[Extract]
Governor Cook Sir —

I have this Day Recd your Leter to the Deputy Govrner Read By which I under Stand you are Disireous I Should Keep posistion of the fourt at Bristers [Bristol] ferry and howlens ferry which I am fully of opinon we Can Do in Case we are Soported with Stores and men as to gowing on newport I also think adviseable providad there Can posable Be Boats a nu£ procured So that we Can Land Two Div[i]ssions at one Time Consesting of Two thousand men in Each Division But as it hath Bin as yet and now is there is not Boats a nuf to Carry [illegible] or of more then one hundred at a time and there ware not more then Six hundred men on the Island when the Retreet was made if they had Landed the first Day all must fell in to there hands I Do fairmly Beleve that with teen tho [u ]sand men we Can Drive the hole Iland and all they Cane Land . . .

Dated Bristol this 9 day of Decenbr [1776]
at Teen of a Clock foumoon