prospects, whilst the Mother Country has such power on the ocean. Your unknown friend and humble servant,

PHILOPATRIA.

P. S. I had like to have forgotten the venerable sage would have insisted that all the obnoxious Acts of Parliament should be repealed at the same time that the above offers should be made; the one to be made the inseparable condition of repealing the other; and in the space of ten, fifteen, or twenty years, an additional quantity of troops and money might be offered, in case of pressing requisitions from home, according as the Colonies flourish, and trade increases; but still the mode of raising, as well as the quantity, to be wholly left in the power of the Colonial Assemblies. And to confess the truth, the within letter, on account of your reputed eloquence in the Congress, I direct to you, as it is the more likely you will thereby have more influence on that august assembly, though you are under no obligation, but may still pursue your opinions.

NEW-YORK CONGRESS TO THEIR DELEGATES IN THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS.

[Read in Congress June 3, 1775]

In Provincial Congress at New-York, June 1, 1775.

GENTLEMEN: We this morning received despatches from Albany, Watertown, and Hartford, which contains, as you will observe, very important intelligence. We think it our duty, through you, to lay it before the Continental Congress; and for that purpose have prepared copies of the several papers which were received as aforesaid. We shall make no comments on them, being convinced that your own good understanding and knowledge of the state of these Colonies will render any such attempt useless.

Our business proceeds with great heaviness, for want of the sinews of war, which we have not, neither have we any powder. Money we cannot have, until we receive the directions of your body, as you will easily believe. Besides this, we would be extremely happy to know that your body had taken into their serious consideration the several circumstances of the associated Colonies; and that they, in their wisdom, had assigned the several quotas of men and money to each. This information will guide our deliberations to a proper object, for the want of which our present attention is distracted, by the uncertainty of what shall be determined with respect to this Colony.

We have the honour to be, gentlemen, your most obedient and humble servants.

By order of the Congress:

P. V. B. LIVINGSTON, President.

To the New-York Delegates at the Continental Congress, Philadelphia.

MEMORIAL OF JOHN SPARKING TO NEW-FORK CONGRESS.

To the Honourable the President and Members of the Provincial Congress now assembled at NEW-YORK:

The Memorial of JOHN SPARDING, living at TICONDEROGA LANDING, the north end of Lake GEORGE, June 1, 1775, humbly sheweth:

That your memorialist has, for upwards of six years past, been at a great expense in providing boats and carriages for the ease and convenience of persons travelling this way with their baggage and effects, over the lake and carrying place, at an easy rate; likewise providing batteaus on Lake Champlain, for the conveniency of gentlemen and others travelling to Canada. The unhappy differences now subsisting between the Colonies and the Mother Country, have put a stop to any business your memorialist was formerly engaged in. Your memorialist has, ever since the tenth day of May, (the day on which the fort at Ticonderoga was taken,) assisted with his boats, men, &c., in transporting the troops, with their baggage and provisions, over Lake George and the carrying place, upon no other security than a verbal agreement with Colonel Arnold, for twenty shillings, currency, per day, for a perryaugre capable of crossing the lake with seventy men, besides a quantity of provision, and a batteau for carrying expresses; and when there was not a sufficient loading for the perryaugre, to have the privilege of conveying such private property as might offer, of which your memorialist is at present deprived; your memorialist having likewise carted the greatest part of the baggage and provisions over the carrying place, the whole amount of which, to this day, is near seventeen Pounds. And as the gentlemen appointed here have this day intimated to your memorialist that his teams are not to be any more employed, they having brought teams over the lake for said service; your memorialist, therefore, trusting in the known justice and humanity of the gentlemen in New-York, who scorn to let any individual suffer, which must inevitably be the case of your memorialist, unless your goodness prevents it, by confirming the agreement made by Colonel Arnold: your memorialist therefore humbly hopes, as he has done his utmost endeavour for the good of the common cause, and is disabled at present from providing for his family, you will take the same into consideration. And your memorialist will ever pray.

J. SPARDING.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER RECEIVED IN NEW-YORK, FROM A GENTLEMAN IN THE PROVINCIAL CAMP, DATED JUNE 1, 1775.

When our people were engaged in taking the stock, &c., from Noddle and Hog Islands, the King’s Troops made an attack upon them. On Hog Island the combat began about five o’clock in the afternoon, and continued almost incessantly till midnight. The attack was made with cannon, swivels, and small arms, from an armed schooner, sloop, and eight or ten barges, upon our people, who had small arms only, but were very advantageously posted by Colonel Putnam, who got to them just in season to station and command them properly. He placed them in a ditch, up to their waists in water, and covered by the bank to their necks. The schooner, sloop, and boats, full of men, came within twelve or fifteen rods of them, and gave our people a fine opportunity to place their shot well. About midnight the fire ceased a little, and our people retreated to the main land, where they were soon after joined by Captain Foster, with two field-pieces, which were planted on the way of Winnesimit ferry. At daylight the combat was renewed; as the schooner passed the ferryway, she was briskly attacked by our people with the field-pieces and small arms, which soon clearing her deck, she drifted on shore, where our people set fire to her, and she blew up, notwithstanding the utmost endeavours of the people in the boats, &c., to tow her off and save her from destruction. In this they exposed themselves much to our fire, and suffered greatly. When they found the schooner was lost, they with difficulty rowed off the sloop, much disabled, and retired to their den; and thus ended the combat at about seven o’clock in the morning. In the afternoon (Sunday) our people got but of the wreck twelve four-pounders, six swivels, and every thing else that was valuable, without molestation. They afterwards removed or destroyed from both the islands all the stock, &c., viz: about five or six hundred sheep, thirty horses, about as many cattle, a large quantity of hay, and burned all the barns and houses.

All this was done in sight, and as we may say under the noses of the whole fleet and army at Boston, without molestation. The killed of the enemy, (viz: General Gage’s crew of enemies to the English Constitution,) they themselves allow to be more than one hundred, besides wounded; others, who have good opportunity to know, say their killed and wounded exceed three hundred; and I believe they have suffered as much as in their precipitate flight from Lexington, on the memorable 19th of April. Our killed, none; wounded, three. Heaven apparently and most evidently fights for us, covers our heads in the day of battle, and shields our people from the assaults of our common enemies. What thanks can speak our gratitude.

These interpositions, and our determined resolutions, may perhaps make our haughty enemies glad. to quit their unjust possessions, for a cooler and more calm retreat in some distant quarter of the globe, and leave us peaceably to enjoy those rights and liberties which God in our nature has given us as our inalienable right, and which they are most unjustly endeavouring to wrest from us by violence.

The men-of-war’s cruisers are out, with orders to take all vessels with provisions, or any kind of West-India goods. Two men-of-war lying in Portsmouth River, have