Baltimore February 3d. 1777
Dear Sir
The impossibility of getting intelligence at present thro’ this Bay, has obliged us to send an Express to the Council of Massachusetts, requesting they will immediately dispatch a quick sailing Vessel with letters to the Commissioners The only Vessel we had sent from hence for this purpose, is now shut up in a small Creek below by the Men of War four of five of which are now in this Bay, as we are informed, & some of them as high as Smiths Point, mouth of Potowmack, they have taken Buchanans ship as she went down.1 We have reason to suppose that these are the ships that lately block’d up the Delaware, and that they are brought here by the fugitive Guthridges’ and the Tories on the Eastern shore of Maryland. The latter are numerous, and we apprehend have informed of a quantity of Provisions preparing there for the Troops which they mean to assist in getting to the Enemy.
We are doing all we can in this slow place to get armed Vessels down to obstruct this wicked design. In the mean time would it not be highly proper to send out immediately the Sachem or Race Horse, or both to the Capes of Virginia to notify coming in Vessels of their danger, and also to suppress any Tenders that they may have out to intercept Vessels coming in, whilst they think themselves secure from interruption from hence by the large ships covering the passage of the Bay opposite Potowmack. Captain Isaiah Robinson is as perfectly well acquainted with our Bay that he could in a swift sailing Vessel not only give notice to Vessels bound in, but come in himself, suppress their Tenders, and, regardless of the bigger Ships run into a thousand places of protection and security where they cannot molest him, taking care of the Counties of Somerset, Worster and an adjoining Maryland Eastern shore. If you approve this Plan can it not be immediately executed?2 I am inclined to think your Bay is open now, and that it is a good opportunity to push Biddle and the other Vessels out on the business you mention. We shall keep the letters you sent us for France until we can get an opportunity here, when we propose sending out the Lexington.
Bradfords’ Journal of the 29th of January contains a very accurate account of the late Military Manouvres in the Jersies, it will be well to send three or four copies to the Commissioners and by all means let some go by this Express in the Packets for France.
I am dear Sir with particular Esteem, Your Affectionate & Obedient Servt.
Richard Henry Lee
Henry Laurens PapersSouth Carolina Historical Society
Printed in James Curtis Ballagh, The Letters of Richard Henry Lee, Volume 1, 1762 - 1778, pp. 252 - 54.
1 Archibald Buchanan’s ship Farmer, bound for France with a cargo of tobacco, had been captured by H.M.S. Brune on January 20. See Morgan, Naval Documents, 7:873, 1004. On 16 April the Secret Committee ordered Treasurer Michael Hillegas to pay Buchanan "14,666 2/3 dlls, being the valuation of the ship Farmer Capt. Dashiell charterd & insurd by this Come. on public Acct." Journal of the Secret Committee, fol. 127, MH-H.
2 In his 11 February reply Morris indicated that there were no cruisers immediately available to execute this plan. However, due to reports from the West Indies that all homeward bound vessels were heading for the Chesapeake Bay, Morris subsequently ordered the Continental sloop Fly, Capt. Elisha Warner, to cruise off the capes of Virginia. See Morris to Lee, 11 February; and Marine Committee to Elisha Warner, 17 February 1777.