to those of William Henry; for we cannot forbear observing, that our brethren of New-York Government, settled on the westerly side of Hudson’s River, have been always rather slow in warlike efforts; and if the succours must go from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New-Hampshire, or the northeasterly parts of New-York Governments, they may be mustered and marched much sooner to the former station than the latter. We have no doubt but, on a pressing emergency, a large body of men might be marched from the middle of the County of Hampshire to Ticonderoga in six days; but to gentlemen so well acquainted with the geography of the two places, we need not dwell on this part of the argument; and, in short, we have no idea of maintaining the one or the other of the two posts in time of war with Canada, but either by constantly keeping an army on the spot, or making a fort of sufficient strength for a garrison to hold out against an attack until an army could be marched from New-York or New-England, sufficient to raise the siege; the latter method we suppose most politick, and quite practicable with regard to Ticonderoga. But at the same time we beg leave just to hint, that a fortified station, on the easterly side of South-Bay, or Lake Champlain, opposite to Ticonderoga or Crown Point, or still farther on, affords great advantages for the maintaining of Ticonderoga, and defending the settlements on the easterly side of Lake Champlain; and there is artillery enough to spare to other places; and if we abandon the land between the Lakes George and Champlain, we shall give the enemy an opportunity to build at or near the points; and by that means we shall lose the whole of Lake Champlain, and the shipping we now have on that lake, by which we can command the whole of it, and keep the enemy at a distance of a hundred miles from our English settlements, near Otter Creek, &c.; but if that fortress should be maintained, we shall have those very settlements, with some aids from the old settlements, to support it, which will not be half the charge that it would be to maintain a sufficient number of soldiers so far from their homes. We have there about four or five hundred hardy men, with many families, who, if those grounds should be abandoned, will be driven from their settlements, and leave the Massachusetts and New-Hampshire people naked, without any barrier, and exposed to the Canadians and savages, who will have a place of retreat at the point, as they had almost the whole of the last war. By abandoning this ground, we give up an acquisition which cost immense sums of money, the loss of many lives, and five campaigns.

As to the expense of maintaining a fortress at Ticonderoga, this Colony will not fail to exert themselves to the utmost of their power.

We are under the greatest obligations to your Honour and the General Assembly, for the intelligence you have given us; and you may depend we shall not fail of conveying to you all important intelligence with the greatest despatch. The interpositions of Divine Providence, in favour of America, are very obvious, which demands our utmost thankfulness. Enclosed is a brief narrative of some of them. We are, &c.

THE MASSACHUSETTS CONGRESS TO THE NEW-HAMPSHIRE CONGRESS.

“Resolved, That the following Letter be immediately sent to the Provincial Congress of New-Hampshire.”

GENTLEMEN: Enclosed are copies of Governour Trumbull’s letter to this Congress, enclosing a resolution of the Continental Congress, respecting the fortresses at Ticonderoga, Crown Point, &c., and the resolution of the General Committee of Association of New-York thereon, and a letter from the Connecticut Delegates, from New-York, to their Assembly.

The measure taken by the Continental Congress, if carried into execution; will, in our humble opinion, affect those Colonies east of Hudson River, in the highest degree. By that you will see that all the lands and waters between the south end of Lake George and Crown Point, together with all Lake Champlain, will be left open for Canadians and savages, if they should be so disposed, to ravage all that country east, and distress all our new settlements.

We have addressed the Continental Congress upon the necessity of keeping a fortress at or near Ticonderoga, and have also most pressingly desired the Colony of Connecticut to exert themselves to effect the maintaining such a fortress. We have also written to New-York upon the matter.

We now lay the same advice before you, that you may have opportunity to take such measures as you shall think proper. As your Colony is so deeply affected, you will, from a concern for that, and a general regard for the common safety, which you have at all times appeared to have, we trust, take the matter up, and, by decent and respectful addresses to the Continental Congress, endeavour to prevail with them to alter a measure so dangerous in its effects.

We are, gentlemen, your most obedient and very humble servants,

JOS. WARREN, Pres’t pro tem.

COMMITTEE OF SANDWICH TO THE PROVINCIAL CONGRESS OF MASSACHUSETTS.

Sandwich, May 29, 1775.

HONOURABLE GENTLEMEN: In consequence of complaint made to the Committee of Correspondence of the Town of Sandwich, by Messrs. Simeon Wing and Jesse Barlow, we have thought it advisable to represent to your Honours the circumstances of their vessels being taken by Captain Linsey, of the Falcon, and retaken by a schooner from Dartmouth, under command of Captain Egery, and to beg some advice and order of the Congress may be passed concerning it. Mr. Wing’s vessel, commanded by his son Thomas, has been plied as a wood boat to carry wood to Nantucket from Sandwich, for some years past, and it hath been the usual practice for them to settle with the Custom-House once a year, the officer of which always gave them their choice of paying twelve pence per trip, or the whole at the year’s end: and this hath been, we find on examination, the common practice with other vessels that have followed the same business at the same place. Upon Captain Wing’s returning from Nantucket, through the Vineyard Sound, the sloop was taken by a barge from said Captain Linsey’s brig; an Indian fellow on board of Wing’s vessel informed Captain Lindsey of said Barlow’s vessel, which had run a cargo lately from the West-Indies, and was laden with provisions in Buzzard’s Bay. Captain Linsey took possession of Captain Wing’s vessel, putting fourteen men on board, to proceed up the bay and take Jesse Barlow’s vessel, which they carried off. The master of this latter vessel was taken with Wing, being then on board as a passenger; so that both vessels, with all the crews, passengers, &c., were captured, and proceeded to the cove to Captain Linsey. Mr. Barlow made application to some people at Dartmouth, who went with a sloop, one half of which Barlow ventured, and retook both said vessels and men, with their arms, &c., and carried them into Dartmouth. Messrs. Wing and Barlow applied to the Dartmouth people, who took the vessels from them again. The people offered them their vessels upon Wing’s paying them eight dollars and Barlow’s paying ten dollars, with which they complied, and Wing paid the money; after which the Dartmouth people detained the vessels till the order of Congress could be known, and now refuse to deliver up the said vessels without Wing and Barlow’s paying forty-five dollars, and giving bonds of a very extraordinary nature, to indemnify said Dartmouth people, &c. These are a true state of facts, as nearly as we, after examination of said Wing and Barlow, can ascertain; and the said Wing and Barlow, thinking they ought to have their vessels again without further difficulty, desire the Committee of Correspondence of this Town to lay the matter before you, and pray your orders, to which they profess their readiness to submit and acquiesce in.

We are your Honours’ very humble servants, the Committee of Sandwich.

NATHANIEL FREEMAN, per order.

In Congress, Watertown, July 1, 1775.

The Committee appointed to take the Remonstrance from the Committee of Correspondence of the Town of Sandwich into consideration, have considered the same, and report as follows, viz: