President of Congress Samuel Huntington Writes His Brother on Intelligence Received in Philadelphia from an Important Naval Battle Between the French and English

He also laments that lack of news from the army in the South, which would fight at Yorktown later that year: “We have no intelligence from the Southern Army later than you will find in the papers.”

 

He reports to his brother about the “sudden and violent” retribution by the British against the Dutch for having informally recognized the United States

 

An unpublished letter, written to his brother, for generations in a private collection

 

Free franks of Huntington as President of Congress are very uncommon, the last having sold 30 years ago

Samuel Huntington was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, served as president of the Continental Congress, and was the third governor of Connecticut, serving for ten years, until his death in 1796. Henry Knox served with distinction during the American Revolution, heading the Continental Army artillery, charged with Washington’s famous crossing of the Delaware River, and the successful completion of that mission earned him the promotion to brigadier general. He was one of the founding members of the Society of the Cincinnati and was the nation’s first Secretary of War.

Huntington served in the Congress in the years 1776 and again 1778–1781. When John Jay left to become minister to the Kingdom of Spain, Huntington was elected to succeed him as President of the Continental Congress on September 28, 1779.

The Battle of Cape Henry was fought about 40 miles off the southernmost point of the Chesapeake Bay on March 16, 1781, between a French squadron of eight warships under Commodore Charles-René Sochet, Chevalier des Touches, and 13 British warships under Rear Admiral Marriot Arbuthnot. The battle was something of a tactical victory for the French in that des Touches caused serious damage to Arbuthnot’s three largest vessels, but the British inflicted almost twice as many human casualties and won a major strategic victory in temporarily securing the Chesapeake Bay to support operations in Virginia.

In late 1780, the British learned of the Dutch recognition of the US informally, and set about punishing and declaring war against the Dutch, seizing possessions and arms.

Autograph letter signed, as President of Congress, Philadelphia, March 24, 1781, to his brother Benjamin Huntington. The free frank as President of Congress is still present. Free franks of Huntington as President of Congress are very uncommon, the last having sold 30 years ago. “We have just received an account from the Captain of a vessel who belongs to Newport and is arrived in this river that the French and British fleets which lately left Newport and Gardners Bay fell in with each other a little to the Southward of Cape Henry on the 16th instant when an action commenced between the two fleets.

“The captain says he saw one of the British drove out of the line after which the firing ceased and both fleets were maneuvering, the French being to windward when the informant left them and sailed for this place. This report leaves us still anxious.

“During the action he lay at about three miles distant from the fleets, having sailed from Newport under convoy of the French.

“We have no intelligence from the Southern Army later than you will find in the papers.

“The British manifesto against the Dutch with the sudden and violent proceeding against their shipping and property must have reached you. This comes to hand.

“This event must produce some important change in the affairs of Europe. Time will discover its effect.”

An extraordinary rarity as presidenct of the Continental Congress, with outstanding content about the Revolution. It is also an unpublished letter, written to his brother, and was for generations in a private collection.