Sir,

COL. ADAM HUBLEY TO PRES. REED, 1781.

Lancaster, August 12th, 1781.

Your favour of the 6th instant (Express) came safe to hand last evening.

After taking every precaution for removing the stores and securing the Prisoners, &c., at this place, in case of a forward movement of the Enemy as was expected, and ordering four Batallions of Militia to hold themselves in readiness to march on the shortest notice. I (being greatly disappointed by a number of People, whom I expected would turn out Volunteers for the purpose of collecting intelligence of the opperations of the Enemy) with Colo. Ross, on the 8th, went to Charles-town and places Adjacent, to inform ourselves of their movements.

I now beg leave to communicate to your Excellency such intelligence, which I collected from the most intelligent people of that Country.

It appears the fleet, with about 1200 (some say 2000) troops, on the 6th instant, seemingly stood up the Chesapeak, making a half Circle, round a place call'd the Horse-shoe,-Wind & Tide being unfavourable, oblidg'd them to put into the Western shore at the mouth of York River, near Hampton Road. Here they continued for some small time, and then took a position so as to moove either pu the Bay, Potomack, or Rapahanock, as circumstances would admit.

It appears rather difficult to make any thing of their present movements.-Conjectures are various, some are of oppinion their Object is Baltimore, some, they mean to push up one of those rivers, to distress the Country; others they mean to make a rappid moove up the Bay and attempt a rescue of their Prisoners at York & this place, but the more general oppinion is (which to me seems to carry some degree of probability) they are prepar'd for an immediate push to New York should that place be invaded, as is expected.

However, our situation here is such as to admit of a surprize, if not the greatest precaution is taken, and therefore we ought to be prepared at all times.

On the 11th, after having settled, for the purpose of conveying intelligence from Charlestown, a chain of Communication,-I returned to this place, and shall now wait your further orders.

I cannot but Confess I was exceedingly distress'd on receiving your letter-Our want of Arms, &c., is truly alarming,-and the militia here knowing their situation in that particular, seem absolutely cool,-the Cry is give us Arms, and we will readily do our duty, but without them nothing can be expected or done from us, our safety must depend (in our situation) on our flight.

I must beg your Excellency will press the forwarding of those which are prepared for this place. No time should be lost. Our

situation is not the most desirable,-the Enemy, should they incline this way, must carry their point, as our opposition could be but faint, owing to the want of Arms, &c.

I think it would not be amiss, (considering our present situation) if a few pieces of Artillery were stationed here, they would answer various good purposes, amongst others, that of perfecting the Recruits of late Proctor's Regiment. stationed here, in Exercise

I am sincerely, your Excellency's

most obt & very humble serv',

AD HUBLEY, J. L' L' C.

I must beg your Excellency's attention to my last.

Directed,

(On public service.)

His Excellency, Joseph Reed, Esquire, President of Penn", Philadelphia,

ARCH'D MCCLEAN TO PRES. REED, 1781.

May it please your Excellency,

York Town, August 13th, 1781.

On my Return home from Philadelphia, which was on the Monday after I had the Pleasure of last Conversing with you, I had an opportunity of writing to my Brother Alexander at Red Stone and took the Liberty of informing him of your Excellency's having received a Letter from the Governor of Virginia and the Proposals therein Contained, & also of your Excellency's Acquiescence therewith, & Proposal of appointing him (Alexander,) on the part of this State to assist in running a temporary Line.

Also I found that a Letter had been received by Mrss. M Lean from Alexander whilst I was at Philadelphia directed to me, and which as a great part thereof contains Matters which deeply concerns the State, and as the account given thereof by him I have full Confidence may be relied on, I have used the Liberty to inclose that part thereof to your Excellency for your Information; The whole being lengthy and the other parts respecting some matters between the Surveyor General and him, I have therefore copied so much of Page 3 as finished the Paragraph, and the account of the Situation of the Country.

I have received no Letter from him since, but hath certain accounts from an Inhabitant of those Parts who left my Brother's House about Ten Days ago, That Alexander is drafted to go on an Expedition to the westward with General Clark and that he was actually gone to Fort Pitt on the Day before the Person left Home who informed me.

This I would suppose is in Consequence of the Result of the Hannah's Town Committee as it is Called in my Brother's Letter, and I am well assured he must have went with great Reluctance on any Virginia Expedition, unless there are Orders from your Excellency and the Honourable Board for that Purpose.

I the rather mention this Circumstance, That should your Excellency and the Honourable Board, appoint him to assist in Running the Tempory Line you may be informed whither he is gone, and Ï am farther assured That as I had informed him of your Excellency's Intentions, he would not at this Time have set out on a Virginia Affair were it not That he must have apprehended danger from the Arbitrary Measures pursued by the Virginians or those who Call themselves so in that Quarter.

