1. At dawn on 5 Aug. Vice Adm. Sir Hyde Parker's squadron with a merchant fleet from the Baltic sighted Rear Adm. Johan Arnold Zoutman's squadron, also with a merchant fleet, outbound from the Texel. The resulting Battle of the Dogger Bank was conducted at half-musket shot and resulted in extraordinary casualties for the number of vessels engaged. They exceeded, for example, those in the 1778 battle off Ushant in which thirty ships of the line fought on each side. The Dutch proved that they could fight the British navy on equal terms. The battle did much for their morale and was hailed as a victory. The action, however, left the status quo unchanged and was a British victory in the sense that {p. 460} Parker's convoy went on to England, while Zoutman's put back into port (Mackesy, War for America , p. 395; Mahan, Navies in the War of Amer. Independence , p. 189–194). The account given here by JA is from a French translation of Parker's report of 6 Aug. that appeared in Dutch newspapers, including the Gazette de Leyde of 21 August. See also the report in the English newspapers, such as the London Chronicle of 9–11 August.

2. It is unclear where JA got his casualty figures. While the listing of British casualties agrees with official sources, that for the Dutch is incomplete and understates their losses. The figures accepted by most authorities, and which appeared in the Gazette de Leyde of 21 Aug., put the Dutch losses at 142 killed and 403 wounded for a total of 545.

1. In both the recipient's and Letterbook copies the remainder of the paragraph is interlined. For the Battle of the Doggerbank, see JA's letter of 18 Aug. to the president of Congress, note 1, above.

2. See JA's letter of 16 Aug. to the president of Congress, calendared above.

3. In the Letterbook this paragraph is followed by one that JA canceled: “I feel that there is not a motion made by an American upon the Continent but what is immediately known in London, among certain Circles, and bandied about in Such a manner, that the Ministry know it, as well as they. There is not a paragraph, which is inserted in the London courant, but what is directly told from what quarter it comes. Your Name and your Neighbours, are mentioned.” The editors have been unable to find any reference in the London Courant to Jenings or his associates in Brussels, including William Lee and Alice DeLancey Izard.

4. It was very unusual for JA to sign a letter with a pseudonym; AA was Edward Bridgen's designation for JA in his letter of 13 July, descriptive note, above.