have deserted. I have seen a joint list, and I believe it to be a true one, of the Royal Irish, and the detachments from the Fifty-Sixth, in which the whole number was one hundred and sixty-seven, and only one hundred and two of them effective. But though the number of the Troops is diminished, the insolence of the Officers (at least some of them) is increased. In private rencontres, I have not heard of a single instance of their coming off other than second best. I will give you several instances of their behaviour in publick. On the 6th instant there was an adjournment of one of our Town-meetings, when an oration was delivered, in commemoration of the massacre on the 5th of March, 1770. I had long expected that they would take that occasion to beat up a breeze, and, therefore, (seeing many of the Officers present before the orator came in,) as moderator of the meeting, I took care to have them treated with civility, inviting them into convenient seats, &c., that they might have no pretence to behave ill; for it is a good maxim, in politicks as well as in war, to put and keep the enemy in the wrong. They behaved tolerably well until the oration was finished, when, upon a motion made to appoint another orator, as usual, they began to hiss, which irritated the assembly to the greatest degree, and confusion ensued; they, however, did not gain their end, which was apparently to break up the meeting, for order was soon restored, and we proceeded regularly and finished the business. I am persuaded, that were it not for the danger of precipitating a crisis, not a man of them would have been spared. It was provoking enough to the whole corps, that while there were so many Troops stationed here, with the design of suppressing Town-meetings, there should yet be one for the purpose of delivering an oration to commemorate a massacre perpetrated by Soldiers, and to show the danger of Standing Armies; they, therefore, it seems, a few days after, vented their passion on a poor simple countryman, the state of whose case is drawn up by himself, and sworn to before a Magistrate, as you will see by the enclosed; thus you see, that the practice of tarring and feathering, which has so often been exclaimed against by the Tories, and even in the British House of Commons, as inhuman and barbarous, has, at length, been revived by some of the polite Officers of the British Army, stationed in this place professedly to prevent riots. Some gentlemen of the Town waited on the General on this occasion; he appeared to be angry at it, and declared that he knew nothing about any such design; he said that he had, indeed, heard an irregular beat of the drum, (for they passed by his house,) but thought they were drumming a bad woman through the streets! This, to be sure, would not have been a riot. The Selectmen of Billerica, an inland Town, about thirty miles distant, to which the abused man belonged, have made a remonstrance to the General, a copy of which is enclosed. The General promised them that he would inquire into the matter, but we hear nothing more about it. Some say that he has lost the command over his. Officers, and is afraid of displeasing them; how this may be I cannot say.

SAMUEL ADAMS.

COLONEL E. DOOLITTLE TO JOHN HANCOCK.

Petersham, March 21, 1775.

SIR: Please to communicate the following to your body. Having received a requisition from the honourable Congress, directing of me to make a return of my Regiment, their numbers and equipments for war, I have accordingly applied myself to die business, but have not as yet obtained a return of but two or three companies, and if I can obtain a full account before the Congress rises, shall forward it immediately. But we are in a most lamentable situation, for want of a sanction of Government on our establishments, our Tory enemies using all their secret machinations to divide us and break us to pieces. Add to this the difficulties, that arise by ambitious men, who are endeavouring to break our companies to pieces, in order to get promotion; for as there is no establishment but what arises in the breasts of individuals, we are continually breaking to pieces, and a number of companies in my Regiment are now in such circumstances; and I Tear if we are not soon called to action, we shall be like a rope of sand, and have no more strength. If it may be received with candour, I should be exceedingly glad if our Continental Committee might be instructed to lay the difficulties we labour under for want of a Civil Constitution before that body, and that they endeavour to obtain their voice in justification of this Province in establishing one. God give you all grace and wisdom to direct you in the important affairs of American liberty. I remain your and the publick’s well wisher and humble servant,

EPHRAIM DOOLITTLE.

To the Honourable John Hancock, President of the Honourable Provincial Congress of Massachusetts.

Frankfort, March, 1775.

To the Right Honourable JOHN WILKES, Lord Mayor of the City of LONDON, at the Mansion House:

MY LORD: I am not informed of any person who has business with some merchants in Maryland or Pennsylvania. I read the London Chronicle, but I do not find out any direction; therefore I think it very excusable for a stranger to take the liberty to address these lines to you, as the Chief Magistrate of all the British Dominions, especially as it gives me at the same time the opportunity to pay you my respects, and to tell you that I admired and defended in our Germany, (where slavery prevails,) always your spirit and intrepidity towards bad Ministers, being a great lover and well wisher of true English liberty. I live in a great City of Germany. Some weeks ago a printer came to me, and showed me two Bank-notes,* (not knowing the language nor the contents,) which two foreigners brought to him, to reprint them exactly; I found the one to be a Bank-note of Annapolis, in Maryland, and the other of Pennsylvania, of Fifty and of Five Shillings, both of 1774. I was surprised, and told the printer he should not at all meddle with the rascals who brought him these papers. Afterwards I heard that they have been at two engravers, to get two others counterfeited, and they refused likewise. But I don’t doubt they will find out in another Town some ignorant or hungry engraver or printer. I beg your Lordship to communicate these contents of my letter to the publick, in the London Chronicle, to prevent any mischief and imposition on the honest. Americans, vexed not only by taxes, but also by bad Bank-notes. It will give me great pleasure to read in this paper my notice to frustrate the designs of these impostors.

I have the honour to be, with the greatest respect, my Lord, your most humble and obedient servant,

BRITANNOPHILUS.

The above is a true copy of an original letter, delivered to me by the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of London.

ARTHUR LEE.

London, March 22, 1775.

PRIVATE NEGOTIATIONS OF DR. FRANKLIN IN LONDON, RELATED IN A LETTER TO HIS SON, DATED AT SEA, MARCH 22, 1775.

DEAR SON: Having now a little leisure for writing, I will endeavour, as I promised you, to recollect what particulars I can of the negotiations I have lately been concerned in, with regard to the misunderstandings between Great Britain and America.

During the recess of the last Parliament, winch had passed the severe Acts against the Province of Massachusetts Bay, the minority having been sensible of their weakness as an effect of their want of union among themselves, began to think seriously of a coalition. For they, saw in the violence of these American measures, if persisted in, a hazard of dismembering, weakening, and perhaps ruining the British Empire. This inclined some of them to propose such an union with each other, as might be more respectable in the ensuing session, have more weight in opposition, and be a body out of which a new Ministry might easily be formed, should the ill success of the late measures, and the firmness of the Colonies in resisting them, make’ a change appear necessary to the King.

I took some pains to promote this disposition, in conversation with several of the principal among the minority of both Houses, whom I besought and conjured most earnestly not to suffer, by their little misunderstandings, so glorious

*Meaning our bills of credit.