Dear Sir: It is some time since I had the pleasure of writing to or receiving a Letter from you. The weight of Business which has lain upon both our hands, has I dare say hindered us from writing Letters, but when absolutely necessary.

    The Enemy, by two lucky Strokes at Trenton and Princeton, have been obliged to abandon every part of Jersey, except Brunswick and Amboy and the small tract of Country between them, which is so intirely exhausted of Supplies of every kind, that I hope, by preventing them from sending their foraging Parties to any great distance, to reduce them to the utmost distress, in the course of this Winter.

    Colo. Dayton arrived from the Northward a few days ago; he informs me that the time of most of his Regiment expires in February; but that they are extremely anxious to get down to this part of the Country, where many of them have Families and Connections, who they suppose must have suffered many hardships, as the Enemy were for some time in possession of the Country and committed every kind of Depredation upon the Inhabitants; he thinks, if they were brought down here, before they are discharged, that most of them might be induced to inlist for the War, which would be a thing to be wished for, as I am told they are a fine body of Men and well acquainted with this Country, which will in all probability be the scene of action next Campaign.

    I would not give Colo. Dayton any kind of promise to withdraw the Regiment from Ticonderoga one day before their time expires, without consulting you, and I do it now only, for the reasons before mentioned.⁵⁸

[Note:Col. Elias Dayton commanded the Third New Jersey Regiment, which had been stationed on the western frontiers of New York and was ordered to Ticonderoga near the end of the year, where it was stationed under Lieut. Col. Francis Barber. The situation is described in a letter from Barber to Dayton from Mount Independence, opposite to Ticonderoga, which Sparks quotes: "We have now reached the 12th of February, but have made no advances towards New Jersey. What is yet worse, there is not the least prospect of our departure, notwithstanding our soldiers' times are expiring in thick succession. The time I long dreaded has come, when the virtue of our men is tried in such delicate circumstances, they being detained on this ground after their times are out, their native province and friends suffering by the depredations of the enemy, and a most poisonous example set them here by regiments quitting the ground immediately on the expiration of their enlistments. As yet they are quiet, but I fear I shall have much trouble with them before we are relieved. I have written to General Schuyler, according to your directions, and received his answer requesting my exertions to detain the men until troops can arrive sufficient to garrison this post, We have now the dull prospect of lingering out perhaps two months longer in the disagreeable state of a separation of soul and body; for you must certainly suppose our hearts are in New Jersey, though our bodies are on Mount Independence. The men think very hard of their fate; they repeat your promises; they mention the circumstances of their State, friends, and property; arguments which cause me a difficulty to answer." ]