people as oppose the Ministerial measures with America, are rebels; that he shall be employed hereafter in hanging them; and that if no hemp can be got, he has plenty of flax growing.”

It is therefore unanimously Resolved, That we hold the said John Sherlock to be an enemy to American liberty; and that we are determined, immediately, to break off all dealings and intercourse with him, and with every person who shall have any connexion with him, until he shall make such proper acknowledgments, and show such genuine marks of repentance and reformation, as shall be satisfactory to a majority of this Committee.

Resolved, That these proceedings be immediately printed in the Virginia Gazette.

JOHNPOWELL, Clerk.

MR. PINKNEY: At a meeting of the Committee of Accomack County, held at the Court-House, on Tuesday last, it was found necessary to hold up to publick contempt a certain John Sherlock, of the said County, for having expressed himself, at sundry time, in the most daring and insulting manner against the good people who have proved themselves, by their behaviour, friends to American liberty.

Mr. Sherlock, instead of appearing before the Committee, agreeable to summons, wrote them an abusive, insulting letter; whereupon the day next after the Committee had proceeded against him agreeable to the rules of the Association, part of the Independent Company of this County went to his house, took, and carried him to the Court-House, and, after a solemn trial, received from him, under the Liberty Pole, his recantation; a copy whereof you have enclosed. Mr. Sherlock, at the Company’s approach, took shelter in an upper room of his house, with two loaded guns, but was prudent enough to decline making use of them.

JOHN SHERLOCK’S RECANTATION.

Whereas, I, the subscriber, have thoughtlessly and imprudently at sundry times expressed myself to the following purpose: that such people as oppose the present ministerial measures respecting America are rebels, and that I expect to be employed at a future day in hanging them; and if no hemp could be had I had flax enough; and that I wanted no greater bondage, under the name of liberty, than to be bound by the Association; and 1 have also expressed myself very imprudently in calling the Independent Company of this County an unlawful mob, and many other idle and foolish words: I do hereby, in the most solemn and serious manner, declare that at those times, when I have held such language, I did not mean as much as I said; and I do hereby declare my most unfeigned sorrow for what I have dope or said, and in the most humble manner ask the pardon of the said Independent Company, [which was accordingly done by application being made to each member of the said company respectively;] and I declare I look upon the said company as a very respectable body of men, and, upon the most calm reflection, I declare my opinion to be altered. I most heartily wish success to this my native Country in her present honest struggle for liberty with the Mother. Country, and do here promise to do all in my power to retrieve my character with my countrymen, This acknowledgment and confession I make freely and voluntarily, and desire the same may be published in the publick papers.

JOHN SHERLOCK.

BEDFORD COUNTY (VIRGINIA) COMMITTEE.

At a meeting of the Committee for the County of Bedford, the 27th day of June, 1775: The Committee being apprehensive that the inhabitants of the lower parts of this Colony may possibly (in the course of the present unhappy dispute between Great Britain and her American Colonies) be compelled to quit their habitations, wish it to be known to them, that the inhabitants of this County will cheerfully give them, and whatever they may think proper to remove among us, the most cordial reception, afford them every possible assistance, and that they shall freely participate of any thing we possess.

Ordered, That the Clerk of this Committee do transmit a copy of this Resolution to the printer, to be inserted in the Virginia Gazette.

ROBERTALEXANDER, Clerk.

JOHN HANCOCK, PRESIDENT, TO NEW-YORK CONGRESS.

Philadelphia, June 27, 1775.

GENTLEMEN : By the unanimous vote of this Congress, I am directed to assure you that they have a high sense of your services in the common cause of the United Colonies, and to inform you of the appointment of the several General Officers to command the Continental Forces; a list of whom I now enclose you. The subordinate officers to be recommended by the Provincial Congresses to the General, to whom commissions from this Congress are sent to be filled up agreeable to such recommendation.

I am, gentlemen, your most obedient servant,

JOHN HANCOCK, President.

To the Members of the Provincial Congress, New-York.

Officers appointed by the Congress.

George Washington, Esq., General and Commander-in-Chief of all the Forces raised or to be raised for the defence of American Liberty.

Artemas Ward, Esq., First Maior-General.

Charles Lee, Esq., Second Major-General.

Philip Schuyler, Esq., Third Major-General.

Israel Putnam, Esq., Fourth Major-General.

Seth Pomeroy, Esq., First Brigadier General.

Richard Montgomery, Esq., Second Brigadier-General.

David Wooster, Esq., Third Brigadier-General.

William Heath, Esq., Fourth Brigadier-General.

Joseph Spencer, Esq., Fifth Brigadier-General.

John Thomas, Esq., Sixth Brigadier-General.

John Sullivan, Esq., Seventh Brigadier-General.

Nathaniel Greene, Esq., Eighth Brigadier-General.

Horatio Gates, Esq., Adjutant-General, and with the rank of Brigadier-General.

NEW-YORK CONGRESS TO GOVERNOUR TRUMBULL.

New-York, June 27, 1775, Three o’clock, P. M.

SIR : Last evening Captain Hoops, of Trenton, in New-Jersey, informed me, that he had escorted to Elizabeth-town four wagons with ninety-eight quarter casks of a necessary article, packed in eight hogsheads, to be forwarded to Cambridge, which were then on their way for Hudson’s River. This morning I had advice by express that the wagons were within four miles of Bull’s Ferry, which is nearly opposite to the north end of New-York Island. In consequence of which I despatched a boat with one of the New-York Committee, and twelve armed men, to Bull’s Ferry, to transport the baggage across the North-River to King’s Bridge. Two gentlemen of our Committee are gone by land to King’s Bridge, to whose prudence they are committed for conveyance into your Colony.

I thought it necessary to give you this information, and submit it to you whether it may not be proper for you to give the like orders as you did on a similar occasion, provided your circumstances will permit, and forward this intelligence to Cambridge.

I have the Honour to be, Sir, your most obedient servant,

P. V. B. LIVINGSTON.

To the Honourable Jonathan Trumbull, Esq.

THOMAS HICKS TO NEW-YORK CONGRESS.

New-York, June 27, 1775.

SIR: Last Saturday I received a copy of a resolve of the Provincial Congress of the 22d instant, wherein I was requested to take my seat in Congress on this day, or assign my reasons for neglecting to attend. The latter, Sir, I shall endeavour to do, by acquainting the Congress with some of the circumstances of the election of Deputies of Queen’s County, and some subsequent transactions.

On the day of the election three gentlemen appeared who declared they were charged with a message to the freeholders assembled for the purpose of choosing Deputies, from a very large number of freeholders of the Township of Hempstead, who had assembled a few days before at Hempstead; they had it in charge they said, to declare there at that day, that the said freeholders were determined to have nothing to do with the election of Deputies, but that they were resolved to wait till they knew the effect of the Petitions of the General Assembly of this Colony, or