To John Jay from James Duane, 2 December 1777
From James Duane
York Town Penns. 2d. Decr. 1777—
Dear Sir,
I have had so much Publick Business on my hands that I have been unavoidably deprived of paying that Attention to my Friends which always gives me Pleasure.1 As one of the Number I have the Honour of considering yourself; & of you I have not been entirely unmindful— At the same time that I cannot boast of much Encouragement: or any great Merit.
To the Governour and Council of Safety I have communicated every Occurrence of Moment & doubt not from your publick Station that you have had an Opportunity of Information.
Since my last publick dispatches the Confederacy & An address to the Legislatures; & a System for supporting the publick Credit have rec’d the Sanction of Congress & are now forwarded to each State. The Confederacy I presume will please. If it is objected to I shall despair of the Happiness of this Country, notwithstanding the bright prospect of our affairs.2
Fort Mercer at Redbank soon followed the Example of Fort Mifflin having been evacuated on the approach of Lord Cornwallis, who meant to besiege instead of storming it; and the Troops sent to support the Garrison, under Genl. Green, coming up too late.3 In Consequence several of our Vessels of War were burnt by ^our own People to prevent their falling into the hands^ of the Enemy. General Howe will of Course be master of the Delaware and enable his Brother to bring up the British Fleet to the City. After all this Success they must feel their Debility; having no Army to pursue those vast projects of Conquest which they contemplated— Burgoine’s total defeat must work the Ruin of their affairs, as the whole Strength of the united States will be now centered in one Object—to watch and defeat the Designs of these ill fated Brothers. What will be the plan of Winter Operations I cannot yet tell you— Our Troops are ill clad & the weather is uncommonly severe for this Climate. This day we have a deep Snow— Whether they will be able to keep the Field and act offensively I cannot decide.
I have leave of Absence at last, I shall set out as soon as Mr Morris or Mr Lewis arrives after a painful Service of more than eight months.4
The enclosed Letter for you from Europe I have the pleasure of forwarding— And am with Compts. to our friendly Circle Dr Sir Your Affte & Obt Servt
Jas. Duane
Honl John Jay Esqr.
ALS, NNC (EJ: 5561). Endorsed. Enclosure not located; possibly the letters from Silas Deane, referred to in JJ to Robert Morris, 26 Dec. 1777, below.
1. Duane had been reelected a New York delegate to the Continental Congress on 3 Oct. 1777. He had been attending Congress continuously since 16 Apr. 1777. , 2: lviii.
2. The Continental Congress on 22 Nov. 1777 approved a plan to raise $5 million from the states. , 9: 955–58.
3. Colonel Christopher Greene (1737–81), a distant relative of General Nathanael Greene and under his general command, directed the defenses of Fort Mercer, N.J., on the Delaware River, against an unsuccessful British attack in October 1777. However, the evacuation on 15–16 Nov. of Fort Mifflin, a post on the river opposite Fort Mercer, made the latter post untenable, and it was evacuated 20–21 Nov.
4. Both Francis Lewis and Gouverneur Morris, two members of the New York delegation to the Continental Congress, had been reelected 3 Oct. 1777. Lewis had been left out of the delegation in the May 1777 election and did not take his seat until 5 Dec. Gouverneur Morris, although elected in both May and October, did not attend in 1777. , 2: lviii, lix.