Page:American Historical Review, Volume 12.djvu/354

344 Docitvients [ who during the Sickness of Schuyler, commanded the Army sent against I St. John's, being totally defeated, having lost about a Thousand Men ' and several officers of rank, but this will never be generally known in - this Country, and private Letters from New York say every human ' Artifice has been made use of to prevent its being made known. If true as I make little doubt and sincerely wish it, we will first see the account from England. I have troubled you with this long incorrect scrawl (which I have not time to copy) to give you some idea of our Situation, I treated and dispised as the most worthless of mankind, for adhering to i the Government, under which we were born, have lived, and till of late ' been happy. It is certainly a mistaken lenity to leave the Friends of | the present Establishment at the mercy of those doing their utmost to | overturn it, and {line torn off' hoped that next summer Great Britain i will exert her utmost vigour to crush this ungrateful Rebellion, and send out an Army sufficient to disperse Washington's and a Fleet to convince '■ the City of Philadelphia that it is not inaccessable. It at present rests j secure that some floating Batteries they have built are capable of defend- | ing them, and it is said they are building a Sixty Gun Ship, and fitting j out Privatiers. Should a British Fleet get up to Philadelphia I imagine | there would be no occasion to proceed to extremeties, every thing would ; be given up to save it from destruction. I hope the Ministry will no longer be intimidated by the Clamours of the wretched Remnant of a disappointed Faction, from prosecuting the War with vigour and de- priving America of supplies of Goods arms and amunition, of all which they have this summer smuggled considerable quantities, and it has not been in the power of the few Vessels station'd here to stop them. Unless a Packet is established from Britain directly to Virg", You must be very cautious what you write, the Congress has now erected a Post office and in all probability Letters from Britain will all be opened and any thing _Hvo lines torn off~ may always be mentioned. The 17th. This day Lord Dunmore and the Troops returned, there were five of the Princess Anne men kill'd at Kemps, two drown'd and fourteen Prison- ers or some say fifteen. So many Falsities are daily circulated, that we can hardly credit anything that passes through a number of hands. That we may again see Peace and good Government firmly established, and be enabled to do Justice to all Mankind, is my most fervent wish. I forgot to tell you that about 300 P. Anne Men have come in and sworn allegiance Yesterday and to day the Oaths have been administered to the people of Norfolk, our turn I imagine will be next I am with great sincerity Dear Sir Your most obed. Servt. [Indorsement] John Johnson was the person confined in Hampton as above men- tioned with Warwick and Wallace. H. W. R. CURLE.