The Rebel army being in a manner broke up & dispersed, The two Forts in the North River taken, and Lord Cornwallis in the Jerseys driving the Enemy every where before him, The service for all the Ships in the North River became unnecessary: The Roebuck was therefore ordered to join the Admiral at New York. This was a measure so perfectly agreable to me after so long a confinement in the River (wch became intolerably tiresome after the Army left us) that no time was lost in obeying the order; and except stopping to sound the channel where the Enemy had sunk their Vessels & Machines, and just taking a look at the Forts that had so much annoyed us on our passage up the River, I delayed not a Moment untill I dropped my Anchor close to the Admirals Ship at New York;

and having hitherto defered heeling the Ship, least the Enemy should have imagined they had done us much mischief, I took the opportunity of doing it the next day, when to my great astonishment I found two Shot had pierced the Ships side full four feet under water. This had been done from the Jerseys side, where the Guns were 32 pounders placed full 300 feet above the Water.

The great success the Rebel small Privatiers had met with last winter, flattered the congress so much that they began to concieve ideas of becoming formidable at Sea; and Mr Adams [sic], in his pamphlet of Common sense, having shewn the Americans how easyly they might establish a Navy, orders were given as early as March last for building 13 Frigates of 32 Guns each, which were to be imediately followed by as many to carry 44. The first Number were actually built in different Ports on the Continent, and some of them being said to be nearly fit for sea, the looking after them became now An object of the Admirals attention, and therefore stationed his Ships in the way he thought most likely to fall in with them in case they should put to sea. Several of them being said to be ready to sail from Philadelphia, and General Howe not having entirely layed aside the design of attacking that place this year; but was pushing his Troops on to the banks of the Delaware, in order to see how such a measure would operate on the Minds of the Rebels when. they saw their principal City in danger;

Lord Howe gave me the Command of 5 Ships to cruize off that Port; as well to intercept their armed Vessels & supplys, as to be ready to cooperate with the General Lord Cornwallis in the Delaware in case he should resolve on crossing the River & Attacking the Town of Philadelphia. I recieved this honorable mark of his Lordships kindness to me on the 1st of Decr and after waiting a few days to take in Stores & Provisions I left New-York the 5th and arrived on my Station the 7th following; where I placed the Ships in the way I thought most proper for blocking up the Port: which having two channels into it, was guarded chiefly by the Falcon in one, & the Roebuck in the other; while the other Ships were cruizing off at a little distance on each side.

By this disposition it was scarcely possible for any Vessel to get in or come out: nor did I hear that any more than 2 Vessels escaped us during the whole time we continued there which happened in a fogg: So that not withstanding positive orders had been given from the Congress for three of the Frigates to sail; and being Short of seamen they had directed the Captain of the Frigate at Baltimore to bring all his Men over land to put on board the ships at Philadelphia, where they actually arrived; yet, upon finding the Port was stoped up, they gave over their design, and ordered the Baltimore Captain & his Men back again:

Soon after my Arrival in the Delaware I began a Negociation to establish a Cartel for the exchange of Prisoners, which although I did not effect untill the 3d Jany Yet as I frequently sent my boat ashore with a Flag of Truce on that business, I was not at all dissatisfied with the delay; as it not only gave me an opp[o]rtunity of distributing the Commissioners proclamations among the People of the lower Counties (who I found were at least three to one in favor of Government, of which I gave the Admiral & General the fullest information) but it also furnished me with the News of every thing that the Rebels were doing at Philadelphia.

All the month of December passed without hearing any thing from Lord Cornwallis or from General Howe, but from my other intelligence I learnt that the former was gone to his winter Quarters at Brunswick: and that a Brigade of Hessians which he had left as an out guard near Trentown on the Delaware, under the Command of Colonel Rhole [Johann Rall], had been surprized by the Enemy; and that 700 Men, with all their Baggage Camp Equipage & several Feild Pieces had fallen into the Rebels hands. A most sad blot! This unfortunate piece of misconduct of the Hessian Colonel's, being the only circumstance in favor of the Rebels during the whole Campaign, General Washington published an account of it, which, though much embellished, yet was not greatly exagerated; any further than by saying it had been effected with much fewer Men on his part than was actually there. The circumstances of the Number taken Prisoners, and the artillery & stores which had fallen into their hands, was pretty fairly stated, in order to regain a credit with the Publick, which they had before entirely lost: For as the Press at Philadelphia is altogether in the hands of the Congress, the news papers had constantly related the great successes their army had gained over the British & Foreign Troops in every action in which they had been engaged during the whole summers Campaign: and when at the end of it they found how much they had been decieved, & kept in ignorance, and that General Howe was marching on towards the City, Parties run so high there, that it was with the utmost difficulty they could keep the inhabitants quiet: and nothing can be more convincing of the general consternation they were in, and the danger they thought themselves exposed to at that time, than the Proclamations they published, and the rewards they offered for Men that would enlist only for one Month to defend the city, assuring each Man that he should be provided with a Blanket & shoes & stockings: at the same time giving authority to the officers to press for those articles whereever they could be found. To which I may add, the abdication of the Congress, who all retired to Baltimore, where they kept a ship ready to carry them off. It is therefore much to be lamented that this favorable moment had not been embraced, which in all probability would effectually have put an end to this terrible war; or at least' prevented their ever raising another Army; and nothing I believe prevented the General from doing it but the difficulty of crossing the River so late in the Season.