Baltimore Febry. 28. 1777
My dear Colonel,
I was well pleased to find by yours of the 21st Jan. that you were in good health & spirits; may you long continue so. You will no longer accuse the Congress of timidity, when you know it has adjourned to meet next week in Philadelphia,1 and I assure you it is as much in Genl. Howe's power to come there now, as it was when we left it. He has bro't a large reinforcement from Rhode Island, & has now at least [ ] men in the Jerseys; Genl. Washington, has not above 4,000, the greater part militia most of the troops for the new Army, as yet collected, being under inoculation. Our worthy genl. has indeed made a most glorious winter campaigne. He has never had above 5000 men, tho three times that number have often been under arms, marching to & from the Camp; militia like. It will hardly be beleived in Europe, that it cou'd be contrived, with such a handfull or raw militia, to gain such great advantages over 7 or 8000 well appointed regulars. However if Mr. Howe makes use of the present opportunity, we may suffer a good deal. Our hope is, that the small number & leaness of his horses, will make it difficult for him to move his artillery; in which alone they put their trust. Indeed it will be some time before we shall be able to take the feild, with any thing of a respectable Army, for the militia has not only exhausted our treasury, but plunder'd us of arms, blankets & every other necessary which was provided for the new Army. We have many good vessels abroad to repair the damage but it cannot be done soon; so that we must continue for some time longer, to scramble thro' our difficulties. These little alarms will habituate our people to look danger & distress in the face, for, all things consider'd, we may think ourselves well off, if at last we are victorious after suffering much more than we have done. I do not mean to doubt our being victorious, but we may suffer much, unless France & Spain give us a little respite. This we have some reason to expect, for our last intelligence was from our Agent at Martinique, a large Spanish armament was gone to S. America. The Genl. put into Martinique & inform'd him that he might be assured hostilities were by that time commenced against the Portuguese. He often took occasion to assure him of the friendship of his Master for the American States, & that he wou'd assist them in any manner that might be most serviceable. The Agent likewise saw a Letr. from the K. of France to the Genl. of the Islands, who had some time before sollicited leave to return home; in which the King conjures him, by his regard for his Country & love of Him, to remain there to take the command of his Army which wou'd soon require an Officer of the greatest abilities. We soon expect authentic intelligence from France, which will enable us to judge with some certainty of this matter.
I hope you will continue vigourously to counteract the despondency, which I am sorry to hear you say, prevails in Virginia. She is consider'd as the most spirited state in the Union, & I hope will maintain the character her Sons have acquired immortal honor abroad; 'twou'd be a pity, it shd. be tarnished by any timidity at home.
Goddard you will see has published your paper, I wish it may have a proper influence upon whom it may concern. He shall send you his Gazette. As I suppose you cannot have the benefit of the papers I send to Mt. Airy, as usual, I have sent you several in which you will find many things to please & divert you. Genl. Lee lately wrote to Congress, desiring a comtee to confer with him on his & public affairs. It was consider'd as a sneaking trick of Howe's, to hold out the delusive idea of treaty & reconciliation & thereby throw a langour upon our preparation; and therefore instantly & unanimously rejected.2 But the tories are making their use of it, by asserting that honorable terms of peace have been offer'd us, but surely our people will not always continue to be the dupes of these infamous wretches. Our best respects to Mr C., Lady & family. Adieu my dear Col.Francis Lightfoot Lee
Receiver's copy, John Work Garrett Library, Johns Hopkins University.
1 Lee apparently did not return immediately to Philadelphia. In his March 24 letter to Robert Purviance, written from Annapolis, Lee noted that "tomorrow I set off for Philadelphia." Gratz Collection, PHi. And according to his accounts with the Commonwealth of Virginia, he next attended Congress on April 2, 1777. Emmet Collection, NN.
2 See Thomas Burke's Notes of Debates, February 21, 1777.