MASSACHUSETTS CONGRESS TO GENERAL WARD.

Watertown, June 20, 1775, nine o’clock.

SIR: This Congress, considering the present situation of the enemy, and that of the division of our Army at Cambridge, think proper to suggest to your serious consideration whether it is not proper and expedient that there should be an immediate draft of a Regiment or more from the Roxbury Camp to that at Cambridge. Your good sense will undoubtedly incline you to consult General Thomas before you determine absolutely on this measure, but we conceive the consideration of this matter ought not to be delayed a moment.

We are, &c.

To the Honourable General Ward.

To the Honourable the Congress for the Colony of the MASSACHUSETTS-BAY:

The Petition of the Selectmen of the Town of TOWNSHEND, humbly sheweth:

That when the order of Congress came to us for part of our town stock of powder, but two of our Selectmen being present they inadvertently sent the whole; by which means we are almost destitute of powder, and being called upon to keep in our horses, and to be in readiness, for an engagement, we know not what to do. But being informed that there are two half barrels of powder at the Town of Ashby, if we could obtain an order of Congress for Ashby to deliver a part of that to us, we might be in a better situation; but. if we could be helped any way we should think ourselves much obliged by your Honours, to which we look upon ourselves in duty bound to obey.

By order of the Selectmen:

JAMES HOSLEY, Town Clerk.

Townshend, June 20, 1775.

RICHARD DERBY, JUN., TO CAPTAIN JAMES KIRKWOOD.

Salem, June 20, 1775.

CAPTAIN JAMES KIRKWOOD: I received your letter this moment, informing me that you were in want of a certificate from me that you had kept the Light-house, &c., which I now enclose you. Yours, &c.,

RICHARD DERBY, Jun.

“This may certify, that Captain James Kirkwood has had the sole care of keeping the Light-house on Thatcher’s Island ever since it has been erected; that he applied to the General Court, when sitting here, June, 1774, for his annual, grant, and the House then voted, him sixty Pounds for the year then or about that time ending; which grant came up to the Board, but the sudden dissolution put an end to the matter. And I further certify, that he has attended his duty (as far as I know) to general acceptance, ever since the care of the lights were by the Province committed to. the care of Captain Ewing, Mr. Allen, and myself. Mr. Ewing is shut up in Boston, and Mr. Allen has been out of the Province near a year, so that the burden is totally on me. I have the last week sent down a quantity of oil, which has been in my care for some months past, so that the lights are well supplied for some time to come. If the lights are continued, wood must be provided soon, as it can only be carried there in the course of the summer. Whatever directions the Congress may see fit to give in this matter; shall further govern the conduct of their humble servant,

“RICHARD DERBY, Jun, ”

EDWARD BUCKNAM AND SETH WALES TO COLONELS BAILEY AND HURD.

Lancaster, June 20, 1775.

SIRS: We sent out a scout of two men to Lake Memphremagog, in order to find two men that Mr. Benjamin Sawyer said he had left at that lake, but found them not, and they have returned back again. They saw at Lake Memphremagog several Indians hunting, one of whom was Black Lewee, by name, who is very well known among our people, in general, to be the most trusty and faithful to his word of any Indian that ever carne among us. He tells our scout that be set out to pilot two regular officers into Lower Coos last winter, and two other Indians with them—but he was their chief pilot—in order to find out a good road from Canada to Coos, as these men told him their desire was to look out a road to Coos; but after they had set out on their journey, the regular officers told the Indians they intended to come through that way with art Army to take and destroy the people in those Towns on this river; and when Lewee found out their desire, he went back and left them. They made him promise and swear he would not come in to us, and make known their desire. He says there are near two thousand Regulars now in Canada, and they are” making all preparations they possibly can for war, determined to come against us late this. fall, and bring snowshoes with them, and are now employing the Indians to make them. Lewee says they are continually inviting the Indians to join with them and fight against us, and they will put them in officers, and offer them money to take up arms, but they utterly refuse it. The Regulars threaten to kill them, to scare them to take up arms against us. Lewee says, the Indians and French wait for nothing but an invitation from us to join with us, which they would do immediately, and want us to send an Army to take Quebeck, and let them know when our Army will meet them at Quebeck, to take it. He says, all Canada will rise to help take it. They determine not to take their old laws again. If we will but join with, them, they will join with us. This Lewee says their head man at Caughnawaga is an Englishman, very much for New-England—his name is John Stacy; he wishes us to send them word if we want them to assist us or not Lewee says he can raise five hundred Indians to assist us any time. This John Stacy is their head man, and this Lewee is next to him. Lewee says, he. will do all he can to help us; he will stay at this lake twenty days from the time our scout left them, and this is the fourth day since, and then be and the other Indians are going to Caughnawaga, and if we desire it, he will carry a letter to their head man, Who can read English. And now we send a man directly down to Coos, to let you know of these affairs; and as the Indians always spoke in your favour, it would have more effect upon them were you to write to them what our desire is, and whether you will have them join us or not; for they live in fear of being destroyed by the Regulars, as there is but a handful of them. This Lewee says he will go to Canada for us, stay all summer if we desire it, and let us know all the designs of the French and Canadians, and Regulars, &c. He proposes the manner he will go in, that they might not mistrust him to be a friend to us; says he will take part of his. hunt that he bath got at a time, and go into Canada and sell that, as usual, and tell them that he hath got some more moose skins in the woods, and must go and fetch them, and so in like manner, as long as we should like to have him go. We have got two men ready to go out to Lewee immediately, if you think it best to send. This scout went and came back again in five days, with a canoe. If Colonel Bailey should have a mind to go out himself and see those Indians,. our men can carry you in a canoe, and bring you back again. Your seeing them yourself will be more satisfaction to yourself and to other people in general, than sending by others. This Indian was afraid to let the other Indians know what he told our men, lest they should betray him in Canada. He says, now is the time to take Quebeck. The Regulars are buying up and storing all the provisions they can in Canada.

In the mean time, we remain your most humble servants,

EDWARD BUCKNAM,
SETH WALES.

To Colonel Bailey and Colonel Hurd.

SOUTH-CAROLINA SECRET COMMITTEE TO COL. MOULTRIE.

Charlestown, June 21, 1775.

SIR: By direction of the Committee, I enclose you two orders, by which you will be supplied with a quantity of ammunition, for the use of the two Regiments of Infantry in the service of the Colony; not doubting of your prudence, they, however, think it their duty to recommend that the greatest care be taken of it; and as, in a great degree, the new levies are strangers, and their principle not certainly known, they cannot but intimate, that they