To George Washington from Brigadier General James Potter, 11 November 1777
From Brigadier General James Potter
11th Novr 1777—ten oClock
Sir
yesterday I sent Col. Rankan and Capt. Livis to Give me an account of the fiering Rankan is Returned,1 and Says that about eight OClock there was an Attact maid on Rid Bank which continued one hour and a half about 1 oClock the 2 Attact Began and Continued upwards of one hour, and about 3 oClock the attacted again and Continued about 3 Quarters of an hour about one quarter after 3 oClock the Began again and Continued about one hour and a half and After the small Arms Seased, the Cannaiding Continued about 3 minits, and all seased Col. Rankan is Confidant that the fourt is ours yet and says he will wiger his hors, aganst a gill of Whisque I hope your Excelancy will have Glouris Accounts from Rid Bank. I am your Excelanceys Most obedant humble Servant.
AL, DLC:GW. The cover indicates that Potter sent this letter “pr favour of Capt. Ward.”
1. Thomas Levis (1740–1817), a prominent citizen of Chester County, Pa., was a captain in the 3d Regiment of Chester County militia and a county sublieutenant. Levis was elected a sheriff in Chester County in 1782. William Rankin, of Newberry Township in York County, Pa., who became colonel of the 5th Regiment of York County Associators in July 1775, served as colonel of the 2d Regiment of York County militia in 1777 and 1778. In March 1781 he was arrested for holding a traitorous correspondence with the British and was jailed in York County, but he escaped and fled to New York City. Rankin went to England when the British evacuated the city in 1783 (see Pennsylvania Gazette [Philadelphia], 16 May 1781). The British government compensated Rankin for the confiscation of his York County estate of over 2,000 acres (ibid., 27 Mar. 1782).