cer's guard of one hundred and fifty men at the lines on the Neck; the Army is brigaded. The first Brigadier General, Earl Percy; Major of Brigade, Moncrieff; second Brigadier, Pigot; Major of Brigade Small; third Brigadier, Jones; Major of Brigade, Hutchinson. I send you enclosed your friend Ruggle's proposal of Association; it has already disconcerted those factious gentry that style themselves Whigs, though they are in reality Rebels. I am glad to tell you that the back settlements in general disapprove of the Non-Importation Resolves. You were right in your opinion, Brigadier General Ruggles of the Massachusetts, Colonel Babcock of Rhode-Island, and Colonel Fitch of Connecticut, are staunch to Government; the first you know commanded, and was the senior officer in the Provincial service with us under Sir Jeffery Amherst, the other gentlemen are at the head of the Provincials. Most of their Officers that served last war are ready to serve under their old Colonels. I make no doubt things will wear a new face here, especially when your sentiments of the Ministry's firmness are authenticated. Was I to give your names of the different Provincial Field Officers, &c., that have offered their service, this letter would be swelled to a volume; you know them, and can answer for them. All your friends wish and expect to see you in the Spring.

EXTRACT OF LETTER FROM THE HONOURABLE GOVERNOUR GAGE, TO THE EARL OF DARTMOUTH, DATED BOSTON, DECEMBER 26, 1774.

I had the honour to write to your Lordship by the opportunity of Colonel Prescott of the English Fusileers who sailed out of this Harbour in a Transport on the 16th instant, since winch time we have received accounts of an attack made by a number of people in New-Hampshire, on his Majesty s Fort William and Mary, in Piscataqua Harbour. There has been different reports concerning the transaction, but I transmit your Lordship copies and extracts of letters that I have received from Governour Wentworth upon the subject. A Frigate and Sloop-of-War are now in that Harbour, and we have received no account of further disturbance since they arrived.

This Congress we have heard had privately appointed a Commissary to provide Military Stores; and news is just come from Worcester, in this Province, that he or his Deputies are providing a stock of provisions at that place.

PROVINCE OF NEW-HAMPSHIRE

A PROCLAMATION.—By the Governour.

Whereas several bodies of men did, in the day time of the 14th, and in the night of the 15th of this instant, December, in the most daring and rebellious manner invest, attack, and forcibly enter into his Majesty's Castle William and Mary, in this Province, and overpowering and confining the Captain and Garrison, did, besides committing many treasonable insults and outrages, break open the Magazine of said Castle, and plunder it of above one hundred barrels of Gunpowder, with upwards of sixty stand of Small Arms, and did also force from the ramparts of said Castle, and carry of sixteen pieces of Cannon, and other Military Stores, in open hostility and direct oppugnation of his Majesty's Government, and in the most atrocious contempt of his Crown and dignity. I do, by advice and consent of his Majesty's Council, issue this Proclamation, ordering and requiring in his Majesty's name, all Magistrates and other officers, whether civil or military, as they regard their duty to the King, and the tenour of the oaths they have solemnly taken and subscribed, to exert themselves in detecting and securing in some of his Majesty's jails in this Province the said offenders, in order to their being brought to condign punishment. And from motives of duty to the King, and regard to the welfare of the good people of this Province, I do, in the most earnest and solemn manner, exhort and enjoin you, his Majesty's liege subjects of this Government, to beware of suffering yourselves to be seduced by the false arts or menaces of abandoned men, to abet, protect, or screen from justice any of the said high-handed offenders, or to withhold or secrete his majesty's munition forcibly taken from his Castle; but that each and every of you will use your utmost endeavours to detect and discover the perpetrators of these crimes to the Civil Magistrate, and assist in securing and bringing them to justice, and in recovering the King's munition. This injunction it is my bounden duty to lay strictly upon you, and to require your obedience thereto, as you value individually your faith and allegiance to his Majesty, as you wish to preserve that reputation to the Province in General; and as you would avert the dreadful but most certain consequences of a contrary conduct to yourselves and posterity.

Given at the Council Chamber, in Portsmouth, the 26th day of December, in the fifteenth year of the reign of our Sovereign, Lord George the Third, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, &c., and in the year of our Lord Christ, 1774.

J. WENTWORTH.

By his Excellency's command, with advice of Council,

THEODORE ATKINSON, Secretary.

GOD save the King.

New-York, December 27, 1774.

As we thought it would be agreeable to our readers to know the particulars of what has passed in this City, since the seizure of Arm, &c., lately made in this Port, for want of cockets, we have been at pains to collect the following facts, which may be depended upon.

As soon as the seizure was made, the cases and three boxes were carried to the Custom House, and the barrel of Powder ordered to the Powder House. On the way, some people appeared and carried it off from the waiter, who had it in charge: this being reported at the Custom House, the Collector immediately went to the Coffee House, and informed the Merchants present of the rescue, which they highly disapproved of; proper stops were immediately taken; in a few hours the Powder was lodged in the Powder House. To present any further attempts in future that might disturb the City, the boxes and cases were sent on board the Man-of-War.

Some days after this removal of the Arms &c., the Collector received from the Post Office the following Letter:

New-York, December 27, 1774,

MR. ELLIOT: Sir, A number of Fire-arms of British manufacture, legally imported, having been lately seized by your orders and conveyed on board the Man-of-War, by which arbitrary steps you have declared yourself an inveterate enemy to the liberties of North America; in this light we view you, and from you we shall demand these Arms whenever they are wanted, which is probable will be soon. You will therefore, if you have the least regard to the safety of yourself or your servants, who seized them, be careful to prevent their being sent away, as you may depend upon answering for a contrary conduct with a vengeance.

We thought that your former genteel conduct in your department, entitled you to this notice, otherwise we should have been silent till a proper opportunity had offered, in which we might have done our country justice, by wreaking our resentment on you in a private manner. Do not slight this admonition, or treat it as a vain menace, for we have most solemnly sworn to effect it sooner or later, and you know that our Nation are implacable. We would not have you to imagine that it is in the power of any set of men, either civil or military, to protect or shield you from our just revenge, which will be soon done; and in such manner as not to be known till it is fatally experienced by you.

From the Mohawks and River Indians.

The above was immediately copied and sent to the Coffee House, where it was posted up, together with the Collector's Answer, viz:

The Original, of which the above is a copy, Mr. Elliot this morning received from the post Office: he is obliged to answer it in this publick manner, being entirely unacquainted with the author.

Mr. Elliot calls upon the person to appear, that can, in any instance, accuse him of having acted either arbitrarily or illegally in his office, that he may have an opportunity of answering him properly.

If the letter is wrote with a view to deter an officer from his duty, Mr. Elliot assures the writer, that as long as he has the honour to act as Collector of the Port of New-York, he will exert the same attention and firmness, that has for ten years past enabled him to give satisfaction