The writings of George Washington; being his correspondence, addresses, messages, and other papers, official and private, selected and published from the original manuscripts; with a life of the author, notes and illustrations. By Jared Sparks.

PARTII.] THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 55
strictly forbid any similar infringement of the rules of
propriety for the future; provided these steps have not
been already taken. As you have given me no information of such an incident, I suppose the report must
have been without foundation; but I mention this, lest
it might have happened, as I should wish, of all things,
to avoid giving any cause of complaint in this way.
I should be glad to hear how the enemy are situated,
and what they seem to be about. Send out reconnoitring parties under good, intelligent officers, to inspect
the different parts of their camp, and gain as exact an
insight as possible into their circumstances, and let me
know the result of their observations. Endeavour also
to procure some of the country people in the neighbourhood, in whom you can repose confidence, to go
into their lines and make what discoveries they can.
As an inducement to this, they must be properly rewarded. I am, Sir, &c.
TO MAJOR-GENERAL HEATH.
Wilmington, 7 September, 1777.
DEAR SIR,
Since General Howe's debarkation in Elk River he
has moved on about seven miles; his main body now
lies at Iron Hill, and ours near a village called Newport.
In this position the armies are from eight to ten miles
apart. It is yet very uncertain what General Howe's
plan of operations will be. Some imagine that he will
extend himself from the head waters of the Chesapeake to the Delaware, and by these means not only
cut off the counties on the Eastern Shore of Maryland,
and two of those belonging to the Delaware State, from
affording us any assistance, but will secure the horses,