point out the mode by which this end is to be accomplished; but if forcible measures are judged necessary, (respecting the person of the Governour,) I should have no difficulty in ordering them if the Continental Congress were not sitting; but as this is the case, and the seizing of a Governour quite a new thing, and of exceeding great importance, I must refer you to that body for direction, in case the Governour should make any move towards increasing the strength of the Tory party, or in arming them against the cause we are embarked in. In like manner watch the movements of the Indian Agent, (Colonel Guy Johnson,) and prevent, as far as you can, the effect of his influence to our prejudice with the Indians. Obtain the best information you can of the temper and disposition of those people, and also of the Canadians, that a proper line may be marked out to conciliate their good opinion, or facilitate any future operation.

The posts on Lake Champlain, &c., you will please to have properly supplied with provisions and ammunition; and this, I am persuaded, you will aim at doing on the best terms, to prevent our good cause from sinking under a heavy load of expense.

You will be pleased, also, to make regular returns to me once a month, and to the Continental Congress, and oftener, as occurrences may require, of the forces under your command, of your provisions, stores, &c., and give me the earliest advices of every piece of intelligence which you shall judge of importance to be speedily known. Your own good sense must govern in all matters not pointed out, as I do not wish to circumscribe you within narrow limits.

I remain, with great regard, Sir, your most obedient servant,

Go. WASHINGTON.

GENERAL WASHINGTON TO CONGRESS.

New-York, June 25, 1775.

GENTLEMEN: The rain on Friday afternoon and Saturday, the advice of several gentlemen of the Jerseys and this City, by no means to cross Hudson’s River at the lower ferry, and some other circumstances too trivial to mention, which happened on the road, prevented my arrival at this place until the afternoon of this day.

In the morning, after giving General Schuyler such orders as, from the result of my inquiry into matters here, appear necessary, I shall set out on my journey to the camp at Boston, and shall proceed with all the despatch in my power.

Powder is so essential an article, that I cannot help again repeating the necessity of a supply. The camp at Boston, from the best account I can get from thence, is but very poorly supplied. At this place they have scarce any. How they are provided in General Wooster’s camp, I have not been able yet to learn.

Governour Tryon is arrived, and General Schuyler directed to advise you of the line of conduct he moves in. I fear it will not be very favourable to the American cause.

I have only to add, that I am, with great respect and regard, gentlemen, your most obedient and obliged humble servant,

Go. WASHINGTON.

To the Hon. John Hancock, Esq., and the Hon. Members of the Continental. Congress.

Ticonderoga, June 25, 1775.

MR. HOLT: The following erroneous account of the reduction of Ticonderoga, was published in Mr. Thomas’s Oracle of Liberty, the 24th of May last; and as the writer of the account which follows it had no opportunity of seeing it till very lately, he being up at the forts ever since they were taken, he could not contradict it sooner. I beg, therefore, you will republish it in your next journal, together with the account that follows it, which may be depended on. I. am, yours, &c.

“Cambridge, May 18, 1775.

“Yesterday Colonel Easton arrived at the Provincial Congress in Watertown, from Ticonderoga, and brings the glorious news of the taking that place by the American forces, without the loss of a man, of which interesting event we have collected the following particulars, viz:

“Last Tuesday se’nnight, about two hundred and forty men, from Connecticut and this Province, under Colonel Allen and Colonel Easton, arrived at the lake near Ticon’ deroga; eighty of them crossed it, and came to the fort about the dawn of day. The sentry was much surprised at seeing such a body of men, and snapped his piece at them; our men, however, rushed forward, seized and confined the sentry, pushed through the covered way, and all got safe upon the parade, while the garrison were sleeping in their beds. They immediately formed a hollow square, and gave three huzzas, which brought out the garrison, and an inconsiderable skirmish with cutlasses or bayonets ensued, in which a small number of the enemy received some wounds. The commanding officer soon came forth; Colonel Easton clapped him upon the shoulder, told him he was his prisoner, and demanded, in the name of America, an instant surrender of the fort, with all its contents, to the American forces. The officer was in great confusion, and expressed himself to this effect: Damn you, what–what does all this mean? Colonel Easton again told him that he and his garrison were prisoners. The officer said, that he hoped he should be treated with honour. Colonel Easton replied he should be treated with much more honour than our people had met with from the British Troops. The officer then said, he was all submission, and immediately ordered his soldiers to deliver up all the arms, in number about one hundred stands. As they gave up their arms, the prisoners were secured in the hollow square.

“The American forces having thus providentially got possession of this important fortress, found in it upwards of one hundred pieces of cannon, several mortars, and a considerable quantity of shot, stores, and some powder.

“After this acquisition, a detachment of our Troops was despatched to take possession of Crown Point, where there is a considerable number of cannon. Another detachment was sent to Skenesborough, where they took Major Skene and his family, with a number of soldiers, and several small pieces of cannon.”

As the above account of the reduction of Ticonderoga, which, from its complexion, I suppose originated with that very modest gentleman (Colonel Easton himself, is so replete with falsehood, and is so great an imposition on the publick, that I think it my duty, in order to undeceive the publick, and to do justice to modest merit, to give you a candid detail of the whole matter, for the truth of which I appeal to every officer and private who were present, which is as follows:

Some gentlemen arrived in the New-Hampshire Grants from Connecticut, with a design of seizing on the fortress of Ticonderoga; were there joined by a number of men, among whom were Colonels Allen and Easton; the former, with the assistance of Captain Warner, collected about one hundred and fifty men, with whom they marched to Castletown, twenty miles from Ticonderoga, where they left Colonel Easton, and proceeded ten miles towards Shoreham. The next day Colonel Arnold arrived at Cattletown from Cambridge. Having concerted in a similar plan, and being commissioned by the Massachusetts Congress to raise a regiment, he proceeded on to the party under the command of Colonel Allen. When Colonel Arnold made known his commission, &c., it was voted by the officers present that he should take a joint command with Colonel Allen, (Colonel Easton not presuming to take any command.) When the party had marched to Shoreham, two miles on the lake below Ticonderoga, where they waited for batteaus to cross the lake, until midnight, and none arriving, Colonel Arnold, with much difficulty, persuaded about forty men to embark with him in a batteau accidentally taken there, and landed half a mile from the fort, and immediately sent back the batteau, which, by reason of a violent storm of wind and rain, did not return until break of day, with a small boat, and near fifty men in both. It was then proposed by some gentlemen to wait open day and the arrival of the remainder of the men, which amounted at that time to near one hundred. This Colonel Arnold strenuously opposed, and urged to storm the fort immediately, declaring he would enter it alone, if no man had courage enough to follow him. This had the desired effect; he, with Colonel Allen, headed the party, and proceeded directly to the fort. When they came within about ten yards of the gate, the sentry discovered them, and made a precipitate retreat. He was