TOWN-MEETING, PROVIDENCE, RHODE-ISLAND.

At a Town-Meeting held at Providence, on the tenth day of May, A. D. 1775, by adjournment, Nicholas Cooke, Esquire, Moderator:

Voted, That it be and it is hereby recommended to the honourable Town Council at their next session to establish a Watch in this Town of six men each night, agreeable to law, and to appoint a Master or Warden to set said Watch, and to have the oversight and direction thereof, for six months from this time; and that the said Town Council be desired to meet to settle said Watch on Friday next; and it is recommended to said Council that each person have the liberty to watch in their turn, or to furnish a person in his room, and on failure thereof to pay Three Shillings for each neglect.

Voted, That six persons be appointed to examine into the state of the inhabitants of this Town, and to make report of all such that are provided with Small-Arms and accoutrements agreeable to law, and of all such that are not provided agreeable to law with Small-Arms, &c., and of all persons that in their judgments are not of ability to supply themselves, saving and excepting all those that are or may be enlisted.

The following persons are appointed to make the examination, to wit: Nathaniel Wheaton, Benjamin Thurber, David Lawrence, Paul Allen, Benoni Pearce, and Barnard Eddy, and that the same be made on Saturday next.

Voted, That this meeting be adjourned to Monday next, two o’clock, P. M.

GENERAL THOMAS TO THE COMMITTEE OF SAFETY.

Roxbury Camp, May 10, 1775.

GENTLEMEN: I have just received a letter from the Committee of Inspection for the Town of Providence, desiring me to inform them if the Committee of Safety have transmitted to their friend in London an account of the battle at Lexington, and have informed that the Colony have appointed a Committee of Safety, who has the direction of the Troops; therefore letters to this place on that subject should be directed to said Committee of Safety. I should be glad to know what answer I may return them. I am unacquainted with the proceedings of Congress, or the Committee of Safety, relative to that matter. If you will be pleased to send me, an answer by the first opportunity, it will oblige your most obedient and very humble servant,

JOHN THOMAS,

To the Committee of Safety in Cambridge.

TOWN-MEETING, BRISTOL, MASSACHUSETTS.

May 10, 1775.

To the Honourable the Members of the Provincial Congress of the MASSACHUSETTS-BAY:

On the second day of May, 1775, at a legal meeting of the Freeholders and other Inhabitants of the Town of Bristol, the following Articles were agreed to:

First. Whereas we wrote to your Honours last March a little sketch of our circumstances, and that we would put ourselves as soon as possible into military order, and then inform your Honours more particularly of our strength in regard to arms and ammunition: therefore we would now inform your Honours that we have endeavoured to put ourselves into military order and discipline as well as we were capable. We make out three Companies, each Company consisting of about sixty training soldiers exclusive of officers, which officers were chosen by vote of the several Companies in the training field. As to arms, the most of us have got guns, but we are in very low circumstances in regard to ammunition—powder especially; we have used several means to provide ourselves with powder, but it has happened to be to no purpose. Therefore if it is possible that your Honours can point out to us any way of relief in this particular we shall take it as a very great favour; we apprehend that we are very unsafe to be destitute of ammunition; as our Town borders on the sea, we are much exposed to our enemies.

Second, Voted unanimously, That Mr. Thomas Brackett be, and we hereby empower him to be, our agent and attorney in all matters whatsoever, in our name and stead to contract for any articles that our said attorney shall think necessary for this Town: by whom we hope to receive advices from your Honours how we shall conduct in all matters. We remain, with earnest prayer to Almighty God for a blessing upon your Honours’ persons, and upon your Honours’ proceedings in behalf of this Province, your Honours’ most dutiful, most obedient, and most humble servants. By order and in behalf of the Town of Bristol:

WILLIAM BARNES, Town Clerk.

TIMOTHY PICKERING TO THE COMMITTEE OF SAFETY OF MASSACHUSETTS.

Salem, May 10, 1775.

GENTLEMEN: It appearing highly expedient that a Regiment should be formed from Salem and its environs, with a view to serve the general cause, I took the liberty of recommending Colonel Mansfield and Captain Hutchinson Colonel and Lieutenant Colonel of it. They then appeared to me the most suitable persons that could be found willing to fill these places, and I am still of the same opinion. I should not give you any further trouble about the matter, if I did not think Colonel Hutchinson was suffering unjustly by means of Colonel Herrick; the latter, as Mr. Hutchinson informs me, declared himself well pleased with his appointment, and heartily, in appearance, congratulated him upon it; and yet, with might and main is now endeavouring to supplant him, and he builds his hopes of succeeding, it seems, not upon Colonel Hutchinson’s inefficiency, nor upon his own superiour ability and merit, but upon a foundation which a man of honour, I think, would reject with disdain: Colonel Herrick, truly, has friends in Court ! an admirable plea for his advancement; incontestable evidence of his merit ! I should not have opened my lips to Colonel Herrick’s disadvantage, had he not, in a manner which appears to me most ungenerous, endeavoured to supplant Colonel Hutchinson, and otherwise treated him with great incivility, to use a gentle word. What I have said, gentlemen, is grounded wholly upon Colonel Hutchinson’s account of the matter; but from the manners and character of the gentleman, I cannot suffer myself to doubt his veracity. Nevertheless, if I am misinformed, I will readily ask Colonel Herrick’s pardon. I should not, gentlemen, have presumed to intrude myself upon you, if Colonel Hutchinson himself had had an opportunity of laying the affair before you; but as he failed of this, I thought myself bound in justice to support him, and to express my indignation, and to bear my testimony against the indecent attack by which a post well deserved, and fairly obtained, was attempted to be wrested from him. This letter, if it comes to Colonel Herrick’s knowledge, will doubtless offend him; but if it be necessary to expose it, I do not wish it should be concealed. Yet I am desirous of the friendship of all men; but in the innocency and integrity of my heart, I wrote my first letter in favour of Colonel Hutchinson and Colonel Mansfield; in the same spirit I have written this, and if a gentleman is offended with me for doing my duty, I can bear his resentment or reproaches with patience. I had like to have forgot to add, thought is of importance, and what, for the good of the common cause, I am bound to say, that it is probable the Regiment will be much dissatisfied if the Lieutenant-Colonel be displaced; and one Company, I am informed, have already expressed great uneasiness about it. I am, gentlemen, your most obedient servant,

TIMOTHY PICKERING, JUN.

To the Committee of Safety.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM THE HON. ENOCH FREEMAN, ESQ., TO SAMUEL FREEMAN, WATERTOWN.

Falmouth May 10, 1775.

We are in confusion; though Colonel Thompson wrote us he had laid aside the scheme of coming here to take the Ship Canceaux, yet he appeared yesterday on the back of the Neck. I cannot help thinking but that it is a very imprudent action, and fear it will bring on the destruction of

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