Show S y V IN A revolutionary CW letter of gen greene discussing strategies of 1777 in a sale i A particularly bood lett gen nathaniel greene was bold ti palla delphia a few days ago the lh l h bork almea says it la addressed 10 uen and Is dated camp at cross roads august 17 1777 it Is la part 1 I readily the ety ot your observation that delays are dangerous and that the prime ot the season la wasting while we are basking in the sunshine of pennsyl vanla but repentance often comes too late could we have divined how gen bowe would have directed his future operations some part of your plan might have been carried into ex the destruction of gen bur goynes army la ot the first ob ejects upon the continent bat how to effect it ts the question you see he moves with caution notwithstanding our army flies before him it Is now a month since be landed at his ad danced parties have advanced only about twenty or thirty miles and noab ing or next to nothing to oppose him sure I 1 am he never would hav dared to penetrate an inch it he add met with a serious opposition could I 1 persuade myself that burgoyne would not retreat upon the northern ardys being reinforced I 1 would run all the hazard to attempt his destruction but I 1 am well persuaded that he would retreat immell abely to ticonderoga where it would bo out of our power to do him any great injury our situation Is not a little awk ward burled in the country out of the hearing of the enemy his excel lency washington Is exceeding am patient but it Is said it philadelphia Is abst au Is ruined it ts a great object to be sure but not of that great magnitude that it claims rest assured we shall not remain idle long this Is a curious campaign in the spring we had the enemy about our ears every hour the northern army could neither eee nor hear of an enemy now they have got the en emy about their heads and we have lost ours 1 I can assure you I 1 was no aavo cate of coming so hastily here for I 1 ever thought gen motions very equivocal but the loss of palla delphia would injure us more than our taking new york would them and it not certain our rapid march did not hinder the enemy from coming up the bay to the alty that they were moving about the coast tor several days Is very certain this letter brought at the phil adelphia la sale |