Philadelphia Aug: 13. 1777
[Extract]
. . . We are kept in great anxiety by the extraordinary manoevre of Genl Howe, his going to sea with his Army; we can as yet only guess at his intentions. he was seen last fryday about 50 miles to the southward of these capes, & perhaps may be in chesapeak by the time you receive this; tho we think, if he has any wisdom left, he shoud go to the northward to cooperate with Burgoyne, whose genius, at present, seems to have the ascendency in his department. Our people there are still in a panic & Burgoyne's thoughtless activity is well calculated to keep it up. our only comfort is, that the further he penetrates, the more surely he may be ruined; when they recover their senses. The Enemy have taken one of our finest frigates from us; but I believe we have one of theirs in return . . . .2
1. Francis Lightfoot Lee Folder, VHS.
2. Reference is to the loss of the Continental Navy frigate Hancock and capture of H.M.S. Fox.