Quebeck into New-England would be through Lake Champlain to South-Bay, from whence they might travel by land through the new settlements of New-York into the New-England Governments, and destroy the frontier towns on their march, drive the formers from their fields, prevent the large supplies of wheat and other necessaries which may soon be expected from these new settlements, send distress and famine into the bowels of the country, and this all without, being on a right line within many miles of the south end of Lake George.

I am also ordered by said Committee to signify to your Honours, that it is the opinion of said Committee that the defence of these fortresses must be supported by holding the command of Lake Champlain, which they conceive may be more easily done by having vessels of various constructions, well manned and armed, floating there; for which purpose the Committee have stationed four hundred men there, which are all that the embarrassed circumstances of our Colony can at present admit of, to co-operate with near a thousand under the command of Colonel Hinman, who is sent to those posts by the Government of Connecticut; but whether the forces now on the lake are sufficient for the purposes aforementioned, your Honours’ will judge.

B. ARNOLD.

To the Honourable the President and the Members of the American Congress now sitting at Philadelphia.

GOVERNOUR TRUMBULL TO PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

Lebanon, June 23, 1775.

SIR: I am to acknowledge the receipt of yours of the seventeenth June, enclosing the Resolve in Congress of the sixteenth; the recommendation of a fast; and Col. Dyer’s letter of the sixteenth. This express passing in haste can only inform thereof, and mention that my letter of the twentieth, which hope you will receive before this, will inform of what is already done. Have enclosed the address of the people of Great Britain to the inhabitants of America, not knowing whether you have received it from any other way. This express brings you intelligence from camp near Boston. I sincerely condole the loss of the worthy Doctor Warren, the unhappy burning of Charles-town, &c. God grant wisdom, unanimity, and success, to our American Councils and cause. Without time to enlarge or to write to our Delegates, to whom pray my compliments, I am, with great truth and regard, Sir, your most obedient and most humble servant,

JONATHAN TRUMRULL.

Honourable John Hancock, Esq.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM AN OFFICER ON BOARD ONE OF THE KING’S SHIPS AT BOSTON, TO HIS FRIEND IN LONDON, DATED JUNE 23, 1775.

On the evening of the sixteenth we were informed that the Provincials were erecting a battery on the heights near Charlestown, and that they intended from thence to bombard the Town of Boston. Early on the seventeenth, we were alarmed with an account that they had been at work upon it all night, and had nearly completed it. We were immediately ordered to land some battalions, and in the mean time our great guns were fired against those who appeared to be busily employed at the battery. Whether our shot did not reach far enough to create any confusion among them, or it was owing to their resolution, I cannot say; but certain it is, that the moment they discovered the landing of our Troops, they formed in order of battle, and so far from retreating, as we expected, they marched towards us with the utmost coolness and regularity. Nothing can exceed the panick and apparent dislike of most of the King’s Troops to enter into this engagement; even at the landing, several attempted to run away, and five actually took to their heels in order to join the Americans, but were presently brought back, and two of them were immediately hung up in terrorem to the rest. They, for the most part, openly express a dislike to the service in which they are engaged, and nothing but the fear of military punishment prevents their daily deserting. The Generals, perceiving the strength and order of the Provincials, ordered a re-enforcement to join the Troops already landed, but before they came up, the cannonading on both sides began. The Provincials poured down like a torrent, and fought like men who had no care for their persons; they disputed every inch of ground, and their numbers were far superiour to ours. The King’s Troops gave way several times, and it required the utmost efforts of the Generals to rally them. At the beginning of the engagement many of them absolutely turned their backs, not expecting so hot a fire from the Americans; the latter feigned a retreat, in order, as we suppose, to draw our Troops after them, and by that means to cut them in pieces; and we are informed that General Ward had a reserve of four thousand men for that purpose. The King’s Troops, concluding that the Americans quitted the field through fear, pursued them under that apprehension, but did not proceed far enough to be convinced, by that fatal experience which was, as we hear, designed for them, of their mistake. The engagement lasted upwards of four hours, and ended infinitely to our disadvantage. The flower of our Army are killed or wounded. During the engagement Charlestown was set on fire by the King’s Troops, in order to stop the progress of the Provincials, who, after their sham retreat, returned to attack them; but I think it was a wanton act of the King’s Troops, who certainly, after they had joined the main body of our Army, had no occasion to take that method of retarding the return of the Americans, who, upon perceiving that General Ward stood still with his reserve, laid aside their intentions.

Our Troops are sickly, and a great number are afflicted with the scurvy, occasioned by the want of fresh provisions. I heartily wish myself with you and the rest of my friends; and the first opportunity that offers I will sell out and return, for at the best only disgrace can arise in the service of such a cause as that in which we are engaged. The Americans are not those poltrons I myself was once taught to believe them to be; they are men of liberal and noble sentiments; their very characteristick is the love of liberty; and though I am an officer under the King of Great Britain, I tacitly admire their resolution and perseverance, against the present oppressive measures of the British Government.

To the Honourable President and Members of the Provincial Congress, now sitting at WATERTOWN:

The Petition of the Selectmen, Officers of the Militia, and Committee of Correspondence of MANCHESTER, humbly sheweth:

That whereas, this Town labours under peculiar difficulty, by reason of its being so situated as greatly exposes us to the inroads of our merciless enemies, and we are thereby reduced to the disagreeable necessity of keeping a constant guard in several parts of the Town, for the defence of life and property; and having received information from Head-Quarters in Cambridge, in which the necessity of keeping a very strict guard is urged, in consequence whereof our guards are doubled, that the malevolent intentions of those who are indefatigable in their endeavours to distress us may, if possible, be defeated, together with our numbers being considerably lessened, as there is nigh one full company gone from hence into the service of our Country, has increased our duty and made it more fatiguing; which, of necessity, calls off men of every description, among others farmers, whereby our agriculture is greatly impeded, and which is now our principal dependance, as many of the inhabitants are seamen, and the business on which they entirely depend for the support of themselves and families, being cut off; and the failure of the fishery, the chief branch of business on which this Town depended, has deprived us of the usual income by which we have been in part enabled to pay our proportion of publick charges, which are daily increasing, as also the charges of the Town, that so affects us as to reduce us to great straits and difficulties; and for this Town, under its present circumstances, to put into pay a sufficient number of men to guard and defend it against the invasions of our enemies, would be a burden greater than we are able to bear:

We, your petitioners, therefore pray, that you would take into your serious consideration the difficulties under which we now labour, and grant us the privilege of raising a company of men, or part of one, and the liberty of choosing officers therefor, and quartered in the Town, for