Sir, Camp at Fort Constitution 26 Sept. 1776

Your favour of 20 enclosing a Letter for Col: Grubb did not reach me1 til last Evening. He returned with his Regiment about a fourtnight ago & is now I hope at his Works making Cannon, for I assure you that in my Opinion nothing is more wanted than Artillery and the forming a regular Army well officerd, with these we can certainly gain our great End.

The Enemy have taken possession of Pawlus hook. It is a small peninsula. The Causeway wch. leads to it was coverd by their men of war & the whole commanded by them. I can see no use it was of to us. Our Troops make a Stand at Bergen two miles from Pawlus hook. We have 2500 there & as many here under Major Genl. Greene with whom I went to Bergen on hearing of the Attack at the hook expecting the Enemy might attempt to push up this side as the movements of their Fleet & Army before & since then seems to shew they are meditating some Blow. We are in good spirits to recive them but our men will soon be out of spirits unless some Method is fallen on to cloth them & furnish Blankets. I am told Commissioners from Congress have come to Genl. Washington on that Subject & that you have determined to establish 88 Regiments. If the office I am in is to be establish’d on a good footing or a Division made in the Q.M. Genls. by the North River I am willing to continue in the service tho’ my Department is the most Troublesome in the Army. When anything offers I request your Interest and am with great respect Sir Your mo. obedt. Servt.

Clement Biddle

RC ; addressed: “To Robert Treat Paine Esqr. Philadelphia”; endorsed.

1.

Clement Biddle (1740–1814) was a Philadelphia merchant active in provincial politics. In July 1776 Congress appointed him lieutenant colonel and deputy quartermaster general of the “Flying Camp,” a volunteer militia raised for the protection of Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, and Delaware. That November, Biddle became aide-de-camp to Gen. Nathanael Greene. From July 1777 to June 1780 he was commissary general of forage. After the war he served as a judge and U.S. marshal for Pennsylvania ( ANB ).