you they entertain a proper sense of the merit of those officers and soldiers by whose bravery and good conduct it was achieved. As this advantage was gained by the united counsels and enterprise of a number of private gentlemen in your Province, New-Hampshire, New-York, and this Colony, prompted only by a zeal for the liberty of their Country, without publick authority, (to our knowledge,) and is of great and general importance to the United Colonies, it was thought best to take the advice of the Continental Congress upon the manner of treating it in future, both by the General Assembly of this Colony and the Committee of New-York, as well as by you. Despatches were accordingly sent to Philadelphia, and the intention of the Continental Congress thereupon hath been this day received by express, with a letter from the Committee of New-York, copies of which enclosed are herewith sent you. By them you will see the present custody of that fortress is committed to the Province of New-York, with the assistance of the New-England Colonies, if needed.

The General Assembly of this Colony behold your situation with concern, and a fixed resolution to contribute every thing in their power to your defence and preservation, and, as far as pertains to them, are willing and desirous you should have the benefit of such artillery as may be spared from the fortresses of Crown Point and Ticonderoga; but as they do not consider themselves as entitled to the command of those places, they cannot take upon themselves to give orders for the removal of the heavy cannon that may be spared without the concurrence of the other Colonies, in them.

The necessity of securing and maintaining the posts on the lakes for defence of the frontiers, becomes daily more evident from the iterated intelligence we receive of the plan formed by our enemies to distress us by inroads of Canadians and savages, from the Province of Quebeck, upon the adjacent settlements. The enclosed copy of a letter from our Delegates attending at New-York, to communicate measures with the Provincial Congress in that City, throws an additional light on this subject, and is thought worthy to be communicated to you; and whilst the designs of our enemies against us fill us with concern, we cannot omit to observe the smiles of Providence upon us in revealing their wicked plans, and hitherto prospering the attempts of the Colonies to frustrate them. With a humble reliance on the continuance of Divine favour and protection in a cause of the justice of which a doubt cannot be entertained, the General Assembly of this Colony are ready to co-operate with the other Colonies in every exertion for their common defence, and to contribute their proportion of men and other necessaries for maintaining the posts on the frontiers, or defending or repelling invasions in any other, quarter, agreeable to the advice of the Continental Congress. I am, gentlemen, in behalf of the General Assembly of this Colony, your most obedient humble servant,

JONATHAN TRUMBULL

.

The Honourable Provincial Congress of Massachusetts.

GENERAL THOMAS TO THE MASSACHUSETTS CONGRESS.

Roxbury Camp, May 25, 1775.

GENTLEMEN: I have had the honour of being informed by your Committee, that the Honourable Congress have made choice of me as Lieutenant-General of the Massachusetts Army, and desire to know whether I would accept that trust. I am sensible of the great importance of the office, and of my inability of discharging that duty; but since you have done me the honour of appointing me to that important office, shall accept of the same, and attend the Congress to-morrow. I am, gentlemen, with the most profound respect, your most obedient humble servant,

JOHN THOMAS.

To the Honourable Provincial Congress.

LETTER FROM DOCTOR JOSEPH WARREN.

Watertown, May 25, 1775.

GENTLEMEN: Upon my arrival here just this minute, I had the pleasure of being informed that our worthy friend Colonel Arnold, not having had the sole honour of reducing Ticonderoga and Crown Point, determined upon an expedition against St. John’s, in which he happily succeeded. The letters were directed to the Committee of Safety, but were supposed to be necessary to be laid before this Congress. I have not seen them yet, but you will have the particulars from the bearer.

I have also received a letter from the Congress at New-Hampshire, informing me of a resolve to raise forthwith two thousand men, and more if it should be necessary. The Troops, at least one Company of them, with a train of artillery from Providence, are in the upper end of Roxbury. To say the truth, I find my health much mended since this morning. I am, gentlemen, your most obedient servant,

J. WARREN.

P. S. You will be kind enough to communicate the contents of this letter to General Room, as I love to give pleasure to good men.

COMMITTEE OF MALDEN TO COMMITTEE OF SAFETY.

Malden, May 25, 1775.

GENTLEMEN: This may certify that Mr. Ebenezer Pratt, Mr. John Nichols, Mr. John Barrett, and Mr. John Nichols, Jr., are persons who may be confided in, that they will not take any advantage of a pass which has been obtained for them from Samuel Graves, Vice-Admiral of the Blue, to the disadvantage of the common cause, in which we are all engaged, desiring, at the same time, that you will lay them under such restrictions, in every respect, as you shall judge necessary.

Signed by order and in the name of the Selectmen, the Committee of Correspondence and Inspection of the Town of Malden.

Honourable Committee of Safety, sitting in Cambridge.

PETITION FROM THE INHABITANTS OF MACHIAS TO THE MASSACHUSETTS CONGRESS.

Machias, May 25, 1775.

To the Honourable Congress of the MASSACHUSETTS-BAY:

GENTLEMEN: With the highest satisfaction we now consider you as the guardians of this extensive and wealthy Province; and relying on your wisdom, the wisdom of the Continental Congress, the justice of our cause, and the tender mercy of our fathers’ God, we promise ourselves, in due time, a happy deliverance from the iron chains of tyranny, which were forming for us, and from servitude equal to Egyptian bondage.

As a part, therefore, of your charge, we, the distressed inhabitants of Machias, beg leave to approach your presence, and to spread our grievances at your feet. We dare not say we are the foremost in supporting the glorious cause of American liberty; but this we can truly affirm, that we have done our utmost to encourage and strengthen the hand of all the advocates for America with whom we have been connected; that we have not even purchased any goods of those persons whom we suspected to inimical to our Country, except when constrained by necessity; and that none on the Continent can more cheerfully risk all that is dear to them on earth, when called, in support of those precious privileges which God and our venerable ancestors, as a most invaluable legacy, have handed down to us. We must now inform your Honours, that the inhabitants of this place exceed one hundred families, some of which are very numerous, and that Divine Providence has cut off all our usual resources. A very severe drought last fall prevented our laying in sufficient stores; and had no vessels visited us in the winter, we must have suffered. Nor have we this spring been able to procure provisions sufficient for carrying on our business; our labourers are dismissed, some of our mills stand still, almost all vessels have forsaken us, our lumber lies by us in heaps, and, to complete our misfortunes, all our ports are to be shut up on the first of July next. We must add, we have no country behind us to lean upon, nor can we make an escape by flight; the wilderness is impervious, and vessels we have none. To you, therefore, honoured gentlemen, we humbly apply for relief; you are our last, our only resource; and permit us to say again, you are our guardians, and we rejoice and glory in being subject. Pardon our importunity. We cannot take a denial, for, under God, you are all our dependence; and if