punished or held by them; but that any officer who should presume to inflict any pains or penalties on, or to detain a soldier in America, on authority of a law of England not adopted by the Legislature in America, would himself be liable to severe punishments, and might be prosecuted by any soldier he should so punish or detain.

The next day, after the roll was called, (which was an hour before the usual time,) the men were ordered to march and form a circle; after which, Captain . . . .. made the following elegant oration:

“Soldiers, I make no doubt but you saw and have read the printed handbills which were thrown over our gates the last evening; those that have not, I particularly desire they will; they will see the licentiousness of the people, and the intention of that paper. I say it is with a design of endeavouring to draw you from your duty, degrading the Regiment; and what is worse, persuading you to destroy your souls and bodies. Look on your lappels, and I think I am certain it will put you in remembrance never to be guilty of either. You may depend that these disputes will be soon settled, in such a manner, and upon such terms, that all the deserters must be given up, and you may be certain that they will be hanged like so many dogs. These very rebels who decoy you, will be the first to deceive for their own purposes. I forgot to mention to you a circumstance which Captain . . . . wrote to me in this letter, (showing it;) and for your satisfaction I will read the paragraph, to show you what you are to expect, if you are taken by any of those rebels and barbarians: ‘Three companies of Light-Infantry were posted at a bridge, but after a vigorous defence were dislodged by so great a number of inhabitants or rebels, (I cannot say which,) coming upon them; they left behind them one killed and three wounded. Three scoundrels were so barbarous, that nothing but savages could have equalled it; two of these wounded men were scalped; besides this, one of them had his ears cut off, and eyes picked out. Such unheard-of barbarity could never be performed before by any civilized Nation.’”

So, my brother soldiers of the Eighteenth Regiment, congratulate me on my happy escape; I could not bear such confinement; I was never used to it before, though I have been a soldier near twenty years. I am now in good pay, where you may be soon, if you will follow my example; make haste, and come all to me, and you shall be taken good, care of.

A DESERTER.

New-York, Tuesday, May 9, 1775.

Saturday evening last, the 6th instant, arrived here from the eastward, on their way to the Continental Congress at Philadelphia, the Honourable John Hancock, Thomas Cashing, Samuel Adams, John Adams and Robert Treat Paine, Esquires, Delegates for the Province of Massachusetts-Bay; and the Honourable Eliphalet Dyer, Roger Sherman, and Silas Deane, Esquires, Delegates for the Colony of Connecticut. They were met a few miles out of Town by a great number of the principal gentlemen of the place, in carriages and on horseback, and escorted into the City by near a thousand men under arms. The roads were lined with greater numbers of people than were ever known on any occasion before. Their arrival was announced by the ringing of bells, and other demonstrations of joy. They had double centries placed at the doors of their lodgings.

On Monday morning, the above gentlemen, with Philip Livingston, James Duane, John Alsop, and Francis Lewis, Esquires, Delegates for this City; Colonel William Floyd, for Suffolk, and Simon Boerum, Esq., for King’s County, in this Province, set out for Philadelphia, attended by a great train to the North River ferry, where two or three sloops and a number of other vessels were provided; and it is said about five hundred gentlemen crossed the ferry with them, among whom were two hundred of the Militia under arms.

The Delegates were received at the ferry by a number of gentlemen from Newark, in New-Jersey, Captain Allen, at the head of his troop of Horse, and Captain Rutgers, at the head of his company of Grenadiers, (which were allowed by the gentlemen present to be as complete companies as they had seen.) The whole proceeded to Newark, where an entertainment was provided, and a number of patriotick toasts were drank. After dinner they were escorted to Elizabethtown, and on their way were met by the gentlemen and militia of that place.

Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, May 6, 1775.

The following is a copy of a paper found among those of the late Josiah Quincy, Esquire, delivered to him, signed by an intimate acquaintance of mine, an eminent merchant in London.

WILLIAM GORDON.

“The Quebeck Bill recalls to my mind some considerations, which lead me to think that it is fraught with infinitely more mischief to Britain and America, than most of its opposers are aware of; and that the planners and promoters of this Bill will, in the end, be found to have advanced the interest of France to the destruction of that of Britain, in a much more eminent degree than has hitherto been done by the very worst. Minister that ever lived.

“The late Thomas Hollis, Esquire, well known in America on account of his many liberal benefactions, gave the following account of himself to a gentleman from whom I had it, viz: That the said Thomas Hollis had always the worst opinion of Lord Bute’s principles; and believing him to have no attachment either to George the, Third, or his family, did, when the last peace, (that is, of Paris,) was negotiating; at his own expense, send abroad a gentleman, whose sole business it was to watch every motion, and discover every secret relating to this peace. The gentleman thus sent by Mr. Hollis so far succeeded as to discover that there were four secret articles; and Mr. Hollis enumerated the four following to my friend, and he to me, very soon after the peace, and long before any one of them was ever talked of being carried into execution:

“1. That a Popish Bishop was to be fixed by the King in Canada.

“2. That the Popish Religion was to be established there.

“3. That the bounds of Canada were to be fixed.

“4. That Canada, when thus fixed, was to be given back to the French.

“Now, Sir; when this account was first related to me, as it was long before any thing of this kind was agitated, I own I did not believe it possible that Bute could be bold enough to make such an infamous treaty, and therefore was at a loss how to controvert an authority so good, or to dispute an evidence which was so circumstantial; but I own, as I have now lived to see three of those secret articles executed, I firmly believe that the fourth will be as strictly observed; and that Canada restored to the French, thus fixed and improved, will enable France to distress our Colonies, and in the end give a mortal stab to the trade, the liberty, and glory of Britain When I see either King, Ministers, or People, plan, execute, or acquiesce in measures so evidently ruinous to their own true interest, I am at a loss to discover what are the leading principles on which such infatuation is founded. No sagacity can suggest any adequate motives.

“N. B. When Lord Bute was at Venice, he attended mass constantly in a publick manner.”

COPY OF AN INTERCEPTED LETTER, DATED MONTREAL, MAY 6, 1775.

DEAR FINLAY: Since your departure we have had many disagreeable things happened here, and news of worse from Boston, which have given me great uneasiness on your account, for fear you should fall into their hands, and be detained till matters are settled between them and the Mother Country, which desired event, I am afraid, is now far distant, since hostilities are commenced; but I hope you heard the shocking news in time to take such measures as to avoid any danger.

In the night of the 30th of April,* some malicious and mischievous person or persons disfigured the King’s bust on the parade, by blacking its face, hanging a chaplet of potatoes about its neck, with a wooden cross and a label, on which was wrote, “Le Pape de Canada ou le sot Anglois,” (the Pope of Canada and the fool, of England,) with an intent, no doubt, of creating jealousies, animosities,

* The Quebeck Act took effect in Canada on the first of May, 1775.

*