quarrelling with England, and have ordered all the English ships out of the Texel.

We have lost but few men compared with the loss the enemy sustained; ours will fall short of sixty killed; thirty are prisoners, and about one hundred wounded. We have the greatest reason to believe, from their own account, as well as from many other concurring circumstances, that their loss is not short of fifteen hundred killed and wounded; among the former are two Colonels, Majors Pitcairn and Sheriff. The Royal Welsh Fusileers have but seventy privates and one Captain left alive. The Regulars say that the battle of Minden, or that on the Plains of Abraham, did not exhibit equal scenes of blood in so short a time from so few. men engaged.

They give out that we must have lost three thousand men, as they conclude our loss must greatly exceed theirs.

GENERAL WARD TO MASSACHUSETTS3 CONGRESS.

Head-Quarters, Cambridge, June 27, 1775.

SIR: I was lately applied to by the honourable Congress to propose or recommend some person that would be suitable for an Adjutant-General; in consequence of which, I wrote to Colonel William Henshaw, who is now in camp, and will accept, if the post is properly dignified. I flatter myself he will do us eminent service, if appointed. He will probably be at the Congress this day.

I am, Sir, your most humble servant,

ARTEMAS WARD.

To the Honourable James Warren, Esquire, President of the Provincial Congress at Watertown.

GENERAL THOMAS TO MASSACHUSETTS CONGRESS.

Roxbury Camp, June 27, 1775.

SIR: I have herewith enclosed a request from a number of prisoners now in Boston, which I received yesterday, P. M., by one of the Selectmen of Weymouth, to whom it was sent from Mr. Scholay, of Boston. It was carried to the Committee of Safety, and from them to General Ward, who sent it to me, but think it not proper to determine this matter without advice from the Congress, whose directions I shall comply with.

I am, Sir, your most obedient and very humble servant,

JOHN THOMAS.

To the Honourable James Warren, at Watertown.

Boston, June 23, 1775.

It is the desire of twenty-five persons from the country, that were taken prisoners at Charlestown last Saturday, and many of them dangerously wounded, that as they are in great want of fresh provisions for their comfort, they would have you go to Weymouth, or any other Town in your neighbourhood, and recommend to the good people there to send them some mutton and other provisions as may be suitable for them.

Head-Quarters, Cambridge, June 26, 1775.

General Ward refers the above to the determination of General Thomas, to conduct the affair as he may think proper.

J. WARD, Secretary.

COLONEL DAVID BREWER TO MASSACHUSETTS CONGRESS.

Camp at Roxbury, June 27, 1775.

GENTLEMEN: I have been informed that there is a number of books printed, containing the law martial for regulating the Massachusetts Army, designed for the use of said Army. If so, you will please send by the bearer, Sergeant Bull, as many of said books as is designed, or shall be thought necessary for my Regiment, as it is absolutely necessary the soldiers should know the law in order to keep the same.

I am, gentlemen, your obliged friend and humble servant,

DAVID BREWER.

TO THE HONOURABLE PROVINCIAL CONGRESS.

The Petition of Officers belonging to Colonels PRESCOTT, FRYE, and BRIDGES’S Regiments, humbly sheweth:

That whereas in the late battle at Charlestown, on the seventeenth of this instant, June, a number of things be longing to us fell into the enemy’s hands, whereby we are deprived of some necessary clothing, arms, &c.:As the loss is considerable, we beg that (if it may be consistent with the honour and dignity of the Congress, and the good of the Country) they have an allowance for the same as your Honours shall see fit; and your petitioners, as in duly bound, will ever pray.

June 27, 1775.

Watertown, June 29, 1775.

The Committee appointed to consider the within Petition, beg leave to report that the petitioners have leave to withdraw their petition.

MASSACHUSETTS CONGRESS TO CONTINENTAL CONGRESS.

In Provincial Congress, June 27, 1775.

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR HONOURS: Were you now in the Continental Army which invests Boston, it would beget unutterable vexation and torment in your hearts, to behold so large a body of so active brave men as that army consists of, insulted by the fire and blaze of the enemy’s cannon and mortars from their lines, ships, and floating batteries; and the same brave men, although possessed of divers good pieces of great ordnance, and willing, at any hazard, to improve them, yet wholly restrained from returning any fire of the kind, lest, by so doing, their little stock of gunpowder should soon be exhausted, and they reduced to the fatal necessity of laying down their arms or flying into the woods, leaving their houses to be burnt, their fields wasted; in short to give up and abandon the just claims of all America, and in effect to resign themselves and the lives of all the children of liberty in this whole Continent, to the arbitrary pleasure of a haughty Administration, instigated and influenced by enraged tories of our own breeding.

Your minds will be still more agitated and alarmed, if you knew our supplies of that article was so scanty as really to beget doubts in your minds whether the Army would be able to sustain so many attacks as we have reason soon to expect, without leaving them generally destitute of that necessary part of ammunition, even if no other expense of powder should be made in the defence than by the use of small arms. We cannot, therefore, delay one moment longer acquainting your Honours with the state of this Army in that respect, and in the most importunate manner begging your immediate attention to this matter, and that the utmost exertions be instantly made, at any hazard and expense, to procure and send to this Army all the gunpowder which can be obtained, either by manufacture, importation, seizures of the enemy’s ships, or in any other way, without stripping individuals of their private stocks for their own personal use; and that every quantity which can in any way be obtained, even if it shall not amount to more than one load for one horse carriage, be sent by land with all possible speed and safety to this Army.

We beg your Honours to realize that the force of all the British Troops in America, or destined to America, is levelled against this Army, and how shocking and terrible the effects of a defeat and dispersion of this Army would be, not only to this Colony, but to all the Continent. We feel the warmest sentiments of gratitude to your Honours for your great attention and care for the Army, expressed in your appointment of able and experienced Generals to command the same; but we beg your Honours to contemplate of what significance either officers or soldiers can be or the intent of annoying the enemy or defending the Country, without the necessary means. Besides, we ask your Honours’ pardon when we pray yon to consider how inexpressibly afflictive it must be to those honourable and worthy gentlemen, appointed by your Honours, to arrive at our Army, (which would be an honour to any General in Europe, if they were well supplied,) to find that they had not the necessary means of acting offensively, and the supplies.

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