New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-05-08

AQGtAQnai ilght upon the desperate condition 0
aiialrs, and gives Us clear insight into Washing
tons opinions concerning the Conduct Of certaii
Northern States, al q time when his necessitie
were most pressing. The letter dated at the fail
&L peAaEaFea on the 18th SeptemheT, Iff6, show
how utterly weak in Numbers bis army was at tina
time, and tile little expectation he had Of being
able topTevsnt the capture Of Philadelphia. y et
tWo weeks later he planned and executed one q
Ine most brilliant movements Of the war. crossing
the DelawBFe then DISTRACTED by floating nagn
of ice, lie fsli suddenly upon the Hessipyors+
eanped at TTentons pat them to compiler ,;sca
captured 1000 prisoners, six brass 81 y p Il. !
IOv0 siaaa g sEnas sAa ioqr iaslEl6ont molesta
zion, his former position. Yet = s ~; " @ =
Ais cares aud perplexties q couiu Ing uLe Io
dictate paHs ior the # t. onsebaid Y s
tbs tnls III of the soldier, the politician
and fbs ournTy ssntleman that renders the letters
'ssnder NOTICE. ssattfactiye. Here they are
FANS OF DE1AwARs, S. sIDE,
l0th December I775
DIS, Tfstd Hurried as I am and distressed by i
number Of perplexing circumstances, will write
you few lines ia acknowledgment of your let
aers Of the 10th and 26th ult.
wish to Heaven it was III my peWelsto give you
a more favorable account Of our situation than it
is-onr numbers quite inadequate to the task Of
opposing that part Of the army under the COM
n1an6 Of GenI Howe, being reduced by Sickness
Desertion & Political Deaths ION and before the
first Inst. having assistance from the miiitia}
were obliged to retire before the enemy, who
ne came to this place, where have no idea Of be-
ing able to make stand as my numbers till ioined
by tie Philadelphia militia, did not exceed 5000
men bit for duty now we may be about 5000 to OPP.
pose Howe whole army, that part of it excepted
which sailed under the oomd. of General Clinton
Ttrenlble for Philadelphia nothing III my opinion
but General hee's speedy arrival Eho has been
Tong eApecteds though still at a distance with
about 5000 men) can save it, We have brought
ever and destroyed all the boats re could lay our
hands on upon the Jersey shore, for many miles
ahoye and below this place; but il is next to i'm
possible to guard shore for sixty miles with less
Than hall the enemies numbers when by force or
stratagem they may suddenly attempt a passage
IN many different places. AT present they are en-
eampsd OF uu8rtered along the other shore above
And below as 4rather this place, for we are
epiiged to keep face towards them3, for fifteen
IF you can Get some Holiy Trees ID plant thena
upon the circular banks, in the manner. or rather
fslieSeE than Gnu year or two ago, Should be
gaa OF it. on # good and well Set Holly rannot be-
hads then young and STRAIGHTFORWARD Pines viii do.
e you have mind to try the Sycamore upon some
~ the cross banks In the neck or elsewhere /
n&ye no objection to the experiment; but It runs
40 head that have heard Of some objection to-
Eae sycamore. Near to- or upon the land of
Uolonel Warren Lewis, la Gloucester. have seen
neglected hedges Of it, hut To what cause know
not perhaps Colonel Field Lewis, who think it
was told me they did not answer1 can tell The
be had.
you can get good match and a Young horse
foF tie stallion, should like IT very well but lee
the match be good and the horse handsome TIE
hurried situation am nat present allows me no
time, OF indeed anybody to spare to send the horse
Az n promised Mrs WASHINGTON must therefore,
make the pa greys serve her Little longer. Il
tialzlt there can he any possible shift made with
ouf buying Hlen fer the negroes at tile enormous
price yon speak Of, it ought to be ATTEMPTED as
the price Is too heavy to BE borne with re ii Be
possible 70 aYoid it9 without making the poor ne.
any expense, - thsy certainly have "a Just claim
totheir yletuals and clDaths, Ii they make enough
topurchase them.
Deer 18th Ten miles above tile Falls. This
letter was wrote ID order to send you BY the last
post but ia the multiplicity Is hurry of my busi-y
ness forgot that had wrote it, and therefore Il
vas not sent.
have Since moved up to this place TO be
more convenient to our great and extensive de-
fence of this river. Hitherto by our destruction
Of the boosts, and the vigilance in watching the
fordsOf the river above the falls (which are now
saSneI mgA) we have prevented them from cross
ing but how long we sball be able to do it, God
0nly knows, as they are still hpvering about the
rlgety and If everything else falls we will wait till
the frst OF january, when there will be no other
men 20 oppose them but militia, none Of which
but those from Philadelpha, mentioned in the first
part Of this letter, are yet come ttho' am told
some are expected from the back counties) when
1 Say none but militia am to except the Virginia
regiments and the shattered remnants of SMALL
reduced to- nothing; Weedens which was the
the strongest, not having more than between one
Aulilred and thirty or forty men fit for duty the
rest being n the hospitals. Thes unhappy policy
Of snort enllstmentss and a dependence upon
militia, will, fear, prove the downfall of cur
cause, tho early pointed out with an almostpro
phetick spirit.
Qtr cause has also received o heavy blow in the
captivity OF Gen. Lee. Unhappy man taken BY
bis own imprudance going three or four miles
IRON hls own camp to lodge, and within twenty of
shs enemy notice Of which by a rasealiy Tory
peing given 2 party Of Light horse seized him id
the morning after travelling all night and carried
him ofg IL high triumph, and with every mark Of
lndl gnty-no even suffering him to get his hat or
Surtout Coat The troops that were under his com
Pre- not yet eeEne up With MS though think
Lhey may pe expected t0-m0rroW--a large part Of
ne Jefsegs nave given every proof Of disatfection
eahl Q people can do, and this part of Pennsylya
ma are equally iniInical in short, ypur imagine
Mons can scarce extend to a situation more dis /
saesslng tlan Ininez-onr only dependence here is |
apgn tne SPEEDY enlistment of d new army If this
talls as, think the game will be pretty we'll up as
from dlsalectlon aud want OF spirit and fortitade
me lnha bants instead Of resistance are offering
4. 4 taking projections from Genl Howe
4 send You by Mr. Mercer very pretty mare.
Dnt rather too small Git she had ever been broke
70 ~ for the draft also send you very likely.
y wei as 3 very good horse, to match the bay
you have for Mrs. Washington; but as he has
0een very badly cut be is exceedingly trouble
some, being very vicious; as much SOL | think
a teE mares as any stallion ever met with. Buy
~ morse yon spoke Of, and if you have any i
sn99hey 70 spare OF mine should be glad to have
y laid out on young mares for Breeders.
MatteEs to my view tbnt this / say in confidence /
p you as irend) wear SO unfaYofable an aspect
Slot tnat apprehend half 80 much danger from
aoWe's Army as from the disaffeetion Of the three
states Of New York, Jersey and PennsylyaniaA
s y Wonld look forward Is unfaYorable events,
4 sga XXX accordingly, in such manner, how