If there are Orders from this State for the Draft I shall then be satisfied; If not I would pray your Excellency and your Honourable Board That if possible a speedy stop may be put to such Proceedings and that if he is drafted by Virginia as a Citizen of that State, he be recalled in some effectual way.

When your Excellency shall have satisfied yourself and the Honourable Board with reading the parts of the Letter, be pleased to pardon me in requesting your Excellency to hand it over to the Surveyor General, to whom I have sent the other part and hath requested him to return the Whole thereof unto me.

On public Service.

your Excellency's obliged and

most obedient humble Servant, ARCH. McCLEAN.

His Excellency, Joseph Reed, Esquire, President, &c., Philadelphia.

P. S. At the Foot of the part of the Paragraph which I Copied I mentioned the Distance that my Brother liveth from the South and West Bounds of this State, in Order to shew your Excellency how far the State of Virginia Extend their Depredations within this State.

MONS. HOLKER AND DE BARRAS TO

Gentlemen:

1781.

Philadelphia, Aug. 14th, 1781.

I have the honor to communicate to you an extract of a letter I have received from Mons' de Barras commanding the French squadron at New Port by which you will perceive how desirous he is that the

most efficacious measures may be immediately taken for seizing and detaining all French seamen serving on board continental ships of war, Privateers, or merchantmen, as well as all those remaining in Philadelphia or its neighbourhood, that they may be ready for the first opportunity that shall offer of employing them on board the king's ships.

I earnestly request you Gentlemen to inform me whether you' can give me any, and what assistance in this business and that you. will honor me with your advice thereon, Agreeing to defray myself all charges that may be incurred on this occasion.

Extract of a letter from Mons De Barras commanding the French fleet to Mons'r Holker Consul of France.

Newport, July 28th, 1781.

"I think it necessary to inform you that it would contribute vastly to the good of the King's service if from this date to the last of the month of August next you caused to be shipped all French sailors that may be at Philada. I presume that in the course of this month I may be able to send some vessels into the river Delaware which might receive on board such sailors and bring them to this squadron which is very much in want of them. If on the other hand we cannot secure all sailors navigating on these seas the King must of necessity lay by his fleet. The Merchants of the state of Massachusetts have determined among themselves to forbid all captains sailing in their employ whether in privateers or merchantmen to receive on board any French sailors, they have even gone farther and ordered that they be stopped and brought to the French fleet. It were to be wished that the merchants of Pensylvania would do as much, for even if such a resolution did not procure us many Seamen it would have a tendency to prevent their desertion by informing them that no employ would be given but on the contrary that they should be sent back to the fleet.

C. HAYS AND THOMAS SCOTT TO PRES. REED, 1781.

Westmoreland, August 15th, 1781. May it please your Excellency and honors,

Agreeable to the desire of council, expressed in your letter of the 23d of July last, and upon full consideration of the circumstances attending, and conciquences like to flow from the business, we nominate Edward Cook, Esqr, For Lieutenant of the county of Westmoreland.

We do not expect less than a clamour, perhaps some pettitions on this subject: but a consideration of duty to council and our country, with us, far exceeds those trifels, and for our comfort, we are convinced such clamours, &c., will only have the countinance of such as have been profiters by public default, and those who they, by mere dint of Detraction, may be able, for a time, to delude into their measures.

We doubt not some Complaints may reach Council of this gentleman and some others in trust under the state in this country, being great enemies to General Clark's expedition, this is not the fact, the truth of the matter is, the General's Expedition has been wished well, and volantiers to that service have been Incouraged, by all With whom we corispond; but we have heartily reprobated the General's Standing over these two counties with armed force, in order to dragoon the Inhabitants into obedience to a draft under the laws of Virginia, or rather under the arbitrary orders of the officers of that Government, without any orders from Virginia for that purpose, and this is realy the part the General hath acted, or rather the use which has been made of him in this country.

Mr. McClean's Instructions are come to hand, and we hope a short time will put an End to this unhapy dispute.

We have the honour to be,

your Excellencies and honours

most obedient and very,

humble servants,

CHRIST HAYS,

THOMAS SCOTT.

Directed,

His Excellency, Joseph Reed, Esquire, President of Pennsylvania.

INHABITANTS OF WASHINGTON, TO PRES. REED, 1781.

Honble Sir,

August 15th, 1781.

Farr from Prejudice and Party Faction, disengaged at Present in the following Narrative, willing to see Justice, without favour or affection Distributed, give us Leave to trouble your Hon' With a detail of measures at present adopted for Magistrates in this Quarter, ("Washington County.")

At a Time when many People in this County look'd on Themselves bound by their oath of Fidelity to the State of Virginia, untill