ons of Congress; or if the
Farmers-General could be prevailed upon to receive in America the
tobacco, or other products of this northern Continent, which France
may want.

We are, &c. &c.

B. HARRISON,
R. H. LEE,
R. NORRIS,
J. LOVELL.

_P. S._ On the 4th, an engagement between the two armies took place
near Germantown, the circumstances of which may be known by the
enclosed papers.

FOOTNOTES:

[44] The numbers here mentioned are greatly exaggerated. No accurate
returns seem to have been made, but the loss was afterwards estimated
to have been, on the part of the Americans, 300 killed, 600 wounded,
and 400 prisoners, chiefly of the wounded. The British loss was about
100 killed, and 400 wounded. _Holmes's Annals_, 2d Ed. Vol. II. p.
265.

* * * * *

FROM THE COMMITTEE OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS TO THE COMMISSIONERS.

Yorktown, 6th October, 1777.

Gentlemen,

We shall follow your example in confining this letter entirely to
yours of May 26th, respecting the loan, and the mode of raising it by
appropriation of vacant land. It remains doubtful yet, whether there
is any vacant land not included within the charter limits of some one
of the thirteen States; and it is an undetermined question of great
magnitude, whether such land is to be considered as common stock, or
the exclusive property of the State within whose charter-bounds it may
be found.

Until this business has been determined in Congress, and approved by
the States, you will readily discover the difficulty of doing anything
in the way of raising money by appropriation of vacant land. We
consider your proposal on this subject as of very great importance;
and we shall not fail to solicit the attention of Congress thereto,
whenever the pressing business of the campaign will permit.

In the mean time, we see no reason that should prevent the young
nobleman, of Irish extract, from coming to America, because the
suspension of the question concerning vacant lands will not obstruct
his views of getting the quantity he may want either by original
entry, or by purchase on the most reasonable terms, upon the frontiers
of those States, where vacant lands are