Journal of Captain John Montresor, August 15, 1777

At half past 5 this morning, the Fleet weighed, wind ahead. Both Capes to be seen from the decks. Wind at W. by S—weather fine, but very hot, water smooth. The Capes rather low land. The sea here is coloured of a sap green, but not lively. Our course to sea S. Easterly stretching out to get to windward up a shoal on the North Side the Entrance of the Bay. At 8 A. M. Fleet tacked again to get into Chesapeak Bay. Latitude (at noon) 37° 3'. Ebb made full calm and the Fleet came to an anchor in 8½ Fathoms. At ½ past one P. M. the wind sprung up at South and the Fleet weighed and sailed. The heat of this day (although on Board) very horrid. At 12 this night came to an anchor in 4 Fathoms of water on the Bank, the wind heading and the Ebb running about 4 Knots. The bearings from our anchorage as follows—Cape Charles North ¼ East. Cape Henry S. West by South.

SOURCE: G. D. Scull, Editor, The Montresor Journals, p. 437

Journal of Captain John Montresor, August 16, 1777

At 6 o'clock this morning the Fleet weighed. Wind still unfavorable W. N. W. and 9½ A. M. the Admiral came to an anchor, the tide of Ebb, running strong. Weather very fine but very hot. At 10 A. M. wind N. W. The Flood runs longest under Cape Henry. The Fleet though very extensive may be said now to be all within the Cape. Anchorage 9 Fathoms and very strong. Tide running between 3 or 4 Knots. This evening the packet from England in 10 weeks and last from New York, in 14 days joined our Fleet. This day we spared a Horse Sloop in Quarter Master Gen'ls Department, one But of Water or they must have thrown their horses overboard. Delivered from the Schooner. Latitude (at Noon) 36° 59′ Cape Henry bore N. W. by W. Distance 2 leagues. Sounded then in 9 Fathoms water on hard sand. At 1½  P. M. weighed N. N. E. and sailed up the Bay of Chesapeak and anchored at half past 6 in 6 Fathoms water on a muddy bottom. Wind N. N. East a hard gale of wind came on as the night did and blew until ½ past 11, when a tempest came on, the whole continued with incessant sharp lightning and loud thunder and continued till 2 next morning with constant showers of rain. The timely getting into Port and to an anchor was a most providential matter for the Army and Fleet. Intrenched the Narrows in Chesapeak Bay nearly abreast of Winter Harbour on the west side and Nassawatting on the East, being about thirty miles to the Northward of Cape Henry.

SOURCE: G. D. Scull, Editor, The Montresor Journals, p. 438

Journal of Captain John Montresor, July 17, 1777

Embarked from New York for the Chesapeak. ½ past seven this afternoon the Commander in Chief left New York and embarked on board His Majesty's Ship the Eagle—Lord Howe—lying off the watering place at Staaten Island. Sailed to Rhode Island Major-General Pigot.

SOURCE: G. D. Scull, Editor, The Montresor Journals, p. 428

Journal of Captain John Montresor, July 31, 1777

At 4 this morning wind S. W. to S.—light breezes. The Light house on Cape Henlopen bore W. N. Westerly 7 leagues, at which time Sounded in 9 Fathoms water. At 2 o'clock this morning the whole fleet tacked about and steered out to sea about a S. E. course after 12 o'clock wind headed, the Fleet then kept away E. S. East, Latitude at noon in 38° 44". At 10 this morning we lost sight of the land from the deck of our Ship. The weather fine and the sea smooth, the season cool which is very fortunate for the Troops. At ½ past 3 o'clock P. M. the fleet tacked and steered a W. S. West course. At Sunset the fleet tacked again and steered E. S. East. Continued about this course the whole night with a tumbling sea and blowing fresh with close reefed topsails. The Roebuck 40 Guns Ship stationed so long in the Delaware joined our fleet. But one of the vessels out of the 5 in the Engineers Department have hitherto escaped being damaged. Conjectured by the course we steered to be for Chesapeak Bay.

SOURCE: G. D. Scull, Editor, The Montresor Journals, p. 431

Journal of Nicholas Cresswell, Monday, June 6, 1774

This is the Capital town or rather City in the Province and the seat of the Governor, situated at the Head of Chesapeake Bay. It is not very large or populous, but regularly built and some of them good buildings. They are now building an elegant State House of Brick, which is to be covered with Copper. A place of very little trade, chiefly supported by the meeting of the Provincial Assembly. There is a great number of people collected together to get Bills of Credit out to the Provincial Loan Office. A considerable sum in Four, Three, Two, One, Two-thirds, One-third and One-Ninth of a Dollar Bills, is struck in these Bills of Credit by an Act of the Provincial Assembly. An office is opened and the money divided into Lots of 1000 Dollars each. Any person a resident in the Province may take up a Thousand Dollars, if he has an Estate in the Province of twice the Value and clear of Entail or Mortgage, which Estate he Mortgages into the Office as security for the money, which he has at 4 per cent for Ten years, and then the Bills are called into the office again. It is Death to Sell or Mortgage an Estate that is Mortgaged to this Office till the expiration of the time, and in default of paying the interest the Treasurer of the Loan Office has a right to sell the whole estate and appropriate the whole of the money to the Province's use. These Bills are a lawful tender and the greatest part of the business is done with this sort of money. Not only this Province, but every Province, and Colony on the Continent has large sums of this kind of money issued by their different Houses of Assembly. I suppose the Credit of these Bills must be indisputable, if one may be allowed to judge from the number of people that apply for them. It appears to me that there is a scarcity of Cash amongst the people of all ranks here. They Game high, Spend freely, and Dress exceedingly gay, but I observe they seldom show any money, it is all Tobacco Notes. Great number of Scotch tradesmen here, but very few English. Provisions are as dear here as in England. Mutton and Beef at 6d. per lb. A Violent pain in my Head this evening.

SOURCE: Nicholas Cresswell, The Journal of Nicholas Cresswell 1774—1777, p. 20-2