Decr. 30. 1779
Sir In Congress
By order of Congress I have the honor of forwarding to you the enclosed important intelligence which is just come to hand.1
I am, Sr, Your obedient humble servt.
Sam. Huntington President
Receiver’s copy, Maryland State Papers (Red Books), Maryland Hall of Records Commission, Annapolis. In the hand of Charles Thomson and signed by Huntington. Addressed: "His Excellency Thomas Sim Lee Esqr., Governor of Maryland."
Letter book, Governor’s Letterbooks, North Carolina State Department of Archives and History. Addressed: "Gov. Caswell."
1 Huntington’s enclosures consisted of copies of two December 27 letters, from Maj. Henry Lee to James Searle and from Washington to Huntington, and an extract of Gen. Anthony Wayne’s December 26 letter to Washington, all on the subject of the sailing of a second British fleet from Sandy Hook on December 26. Lee’s letter is in PCC, item 78, 14:303 - 4. Washington’s letter and the extract from Wayne’s that he sent to Huntington are in PCC, item 152, 8:271 - 76; the original of Wayne’s letter is in the Washington Papers, DLC.
According to the journals, the "order of Congress" (of December 31) for forwarding the enclosed intelligence directed that it be sent "to the governors of Maryland and Virginia," but no mention was made of North Carolina. JCC, 15:1424. Huntington failed to enclose this intelligence with his letter to Governor Jefferson of Virginia this day, but did so with a brief letter to him of January 3, 1780, which is in the Dreer Signers Collection, PHi.
Huntington apparently sent these enclosures to the chevalier de La Luzerne also, as his presidential letterbook contains the following letter of this date to "The French Minister." "Sir, I do myself the honour to lay before you the important intelligence contain’d in the inclos’d papers." PCC, item 14, fol. 267.