Philadelphia July 9th 1782
My De[ar sir,]
The post did not Arrive here till late last night. Your Excellencys favor of the 5th I have just this Moment [received.] I must beg your Excellencys attention for Supp[ort], I [ ] without cash and am paying at the rate of tw[?] and [ ] Interest Per month. I have the pleasure to inform you from official Authority, that on the 21st May the Enemy Came out in force from Savannah to Hains's Bridge about Seven miles - where they were met by General Wayn And totally routed.1 The attack was made about twelve o'Clock at night by the van-guard of G. Wayns Army which was ordered to Charge & which was done with Such resolution and vivacity as to immediately terminate in the total defeat and dispersion of all the British Cavalry and a large body of infantry the whole Commanded by a Colo Brown. The Enemy plunged in a dispersed manner into a thick Swamp, which and under Cover of the night Screened them from total ruin. They lost a great Proportion of their Arms and Horses Which they abandoned to procure personal Safety. Many are Killed and some wounded - Chiefly with the Sword and Bayonets and a number made prisoners. Between twenty & thirty of [ ] horses [have] fallen into our hands and Several more were [ ] on the spot and a great number are yet Straggling in [the s]wamp and such was the dispersed State of the dragoons [and] infantry that they Continued droping in by twos & threes [many] maimed, even Colo Brown and Lieut Colo Ingram did n[ot find their] way to town 'till the second night after the Action a[nd were] unattended.
I have the honor to be with much esteem & regard, Your Excellencys most hble Servt,
J.H.
Receiver's copy, Lee, Horsey, and Carroll Papers deposit (1985), Maryland Historical Society.
1 Anthony Wayne reported this account of his victory over the British forces defending Savannah in a letter of May 24 to Gen. Nathanael Greene, which Greene enclosed in a May 31 letter to President Hanson that was read in Congress this day. PCC, item 155, 2:457 - 64.