Letter, William Ledyard to Charles-René-Dominique Sochet Destouches, 1781 March 1

Autograph letter, signed by Ledyard dated March 1, 1781. Ledyard writes an eyewitness report on the disposition of "the British Fleet in Gardiners Bay," observing that "there has been more or less of the small ships moving out and in almost every day, have this moment taken a full View of the Fleet in the Bay with a good glass the weather being very clear find there is the same Number of Ships of the Line as there was when I wrote last some of which appear to have altered their Station in the Line." He also notes the appearance of something that looked like a floating battery but no shore batteries.