Letter from John Cox to Jasper Yeates

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Philadelphia, July 13, 1776.

MY DEAR FRIEND: The enclosed letter came to hand a day or two after you left Philadelphia. My young man, not knowing but that you intended returning home this way, kept it till I came home.

Our Militia are all in motion, except three companies that are ordered to stay to guard the frigates, &c. The last of the Second Battalion will march off this afternoon, and I shall follow them this evening or tomorrow morning as their Lieutenant-Colonel. Where we shall go, or how long we shall continue in the service, God only knows. Our first encampment will be at Trenton, where I suppose we shall continue a few days, and advance towards the enemy. I am told the Militia of your County turn out with great cheerfulness. I make no doubt of our being able to muster twenty thousand men by the last of next week; if so, I take it there will be two to one in favour of our being ordered to dislodge the enemy, now at Staten Island; if so, I hope and pray we may distinguish ourselves as men fighting for everything that is valuable and dear.

We have got one of the most gentlemanly fighting fellows you ever knew to command our privateer; and hope it will not be long before we shall be in possession of half a dozen rich sugar and dry-goods ships.

Whenever you find it convenient, you will remit to my brother William two hundred pounds, which will be somewhere about the amount of your share of the vessel. Should anything extraordinary turn up on the present campaign, you may expect to hear from me. I hope you reached home without any accident, and that you are all the better for your jaunt.

I shall be much obliged by your setting the matter with Captain Patterson as soon as possible, as God only knows whether I ever shall return; and I should like matters so settled as to give those who come after me as little trouble as possible.

God bless and protect you and yours, and believe me to be, with unfeigned sincerity, your affectionate and humble servant,
JOHN COX.

To Jasper Yeates, Esq.

P˙ S˙ The packet mentioned above has been delivered to Colonel Ross, by his particular request.