To George Washington from the Pennsylvania Council of Safety, 12 December 1776
From the Pennsylvania Council of Safety
In Council of Safety Philadelphia 12th December 1776
Sir
The Council are Obliged to your Excellency for the intelligence ⅌ Colonel Humpton and you may be assured of our strict attention to every object which your Excellency shall think proper to recommend1—The inclosed is Copy of a Letter just recieved advising of the appearance of two Vessels of War at our Capes, we though it of importance to communicate it to you & have sent off Lieutenant Butler Express therewith2—We are sorry to inform you that the want of Men is such that we are unable to furnish Colonel Humpton with a proper number to execute your purposes fully, nevertheless we shall detach a party who may at least Answer the purpose of Observation. By order of Council I have the Honor to be with great respect Sr your Very Hume Servant
Tho. Wharton junr Presidt
LS, DLC:GW; Df, PHarH: Records of Pennsylvania’s Revolutionary Governments, 1775–90.
2. The enclosed copy of the letter that Henry Fisher wrote to the council of safety on 11 Dec. at Lewes, Del., reads: “Last Evening came in & Anchor’d in Our Road the Roebuck & a Sloop of War, & Remain here still, if they should Move upwards, I shall give the general Alarm by Water & Land, when the Ships came in, they had the Wind to the Eastward & might have fetch’d up the Bay, if they were inclin’d so to do” (DLC:GW).