The inclosed copy of General Washington's letter to Col. Harrison (1) will give you Some insight into the event of the battle & causes of our miscarriage on Saturday last. It is evident that our men do not want resolution, but they want discipline, if they could have been rallied after the repulse from Chew's house & had renewed the attack when the fog cleared away, it is more than probable that the Enemy rather than risk another onset would have retreated to Chester. Soldiers can not be formed on a sudden, but were our officers better, they might be sooner formed. I am apprehensive the want of money, I mean of good money, will subject us to great difficulties & Such I fear as we shall find almost insurmountable. General Washington is now at Perkiomin 28 miles distant from Pha. Howe is at Chesnut Hill 9 miles from Pha. We this day recd. letters from Albany dated 29th Septr., all things there in Statu quo, except that Lincoln has joined Gates,

   The inclosed account brought by Major Clark it is said may be relied on: if it be true the Enemy must have Suffered considerably. The consternation was great in Pha. & the Tories were preparing for flight. We are on the Confederation: yesterday we determined the manner of voting: each State to have a vote: carried by ten States, N. Carolina divided: Virga. against it. Delaware not represented. Tomorrow we take up the rule for ascertaining the quotas of the Debt; when that question is determined we shall take up the affair of boundaries & back lands.

   Gen. Nash is a loss, in my opinion he would have made an excellent officer in time; he was brave, modest, sensible, attentive, & good tempered.

   By comparing several letters giving an account of the late action I find they all attribute the miscarriage to the Stand the Enemy made at Chew's house, which we wanted cannon to force, & to the fog, which made our enemy mistake some of their own parties for the Enemy.

   When the Confederation is finished I hope Congress & the several States will take into their immediate consideration the recruiting our army, taxing, to bring monies into our treasuries, & supplying our soldiers with necessaries. We must draft from the militia to fill up our regular battalions, no other way I believe will be found to fill them, & to make this more palatable to the People all militia men must stand the draft.

   I am in hopes that General Washington will again attempt something agt. the enemy, as he has recd. since the action a reinforcement of upwards of 1000 Virginians, but these are chiefly militia: unless the Enemy can recruit their army in Pha. they must be very weak in a short time, if frequently attacked. My love to Molly, Mrs Darnall & little ones. I wish you a long enjoy[men]t of health & am, yr. affectionate Son,