Colonel George Washington is appointed Captain-General and Commander-in-Chief of all the forces raised and to be raised in the common cause. You are under no further obligation of secrecy on that subject, than to prevent their being inserted in any newspaper, from which it is apprehended some prejudices might arise.

The letters for Governour Trumbull and General Wooster, relate to the removal of the Connecticut Troops into our Government, and are to be forwarded with your despatches on that subject; but they are only from their Delegates, and not authoritative, the Congress having referred it to you to make the application to that Government.

I have retired from the Congress at the request of my brethren to send off these despatches; for which reason I have done the honour of subscribing myself, with the greatest respect, gentlemen, your most obedient and very humble servant,

JAMES DUANE.

To the Provincial Congress at New-York.

NEW-YORK CONGRESS TO THEIR DELEGATES AT PHILADELPH1A.

In Provincial Congress, New-York, June 17, 1775.

GENTLEMEN: We are this day informed by Mr. Jeffrey, of the Lord Hyde packet-boat, that the Mercury ship-of-war was cruising off our coast, and is now at Sandy-Hook, to order the transports from Ireland with Troops destined to this City, to proceed immediately to Boston; and did on Tuesday last, about thirty leagues to the; southeast, of Sandy-Hook deliver those orders to the Old Spy, man-of-war, (now a transport with a part of the Forty-Fourth Regiment on board,) who immediately altered her course.

Captain Jeffery told us he had this information both from the officers of the troops on board of the Spy, and from some of the officers of the Mercury man-of-war.

From this information, we are induced to conclude that some capital stroke is meditated against our brethren of the Massachusetts-Bay. We therefore, gentlemen, think it our duty to despatch this information to you, that it may be known to the Continental Congress.

We are, gentlemen, your very humble servant,

P. V. B. LIVINGSTON, President,

To the New-York Delegates in Continental Congress

P. S. We enclose you copies of the two letters we have despatched to General Wooster.

MASSACHUSETTS COMMITTEE OF SUPPLIES TO COMMITTEE OF SAFETY.

Chamber of Supplies, Watertown, June 17, 1775.

GENTLEMEN: We have received your letter per express, and in answer inform you that we have no horses at present but what are unfit for use, or wanted for the expresses of this Committee. We are informed that Colonel Gerrish has a horse taken at Noddle’s Island, and shall be glad that you will take the same, if the intelligence is true, and give us notice. We have received but ten out of twenty-eight horses ordered by Congress to be delivered us, and are informed, that those left behind are some of the best; pray take them if to be found, unless detained by the Generals. We baye sent to procure four, which shall be sent you as soon as possible; and are, with respect, gentlemen, your humble servant,

DAVID CHEEVER, per order.

To the Honourable the Committee of Safety.

P.S. We are sensibly concerned for the expense of powder, as a great consumption by cannon may be ruinous on our side, We think it proper no Inform you that, exclusive of thirty-six half barrels powder received from the Governour and Council of Connecticut, there is only in the magazine twenty-seven half barrels, and can be no more draughted from the Towns, without exposing them more than they will consent to be.

MACHIAS COMMITTEE TO MASSACHUSETTS CONGRESS.

Machias, June 17, 1775.

GENTLEMEN: Since the express left this, by whom we transmitted an account of the taking of the Margaretta, one of the King’s tenders, we have discovered, upon examining the papers, that both of Capt. Jones’s sloops, of about eighty tons each, were in the King’s service; and as the people are now obliged to provide for their own safety in the best manner possible, the Committee of Safety have resolved, with the utmost expedition, to arm one of said sloops, and to act on the defensive. We are deeply sensible of our own weakness and danger, and with becoming deference we once more apply to your Honours for advice and support, if we are judged worthy of your notice. Will not a commission be necessary for those who take the lead in this affair?

We are, gentlemen, very respectfully, &c.

JAMES LYON, Chairman.

To the Honourable Congress of the Massachusetts-Bay.

Account of an Engagement at CHARLESTOWN, between about three thousand of the King’s Regular Forces, and about half that number of Provincials, on SATURDAY, the 17th of JUNE, 1775.

On Friday night, June the sixteenth, fifteen hundred of the Provincials went to Bunker’s Hill in order to intrench there, and continued intrenching till Saturday at ten o’clock, when two thousand Regulars marched out of Boston, landed in Charlestown, and, plundering it of all its valuable effects, set fire to it in ten different places at once; then dividing their Army, one part of it marched up In the front of the Provincials intrenchment, and began to attack the Provincials at long shot; the other part of the Army marched round the Town of Charlestown under cover of the smoke occasioned by the Town. The Provincial sentries discovered the Regulars marching upon their left wing. Upon notice of this given by the sentry To the Connecticut forces posted on that wing, Captain Nolton, of Ashford, with four hundred of said forces, immediately repaired. to and pulled up a post and rail fence, and carrying the posts and rails to another fence, put them together for a breastwork. Capt. Nolton gave orders to the men not to fire till the enemy had got within fifteen rods, and then not till the word was given. At the word being given the enemy fell surprisingly, It was. thought, by spectators, who stood at a distance, that our men did great execution. The action continued about two hours, when the Regulars on the right wing were put into confusion and gave way. The Connecticut Troops closely pursued them, and were on the point of pushing their bayonets, when orders were received from General Pomeroy for those who had been in action two hours to fall back, and their places, to be supplied by fresh forces. These orders being mistaken for a direction to retreat, our Troops on the right wing began a general retreat, which was handed to the left, the principal place of action, where Captains Nolton, Chester, Clarke, and Putnam, had forced the enemy to giveaway and retire before them for some considerable distance; and being warmly pursuing the enemy, were with difficulty persuaded to retire; but the right wing, by mistaking the orders, having already retired, the left, to avoid being encircled, were obliged to retreat; and, with the main body, they retreated, with precipitation across the causeway to Winter Hill, in which they were exposed to the fire of the enemy from their shipping and floating batteries.

We sustained our principal loss in passing the causeway. The enemy pursued our Troops to Winter Hill, where the Provincials, being re-enforced by General Putnam, renewed the battle with great spirit, repulsed the enemy with great slaughter, and pursued them till they got under cover of their cannon from the shipping, when the enemy retreated to Bunker’s Hill, and the Provincials to Winter Hill, where, after intrenching and erecting batteries, they, on Monday, began to fire upon the Regulars on Bunker’s Hill, and on the ships and the floating batteries in the harbour, when the express came away. The number of Provincials killed is between forty and seventy; one hundred and forty wounded; of the Connecticut Troops sixteen were killed; no officer among them was either killed wounded, except Lieutenant Grosvenor, who is wounded in the hand a Colonel or Lieutenant Colonel of the New-Hampshire forces among the dead. It is also said that Doctor Warren is undoubtedly among the slain. The Provincials lost three iron six-pounders, some intrenching tools, and knapsacks.

The number of Regulars that first attacked the Provincials