Ethan Allen, consisting of about one hundred and fifty, who had taken such measures effectually to surprise the same, that very little resistance could be made, and to whom your memorialists were obliged to surrender as prisoners; and overpowered by a superiour force, were disarmed, and by said Allen ordered immediately to be sent to Hartford, in the Colony of Connecticut, where your memorialists now are detained as prisoners of war, consisting of officers, forty-seven private soldiers of His Majesty’s Troops, besides women and children. That your memorialists being ignorant of any crime by them committed, whereby they should be thus taken and held, also are ignorant by what authority said Allen thus took them, or that they are thus detained in a strange country, and at a distance from the post assigned them; thus know not in what light they are considered by your Honours, consequently know not what part to act; would therefore ask your Honours’ interposition and protection, and order that they be set at liberty, to return to the post from whence they were taken, or to join the Regiment to which they belong; or if they are considered in the light of prisoners of war, your Honours would be pleased to signify the same to them, and by whom they are detained, and that your Honours would afford us your favour and protection during the time we shall tarry in this Colony; and your memorialists shall ever pray.

WILLIAM DELAPLACE,
Captain Commandant Ticonderoga Fort.

Hartford, May 24, 1775.

TO THE INHABITANTS OF MASSACHUSETTS-BAY.

Friends and Fellow-Countrymen:

With great satisfaction we bear publick testimony of your disposition to serve the glorious cause in which America is now engaged, evidenced by your readiness to supply on the credit of the Colony many necessary articles for the use of the Army, and in various other ways; by which you have given convincing proofs that you are heartily disposed to maintain the publick liberty. The cause, we have not the least doubt, if you continue to exert yourselves in conjunction with our sister Colonies, will finally prevail.

This Congress have opened a subscription for one hundred thousand Pounds, lawful money, for which the Receiver-General is directed to issue notes on interest at the rate of six per cent per annum, payable in June, 1777; and as it is of the utmost importance that the money be immediately obtained, that the publick credit may not suffer, we most earnestly recommend to such of you as have cash in your hands, which you can spare from the necessary supplies of your families, that you would lend the same to the Colony; by which you will put it in our power to carry into effect the measures undertaken for the salvation of the Country.

That the Army should be well supplied with every article necessary for the most effectual military operations, you must all be sensible, and that if we should fail herein it may prove ruinous and destructive to the community, whose safety (under God) depends upon their vigorous exertions.

As you have already, in many instances, nobly exerted yourselves, this Congress have not the smallest doubt but that you will with great cheerfulness crown all by furnishing as much cash as will be necessary for the good purposes aforementioned; especially when it is considered that there are now no ways of improving money in trade, and that there is the greatest probability the other Colonies will give a ready currency to the notes, which will render them in one respect at least on a better footing than any other notes heretofore issued in this Colony.

If you should furnish the money that is now needed you will perform a meritorious service for your Country, and prove yourselves sincerely attached to its interests. But if an, undue caution should prevent your doing this essential service to the Colony, the total loss both of your liberties and that very property which you by retaining it affect to save, may be the unhappy consequence; it being past all controversy that the destruction of individuals must be involved in that of the publick.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM THE HON. ENOCH FREEMAN.

Falmouth, May 24, 1775.

You informed me that the last Provincial Congress did me the honour to choose me one of the Committee of Safety for the Province. You may acquaint that Committee that were my health and capacity equal to my inclination to serve the publick, I should cheerfully attend that service without delay; but at present I cannot possibly go up. Yet if I can be of any service to the common cause in the mean time, in these exposed parts of the Country, my utmost endeavours shall not be wanting, and as soon as I can find myself able, purpose to come up.

It would, perhaps, be convenient for the publick, that some person or persons here should be appointed, whose business it should be to execute the orders of the Congress and Committee of Safety, and to communicate back to them, from time to time, intelligence and occurrences that may affect the publick, without the trouble of getting a quorum of Committee and Selectmen together, who live at a distance, which often causes great delay; and my time is so often taken up in one publick affair and another, that I am obliged to neglect my own business to my great damage.

If the Congress should allow the Regiment raised hero in this County to be stationed among us for our defence, it will be necessary that some body should have the care of them, besides their own officers, to employ them in such a manner as shall be most for the safety of the whole.

In this service I think I might be of as much or more service to the publick than if I were to go up to the Committee; and as the gentlemen there are more acquainted with the circumstances of that part of the Province than I am, I should be of the less advantage to them, and I presume I am more acquainted with this part of the Province, and, with their concurrence, may be of more service to the publick here, than there; for here new emergencies may and do often arise, which require immediate attention.

I heard to-day that lately there were a number of Indians up Androscoggin River consulting what side to take, but could not agree among themselves. ’Tis pity but somebody here should be employed to negotiate with them, or any other Indians, as opportunity should offer.

A man from Deer Island, near Penobscot, was here this afternoon, and gives a melancholy account of the distress the people are in that way, for want of bread, owing to the stoppage of trade. He heard that several children had died of hunger. What will become of them God only knows; we are not able to help them or ourselves. I don’t know what can be done for them or us, without some vessel of superiour force to the tenders should be provided to bring bread-kind among us.

I just now heard that Colonel John Cox as taken on his passage to New-York with spars, and carried into Boston.

WORCESTER COUNTY (MASSACHUSETTS) COMMITTEE.

Worcester, May 24, 1775.

Whereas the meeting of the Convention of this County stands adjourned to the second Tuesday in June next, but as the honourable Provincial Congress have resolved that it will be expedient for the several Committees of Correspondence to render a true statement of the conduct of their respective Towns and Districts, on the fourth Wednesday of this instant, May, especially with regard to their outstanding Provincial rates: Agreeable thereto the Committees of Correspondence for the several Towns and Districts in this County, are hereby requested to meet at the Court-House in Worcester, on Wednesday next, at ten o’clock in the forenoon. Several matters of importance require a general attendance. Such Towns as have voted for a County Treasurer are desired to send in their votes to said Convention on said day.

WILLIAM YOUNG, Chairman.

Worcester, Massachusetts, May 24, 1775.

It having been thought highly expedient, at this exigency of our publick affairs, that every person among us who is known to be an enemy to the rights and privileges of this Country, and has been aiding or abetting to the cursed plans of a tyrannical ruler and an abandoned Ministry,