The inclosed Copies, you will see must not be made public.1 You will communicate them in Confidence to such Friends as have Discretion. When you have made such prudent Use of them as you shall judge proper, be pleased to send them to the Foot of Pens Hill, because I have no other Copies and should be glad to preserve them.

It is in vain for me to write any Thing of the Northern Department, because you have all the Intelligence from thence, sooner than We have. The General Washington has ordered Morgans Riflemen and two or three more Regiments there. There has been a smart Action near Fort Schuyler, in which, our People were successfull, but with a severe Loss.2

I hope, the Mass. will exert itself now, for the support of Gates and the Humiliation of the blustering Burgoine. It is of vast Importance to our Cause that the Mass. should be exemplary upon this Occasion.

Howes Fleet and Army, are still incognito. When or where We shall hear of them, know not.

We are in deep Contemplation upon the state of our Currency. We shall promise Payment in the Loan offices of the Interest in Bills of Exchange on our Ministers in France.3 But Taxation My dear sir, Taxation, and Oeconomy, are our only effectual Resources. The People this Way are convinced of it and are setting about it with spirit.

Albemarle, Va., 21 August 1777. RC (Adams Papers); printed: Jefferson, Papers , 2:27–29. Jefferson suggested applying for a loan from the Grand Duke of Tuscany, who reportedly had a considerable hoard of crowns in his treasury. Philip Mazzei was recommended as a suitable agent to negotiate the loan. Jefferson also speculated upon the mystifying maneuvers of Howe, then threatening the shores of Virginia.

The loss of Ty is in a train of serious enquiry.1 Altho this disaster for the present is grievous, yet I think it has put Burgoyne into our power, and I hope he will not be suffered to slip out of it. Mr Howe has planned his operations in such a manner, as to give us a vast advantage, both of him and Burgoyne. He is at the head of Elke2 about 55 miles from this city. Genl Washington is at Wilmington, about 15 miles on this side of him, with a noble army of continental troops, and a large body of militia, which is constantly and rapidly increasing. Whether the General will be compelled to depart from his Fabian System or not time will discover. A general action, successful to us is destructive to them—and even if they should be successful and keep the field, they will loose so many men, as to be crippled after it whereas I think 277we should be able speedily to reinforce our army, notwithstanding the panic and consternation which would follow a defeat.