication with them as yet, & have no doubt but Numbers of the Country People have got on board of them for Refuge who are friends to Government. We have Just now heard, that they Attacked the Ships last Saterday, with five floating Batterys, which were drove back with great loss.... [Charles] Lee is on his March back from South Carrolina and will incurrage them in every Villany when he arrives ー Sir Peter Parker is not as yet got in his Ship the Bristol is under Jury Masts ー General Clinton with the transports parted from him, soon after the[y] Sailed from Charlestown ー We in the Qr Master General Department are hard at Work. We have built ten large Battoes that will carry each (with Ease) 100 Men Armed & Accoutered, and are still going on; as they are flat bottomed, like those we had on the Lakes last War, I think they will answer better than those sent from England. We have already Coa[torn] sufficient to make a first landing of Six thousand Men, with fifty ps of Ordnance ready Mounted, which will go on shore on platforms laid on three Cannoes, ー Each with a frunt to let down like the Scows, on which the Guns will be run off on the shore ー It is most amazing what can keep Commodore Hothams fleet, we have had these ten days past the finest Winds that can blow for them. The Packet is in orders to sail tomorrow Morning, but I beleive she will be kept ready to push off the Moment that fleet appears. I will keep this Letter open to the last Moment in hopes to acquaint you of it

Governor Tryon is very well he is on board his Ship Dutches of Gordon, he desired me to present his Compliments to you when I wrote, he seems very grave and I fear is not well pleased, his Consiquence is rather Eclipsed by the Number of great folks we have now among us...

Lord [Charles] Cornwallis, General [John] Vaughan and Governor Martin came with the fleet from the Southward. We have too many great Men togather, to agree well long. there must be seperate Commands made for them, none think themselves unequal to the task. by the orders of Yesterday Genl Clinton is to Command the first line & Lord [Hugh] Percy the Second line of the Army, but the Barron De He[i]ster when he comes, will be Second in Command to General Howe....²