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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from John Penn and Cornelius Harnett to Richard Caswell
Harnett, Cornelius, 1723-1781; Penn, John, 1740 or 1-1788
November 02, 1777
Volume 11, Pages 666-667

J. PENN & C. HARNETT TO GOV. CASWELL.
[From Executive Letter Book]


York Town, Nov. 2d, 1777.

Sir:—

By an express who was going to Williamsburg last week, we informed you of the report that General Burgoyne and his whole army had surrendered themselves prisoners of War to General Gates. Yesterday Col. Wilkinson arrived here which enables us to enclose you a copy of the articles of Convention, which circumstance we hope will followed by others of equal importance soon.

General Clinton with 4 or 5000, from the City of York had got possession of Fort Montgomery, and had passed so far up the North River as to burn the little Town of Kingston. They were within a few miles of Albany. Gen. Burgoyne had twelve days provisions, and in strong ground well fortified, in such a situation, the above was a most fortunate event for us.

Gen. Gates is exerting himself against the rest of the British Soldiers in that Quarter. Our Troops are in high spirits having

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been successful in every engagement since the evacuation of Ticonderoga.

We have received no account from General Washington since our last to you, which we expect will be delivered to you before this, as we wrote to George Wythe Esq. in Williamsburg requesting that he would immediately send off our letter by express, and that your Excellency would take care to have expense paid.

Enclosed is a Resolve of Congress appointing the eighteenth day of December for a General thanksgiving throughout the United States. In our last we sent a copy of all the money that has been paid for the use of North Carolina, also several other resolves relating to the recruiting business.

We shall take care to give you the earliest account of whatever changes may happen in our affairs. We have no newspapers to enclose for want of a Press being established in this Town, however we expect one soon.

We are with due respect, sir
your obdt Servts.
J. PENN.
CORN'L HARNETT.

We hope to get over the confederation in a fortnight, we shall transmit a Copy to your Excellency as soon as that event happens, without loss of time.

J. PENN.
C. HARNETT.