Chairman of the Committee of the Congress, that those persons in the country who may incline to remove into Boston with their effects, may have liberty so to do without molestation.”

The Town unanimously accepted of the foregoing Report, and desired the inhabitants would deliver their arms to the Selectmen as soon as may be.

The meeting was then adjourned to Tuesday morning, the 25th of April, ten o’clock in the forenoon, and was continued by successive adjournments to Thursday, P. M., the 27th of April, 1775, when the Town met, to receive the further report of the Committee. They reported as follows, viz:

“The Committee waited on his Excellency General Gage, with the papers containing the account of the arms delivered to the Selectmen, and the return made to them by the Constables of the Town relative to the delivery of arms in their respective Wards. After long conversation on the subject of the inhabitants removing themselves and effects from the Town, his Excellency being obliged to attend other business, left the affair to be settled with Brigadier General Robinson, who, after further conference, and reporting the substance of it to General Gage, returned to the Committee, and declared to them that General Gage gives liberty to the inhabitants to remove out of Town with their effects; arid desires that such inhabitants as intend to remove would give their names to the Selectmen, and signify whether they mean to convey out their effects by land or water, in order that passes may be prepared; for which passes, application may be made to General Robinson any time after eight o’clock to-morrow morning; such passes to be had as soon as persons wanting them shall be ready to depart.”

Voted, That the foregoing Report be accepted, the Town relying on the honour and faith of General Gage that he will perform his part of the contract, as they have faithfully performed their part of it.

Then the meeting was adjourned to Monday next, May 1, ten o’clock in the forenoon.

HENRY ALLINE, Jun., Town Clerk, pro tem.

Resolved, unanimously, That James Sullivan, Esquire, a Member of this Congress, be immediately despatched to the Colony of New-Hampshire, as a Delegate from this body, to deliver to the Provincial Congress there the following Letter; and further inform them of the present situation of this Colony, and report the effect of his mission to this Congress, as soon as possible.

Watertown, April 23, 1775.

Before this letter can reach you, we doubt not you have been sufficiently notified of the late alarming Resolutions of the British Parliament, wherein we see ourselves declared Rebels, and all our sister Colonies in New-England, in common with us, marked out for the severest punishments. In consequence thereof, General Gage has suddenly commenced hostilities by a large body of Troops under his command, secretly detached in the night of the 18th instant, which, on the morning ensuing, had actually begun the slaughter of the innocent inhabitants, in the very heart of the Country, before any intentions of that kind were suspected. And although the roused virtue of our brethren in the neighbourhood soon compelled them to precipitate retreat, they marked their savage route with depredations, ruin, and butcheries hardly to be matched by the armies of any civilized Nation on the globe.

Justly alarmed by these manœuvres, vast multitudes of the good people of this and the neighbouring Colonies, are now assembled in the vicinity of Boston for the protection of the Country. The gates of that devoted Town are shut, and the miserable inhabitants are pent up there, with a licentious soldiery, as in one common prison. Large reinforcements of the Troops under General Gage are hourly expected; and no reason is left us to doubt that his whole force, as soon as collected, will be employed for the destruction, first of this, and then of our sister Colonies engaged in the same interesting cause; and that all America will be speedily reduced to the most abject slavery, unless it is immediately defended by arms.

Unavoidably reduced to this necessity, by circumstances that will justify us before God and the impartial world, this Congress, after solemn deliberation and application to Heaven for direction in the case, have this day unanimously resolved, That it is our duty immediately to establish an Army for the maintenance of the most invaluable rights of human nature, and the immediate defence of this Colony, where the first attack is made; that 30,000 men are necessary to be forthwith raised in the New-England Colonies for that purpose, and that of that force 13,600 shall be established by this Colony without delay.

We have not a doubt of the virtue of the Colony of New-Hampshire, no less engaged than ourselves in the glorious cause at stake, and equally involved in the miseries that must ensue, should it be lost. In testimony of our reliance on you, we have sent this express to give you the earliest notice of these Resolutions, and the circumstances that have necessitated them; and earnestly to request your speediest concurrence and such assistance in this most important cause, as the present urgent necessity demands, and the many former evidences we have had of the spirit and firmness of the Colony of New-Hampshire give us the highest reason to expect. We are, gentlemen, your most obedient humble servants,

JOSEPH WARREN, Pres’t pro tem.

P. S. The great confusions in this Colony prevent our being able to send with this letter such depositions as might give full and particular information of the facts above referred to; but measures are taking for that purpose, and we shall not fail to transmit the result of them by the first opportunity.

JEDIDIAH FOSTER TO THE MASSACHUSETTS CONGRESS.

Brookfield, April 23, 1775.

HONOURED SIR: Mr. Davidson immediately proceeded from Concord to Governour Trumbull with the papers, as directed by the Congress; but from the then appearance of affairs he did not think proper to call the Assembly. Early on Thursday morning Mr. Davidson, with myself, set out for Lebanon to Governour Trumbull, who, about two hours before our arrival, had received the tragical narrative from Colonel Palmer, and cheerfully consented to call the Assembly of the Colony to be held at Hartford, on Wednesday next, ten o’clock in the morning, at which time the Delegates will attend they were directed by the Congress. I purpose, as soon as I have discharged my trust there, to attend my duty at the Congress. Wishing the Congress may be under the special guidance and direction of Heaven, I am, Sir, your most humble servant,

JEDIDIAH FOSTER.

To the President of the Honourable Provincial Congress of the Massachusetts-Bay.

ANDREW M‘CLARY TO THE NEW-HAMPSHIRE CONGRESS.

Cambridge, April 23, 1775.

HONOURABLE GENTLEMEN: Being in great haste, but beg leave to give you some broken intelligence relating to the Army that is now assembled here. The number is unknown at present, and as there is a Council of War now sitting, their result is still kept a profound secret. The Army has already provided a number of Cannon, (there is more still coming,) and is providing a great plenty of war like stores, implements, and utensils. There are now about two thousand brave and hearty resolute New-Hampshire men, full of vigour and blood, from the interiour parts of the Province, which labour under a great disadvantage for not being under proper regulations, for want of Field Officers. In our present situation we have no voice in the Council of War, which makes a great difficulty. Pray, gentlemen, take these important matters under your mature consideration, and I doubt not but your wisdom will dictate and point out such measures as will be most conducive to extricate us from our present difficulties. The conduct of a certain person belonging to New-Hampshire will have a vast tendency to stigmatize the Province most ignominiously. Yesterday it was reported throughout the New-Hampshire Troops, that one Mr. Espy, who appeared in the character of a Captain at the head of a Company, had