Regiments were coming to take possession of our Fort; by Beat, of drum, two hundred men immediately assembled, and went to the Castle, in two Gondolas, who on their way were joined by one hundred and fifty more, and demanded the surrender of the Fort, which Captain Cochran refused; and fired three Guns, but no lives were lost; upon which they immediately scaled the walls, disarmed the Captain and his men, took possession of ninety-seven barrels of Powder put it on board the Gondolas, brought it tip to Town, and went off with it some distance in the country. Yesterday the Town was full of men from the country, who marched in in form; chose a Committee to wait on the, Governour, who assured them he knew of no such design as sending Troops, Ships, &c. This morning I hear there is a thousand or fifteen hundred men on their march to Town. The Governour and Council sat yesterday on the affair, and are now meeting again. The men who came down, are those of the best property and note in the Province.

Portsmouth, N H., December 17, 1774.

On Wednesday last a drum and a fife paraded the streets of Portsmouth, accompanied by several Committee-men and the Sons of Liberty, publickly avowing their intention of taking possession of Fort William and Mary, which was garrisoned by six invalids. After a great number of people had collected together, they embarked on board scows, boats &c., entered the Fort, seized the Gunpowder, fired off the Guns, and carried the Powder up to Exeter, a Town fifteen miles distant. The quantity was about two hundred to two hundred and twenty barrels; the day after, while the Governour and Council were assembled in the Council Chamber, between two and three hundred persons came from Durham, and the adjoining Towns, headed by Major Sullivan, one of the Delegates of the Congress, they drew up before the Council Chamber, and demanded an answer to the following question: Whether there were any Ships or-Troops expected here, or if the Governour had wrote for any? They were answered that his Excellency knew of no forces coining hither, and that none had been sent for; upon which they retired to the Taverns, and about ten or eleven o'clock at night, a large party repaired to the Fort, and it is said they carried away all the Small arms. This morning about sixty horsemen accoutred, came into Town, and gave out that seven hundred more were on their inarch to Portsmouth, from Exeter, Greenland, New-Market, &c, and would be in that Town by eleven o'clock; their intentions, it is suspected, is to dismantle the Fort, and throw the Cannon, consisting of a fine train of 42-pounders, into the sea.

To the Right Honourable John, Earl of Dunmore, his Majesty's Lieutenant and Governour-General of the Colony and Dominion of VIRGINIA, and Vice Admiral of the same:

MY LORD: We, his Majesty's dutiful and loyal subjects, the Council of Virginia, with the most heartfelt joy and unfeigned pleasure, beg leave to offer our congratulations to your Lordship on your safe return, after the fatigues and dancers of a troublesome expedition.

Your Lordship's vigorous opposition to the incursions and ravages of an Indian enemy, hath effectually prevented the desolation of a growing back country, and the borrows of human carnage. The scene of war was remote: from us; our properties and estates were not immediately exposed to the miseries consequent thereon; but though not equally interested, we sensibly participate in the blessings that are derived to our fellow-subjects in that quarter of the Colony, from the prospect of a permanent peace. The lenity you exercised towards the Indians, when they expected the cruelty of the victor, hath attached them to you from principle; and unless the intrigues of Traders, or the insidious arts of the enemies to this Government, should again foment differences, we flatter ourselves the present tranquillity will not speedily be interrupted. You have taught them a lesson which the savage breast was a stranger to—that clemency and mercy are not incompatible with power; and that havock and bloodshed are not the inseparable concomitants of success and victory.

Permit us, my Lord, to express our lively satisfaction at the addition to your family, by the birth of a daughter, and to assure you it is greatly heightened by the promising hopes that your Lady's recovery will be unattended with danger. We should be wanting in respect to her Ladyship, to omit any opportunity of testifying our esteem for her; an esteem that her exemplary piety and true dignity of conduct will ever command.

To which his Excellency was pleased to return the following Answer:

GENTLEMEN: I am in the most sensible manner obliged to you for this Address. The motives which induced inn to exert my efforts to relieve the back country, from the calamity under which it lately laboured, would have been disappointed of one of their principal ends, if it had not met your approbation; and this very honourable testimony which you are now pleased to give me of it, conveys the highest gratification to me.

The cordiality of your expressions on the occasion of the addition to my family, and the distinguishing mark of the notice which you so kindly take of Lady Dunmore, attach me to you by the strongest ties of gratitude and the warmest affection.

NORTHAMPTON (VIRGINIA) COMMITTEE.

On Tuesday, the 13th of December, 1774, the Freeholders of Northampton met at the Court House, and chose the following gentlemen a Committee to see the Association faithfully executed and observed, as directed by the late Continental Congress: John Bowdoin, the Reverend Samuel Smith M Croskey, John Harmanson, Griffin Stith, Nathaniel L Savage, Michael Christian, Thomas Dolby, Henry Guy, the Reverend Isaac. Avery, John Wilkins, John Kendall, John Respess, Patrick Harmanson, William Roland, Littleton Savage, George Savage, John Burton, Jerolabel Downing, William Harmanson, Adiel Milby, Thomas Fisher, John Blair, William Simpkins, and John Stratton.

Previous to the business of the day the two following Letters were read: the first from this County, to the Committee of Donations at Boston, with a donation of Corn; the second in answer thereto, from the said Committee.

Then it was Resolved. That the Association should, be considered as the sole rule of the Committee's conduct on every emergency; and that every measure which should be adopted for the due observance thereof, should be conformable to the rules thereby prescribed.

Afterwards, the Committee having chosen John Bowdoin, Chairman, adjourned till Saturday following, when the business is to be resumed; and measures more fully adopted for the strictest observance of the Association:

Northampton, Virginia, August 30, 1774.

GENTLEMEN: The people of this County, compassionating the distressed poor in your Town, have shipped you one thousand bushels of Indian Corn, to be distributed by you among such families as you shall think most in want of it. The Corn is now sent by the bearer, Captain Nathaniel Brown, whose bill of lading for the same you will receive enclosed, the freight of which will be paid him here, upon his producing your receipt for the Corn, The people in this place most sincerely sympathize with, their brethren in Boston, in their present distress, and will at all times cheerfully join in every measure proposed for their relief. Such considerable collections are making in this Colony, that we hope the poor will not suffer for want of provisions; and we rely on the firmness of your people, in adhering to the glorious cause in which, they are engaged, till it may please Providence to restore them to the possession of their just rights, and establish the liberties of all America on the most permanent foundation.

We are, most sincerely, gentlemen, your affectionate brethren, and countrymen,

The People of NORTHAMPTON.

To the Committee of Donations at Boston.

Boston, September 30, 1774.

GENTLEMEN: The Committee appointed to receive and distribute the Donations of our brethren in this and the neighbouring Colonies, received your favours on the 30th