To Thomas Jefferson from James Innes, 18 April 1781
From James Innes
Williamsburg April 18th 1781.
Wednesday night 12 o’Clocke
Sir
Since writing to you this afternoon at four o’Clocke I have received the inclosed Intelligence which I take the earliest opportunity of communicating to your Excellency. Possibly we may at this post feel the Influence of the Enemy in their passage yet I am Confident their main operations are intended higher up Jas. River.
I have the honor to be very respectfully yr Excellency’s obt Sevt,
Jas. Innes
RC (Vi); endorsed. The date was corrected by Innes by overwriting from “17th” or “19th” or perhaps from both. Enclosure missing, but its substance can be deduced from a letter (in NHi) written by Innes at the same time to Steuben, beginning: “Since writing to you this Evening at 4 o’clock, I have received Intelligence that fourteen Sail of the Enemy’s vessells, two of which carry Cavalry are ascending James River and were this Evening several miles advanced up. At the Stern of the vessells, there are a number of flat bottomed Boats.”