e and Chesapeake being
narrow, by placing one forty or fifty gun ship for the protection of
their frigates, they stop both our commerce and correspondence.

Formerly their frigates protected their tenders, but now that we have
frigates, their larger ships protect their frigates, and this winter
has been so uncommonly favorable, that they have been able to keep the
sea, undisturbed by those severe gales of wind so usual off this coast
in the winter season; if we had a few line of battle ships to aid our
frigates, the commerce of North America, so beneficial to ourselves
and so advantageous to France, would be carried on in spite of the
opposition of Great Britain. As we have not received any of those
military stores and clothing promised by Mr Deane, we have much reason
to fear, they have fallen into the enemy's hands, and will render a
fresh supply quite necessary. Except Mr Deane's favor of September
17th, which is but just now received, and that of October 1st, we have
been as destitute of European, as, we fear, you have been of true
American intelligence.

The enclosed papers will furnish you with authentic accounts of our
successes against the enemy since the 24th of December. They have paid
severely for their visit of parade through the Jerseys, and these
events are an abundant proof of British folly in attempting to subdue
North America by force of arms. Although the short enlistments had
dispersed our army directly in the face of a hostile force, and
thereby induced a proud enemy to suppose their work was done, yet they
suddenly found themselves attacked on all sides by a hardy active
militia, who have been constantly beating up their quarters, and
captivating and destroying their troops; so that in the six or seven
last weeks, they have not lost fewer than three thousand men, about
two thousand of whom, with many officers, are now our prisoners.
Instead of remaining cantoned in the pleasant villages of Jersey, as
the enclosed authentic copy of Mr Howe's order to Colonel Donop (the
original of which fell into our hands by the Colonel's flight from
Bordenton) will show you that General vainly expected would be the
case, they are now collected upon the Brunswick Heights, where they
suffer every kind of distress from want of forage, fuel, and other
necessaries, whilst General Washington's army of militia so environs
them, that they never show their faces beyond their lines, but they
get beaten back with loss and d