To George Washington from Major General Thomas Mifflin, 27 July 1777
From Major General Thomas Mifflin
Philadelphia Sunday Morning 9 OClock
[27 July 1777]
My dear General
A Gentleman well known in this City is this Minute come to Town from little Egg Harbour. He declares he saw Seventy Sail of Vessels at 4 OClock Yesterday Afternoon pass by little Egg Harbour toward Cape May. I enclos’d to you a Letter from Doctor McGinnis to Colonel Bradford on the same Subject.1 The Destination of General Howe cannot now be mistaken as Egg Harbour or but a few Hours Sailing from our Capes. I have the Honour to be Your Excellency most Obt Hle St
Tho. Mifflin
ALS, DLC:GW. The cover, which contains Mifflin’s signed note to “Let the Bearer pass,” is addressed to GW “on the Route from Morristown to Philadelphia.” The cover also contains a note by an unidentified writer that reads: “Express Ride to Coryels Ferry, then to Flemingtown where Col. Thomas Lowry will give you directions where to find his Excellency the General.”
1. Dr. John McGinnis’s letter to “Col. [William] Bradford [Sr] at the [London] Coffee house Philadelphia,” written at Little Egg Harbor, N.J., on Saturday 26 July 1777, reads: “This morning halfe after Eight I Discovered Seventy Saile Beating to windard the wind at South making Short Tackes and keeping the Shore Close aboard Six hevy Ships just of the mouth of Little Eagg harber” (DLC:GW).