[Extract]

As soon as I heard from Sir Peter Parker & General Clinton of their being unsuccessful in South Carolina, and that instead of joining us at Virginia as I had all along been taught to expect They had sailed for New York, and being myself most heartily tired of carrying on a sort of Piratical War, that tended in no degree to benefit his Majestys service, I consulted with Lord Dunmore, and found his Lordship equally desireous of quitting a situation that was every day growing more & more distressing; we therefore disposed of our Floating Town in the best manner we could, by sending them to places of security, and with the few Troops we had left, set sail for New York, & arrived just as the opperations against the place were beginning.

I need not tell you My Dear Sir, the pleasure I recieved in finding My Friend Lord Howe entrusted with the conduct of the American business (the most important perhaps that Great Britain ever was concerned in) be- cause I know his abilitys for carrying on a war are not to be excelled; and am perfectly convinced, that nothing but success in the war, and reducing the Americans to the utmost extremity, will ever bring about a Peace or reconciliation, in terms the least honorable for Great Britain. It has long been too late for Negociation...

...after the Enemy abandoned Long Island they imediately saw the Town of New York was not tenable. They therefore lost no time in clearing it of all the stores valuable effects & most of the Artillery; but still kept possession of it, as well as a very considerable work, called Bunkers Hill, imediately at the back of it, and had a very large Body of Men in the Neighbourhood. Our Army took their Post opposite to Hell Gate, and Batterys were erected and feints were made to shew the Enemy that we intended landing there. However nothing was done untill the 15 Instant, when General Howe landed with about twelve thousand five hundred men at Keps's bay, a place about 3 Miles above the Town in the East River, under cover of the Fire of several of the Ships of war, without the least opposition. Notwithstanding a deep entrenchment had been made by the Enemy on every accessible part of the coast of the Island of New York, which they manned at the place, opposite to where our Troops were in Motion, The Ships no sooner began to fire than they immediately deserted their lines and took to their heels. This seemed to be a signal for those quartered in the Town & the Neighbourhood; as they all did the same, and never stoped untill they got into their works at Kingsbridge: where they at present remain. we have also taken possession of Paulus Hook, which is the point on the West Side of Hudsons River which the Enemy had very strongly fortified, where they kept a large Garrison, and where they behaved exactly as they had done at every other place where the ships had been carryed to.

From what I have said, you will concieve that we shall have no difficulty in driving the Enemy from the Sea Coast, which indeed they dont scruple to say that they will give up to you, knowing that the more possessions you have the weaker you will be in the feild: and they seem to place their entire dependance on their being able to hold out longer than we can: their Emissarys in England having assured them that the present arma-ment is the utmost efforts of Great Britain for one year, and cannot possibly be continued a second which gives them great confidence.

It is most certain that a war was never carryed on upon more unequal terms; whilst we are treating them with openness & generosity, they are daily practising every kind of Art treachery & cruelty to destroy us. They gave us up the Town quietly, and as soon as they imagined, the People that had been driven out of it by them had again got settled in their Houses, and that a number of our Stores were got on Shore, They took the opportunity of a windy dark night, and set the Town on fire in many different places, by people that they had concealed in certain Houses for that purpose, with all kinds of combustibles prepared....

We are at present perfectly quiet, and as we are making a Line of works from River to River a cross the Island about 6 or 7 miles beyond the Town, which can not be finished in less than 10 days or a fortnight, it is natural to conclude no attack will be made on the Rebel Army untill the Arrival of the last division of the Hessians, which we hourly expect to see. The Enemy has taught us how to deal with them; which is to get behind them, and shew them that their retreat is in danger; and they never will make any stand: I hope we shall never attack them any other way, unless we should, by accident get them into the open feild.

The Fleet & Army are in great spirits and tolerable good health, and for the present live exceedingly well: but the Ships are ill mann'd & very short. You can have no Idea of the Number of Men it takes to attend upon such an Army as this is; with the Ships we have here (which is two thirds of those employed in America) when all the Flat Boats, Galleys, Gondalas, [illegible] stages &c &c &c are mann'd, there is scarce Men enough left on board many of the Ships to move them. So that we really want Six or Eight Line of Battle Ships; not so much perhaps for the use of the Ships, as for their large Complements of Men for the purposes before mention'd. I have allways been of opinion that the principal means of putting an end to the war was to put an entire stop to the trade of America, which was only to be done by having a great Number of cruizers, and a constant succession of clean ships. Unfortunately this expedition against New York has necessarily required the attention of so many ships, that all the Southern Ports are now left open, and there is no doubt but they will embrace this opportunity to send away their Tobacco and Grain. The Merchants in the French & dutch west India Islands tell the Merchts at Philadelphia (many of which letters I have intercepted) that if they will send them very small fast sailing Pilot boats, they can supply them amply with Powder Arms & Cloathing at very little risk, but as they'have no money to send in return, and these Vessels will not convey the bulky commodities of America, they can not devise any mode for remittances to be made, and unless that can be done the trade must drop of course. Therefore the necessity of shutting up the Ports is obvious, and the small inlets is not of so much consequence as one at first would imagine.

Dont be too sanguine my Dr Friend about the extent of the present campaign. If we can drive the Enemy from Kings bridge, Secure this Port as an establishment, and take possession of Rhode Island, for a winter Harbour for our Ships, it will perhaps be as much as will be done: and by taking the Field early next Spring, and joining the army in Canada we shall be strong enough to pursue vigorously any plan that may be adopted. I have taken the liberty to mention my Friends in the lower Counties of the Delaware and eastern shore of Maryland, as people worth cultivating, but have been told all that must be a future Consideration. However.1 am still of opinion that Philadelphia is an object of the first consequence to us....