men, might destroy several of their towns, which would
alarm and shake the nation to the centre, whilst the ships might fly
and take refuge in the ports of France or Spain; but suppose the
worst, that they are intercepted in their retreat, the inevitable
consequences of so bold an attempt will be sufficiently injurious to
justify the measure. But this must be done by a _coup de main_, and
there can be no great apprehension of any difficulty in retreating,
since, by means of the daily intercourse between the two kingdoms, we
might know the exact situations of the British fleet and commerce in
the different ports, and never attempt until we had a fixed object in
view, and were masters of every circumstance.

The ship, building at Amsterdam, will be near as strong as a
seventyfour, and may join the squadron in the months of February or
March. The East India fleet will be returning to St Helens, and there
waiting for a convoy, which is a single man of war. Three frigates on
that station might effect a prodigious affair, and if they first come
to Europe, as in the course of trade, it would be much less suspected,
as they might set out from a harbor here, and not be supposed for any
other route, but that of going directly for America. We have no more
to add, than that four thousand Hanoverians are on their march for
Stade to embark for America.

We are, &c.

B. FRANKLIN,
SILAS DEANE.

FOOTNOTES:

[39] This letter is perhaps erroneously dated at _Dunkirk_. It is thus
copied into the letter books, but should probably be _Passy_, or
_Paris_.

* * * * *

FROM THE COMMITTEE OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS TO THE COMMISSIONERS.

Philadelphia, June 13th, 1777.

Gentlemen,

Though the despatches prepared some time since are not gone, we think
it best to write you again, and give you an exact account of the
situation of our army and military affairs to this time. You were
formerly made acquainted, that, immediately after the important
victory at Trenton, on the 3rd of January, General Washington took
post at Morristown, which appears to have been a well chosen
situation.

From thence, sending out detachments of his army, he speedily drove
the enemy from Hackensack, Chatham, Springfield, Westfield, and
Elizabethtown, all which places we have