[draft] Morris-Town 13 April. 1777 My dear dear Wife I have received yours of the 1st. instant No 4 [struck: but] for which I return you my unfeign'd Love - I am like those who receive the ninety favors and if the other is denied I in part am dissatisfied - How comes it to pass to you did not write me by the last post? were you too buisy? - I can't admit that thought, because I live for you entirely and I hope you do the same for me - you must then have been gone to Brookline to have the Small pox - that is not probable otherwise Harry would have written to me - why then did you not write - don't torment me again - I look for post night as a devout Christian does to the expected moment when he shall receive some signal token of the pleas[ure] of Heaven - I am pleas'd that Crane has at last a prospect of raising his men - America trifles too much with the high matters in which she is engag'd - an infinity of happiness or misery depends upon the success or non success of the [2] present Contest - and yet the people are supine - thank Heaven, the InAbility of our enemy seem proportion'd to our inertion - by the fre[quent] desertions they are very [sickly] die fast - I yesterday was at Newark within 8 miles of New York - the Consequences of Trenton and Princeton affairs were very great - and yet their stay in the Jersies so long was much against us it dissatisfied many people who were partly our friends - as we were oblig'd to give them up and they naturaly embrac'd the power that was able to protect them Their stay gratified the malice of the Tories who took every opportunity to impress upon the minds of the Common people an Idea of the magnitude of the power of great britain, and did actually enlist for the Kings Service, very large numbers of the Mobility - [struck: o] Tho' the present mode of their assistance is but small yet its a very essential [diservis] to us - a party of ours attak'd a party of seventy of these wretches to Humanity routed them and took [5] prisoners - A party of these people are across [3] the [Pessaick] opposite to Newark - Genl Howe seems to intend Philadelphia for his object & we at present judge from some circumstances that he will go partly by land and partly by water - that is he will march some troops below Philadelphia and send his heavy baggeg Artillery &c round by Water - he does look half so formidable this year as he did last God Grant we may dispose these disturbers of Creation of that terror they carry to the women & Children - America owes every [text loss] of her past and present distress to her sel[f and] the want of exertion and to the want of [text loss] among her sons and daughters - half the young married men in [struck: the [illegible [inserted: America] - "Cant go into the service because they are married and have familes - [text loss] I would annihilate such fellows, or transplant them to the Country that I hope one day to conquer - Adieu my love, may God Keep you and return you Safe to him who is affectionately Your H Knox [address leaf] April 13th 4 To Mrs. Lucy Knox Boston [docket] Morris Town 13th April 1777