Colonel Lincoln, agreeable to order, presented the following Resolve, which was accepted:

Resolved, That Captain John Grannis be and hereby is empowered immediately to engage thirty good able-bodied effective men, to be paid by this Colony, well provided with arms and ammunition, and to cause them to be provided with suitable provisions, to repair without delay to the Elizabeth Islands, so called, in the County of Dukes County, there to protect the stock; and to impress such a number of boats, &c, as he shall want, to transport the men to and from said Islands as occasion may require, from time to time, until the further order of this or some future Congress, or constitutional assembly of this Colony.

Ordered, That Commissions for the Officers of the Train be immediately sent to the Committee of Safety, and that they be directed to deliver them to such Officers to whom there is no exception; and that Colonel Porter be appointed to carry said Commissions to the Committee of Safety, with this order, immediately.

Ordered, That Commissions be delivered to certain officers of Col. Prescott’s Regiment, agreeable to the recommendation of the Committee of Safety.

Afternoon.

A draught of a Letter to Governour Trumbull was presented by the Committee appointed to prepare one, and was read and accepted; and the Committee of Supplies directed to forward it by express, and is as follows, viz:

“MAT IT PLEASE TOUR HONOUR: From advices received divers ways, we have the greatest reason to determine that all the British Troops already destined, or that may be yet ordered to America this season, will come to Boston, it being evidently their design, if possible, to rout our Army before that place, destroy all our magazines, and thereby to strike terrour and faintness into the hearts of all the friends to right and liberty throughout the Continent; to revive and animate their scattered friends, and break the union of the Colonies, and in that way insure final success to their tyranny. This being undoubtedly the plan of our enemies, it is of inexpressible consequence that the ground which we have taken should at all events be maintained, Your Honour is no doubt fully sensible that our Army, for the present, is unavoidably checked, with regard to offensive operations, for a reason of which you are not unapprized; but, however, we have the means of acting on the defensive.

“As Boston is impregnable against every thing but great artillery, very few troops are sufficient to keep it; and as there are two passes at least, very distant from each other, by which the enemy will probably attempt to advance into the country, it is thereby rendered necessary that we should throw our Army into at least two grand divisions, each of which ought to be able to withstand almost the whole strength of the enemy. Your Honour is acquainted that it was at first supposed to be necessary that thirty thousand men should fee raised and stationed to act for this season in the environs of Boston. Thirteen thousand six hundred was the number supposed by our Congress to be this Colony’s proportion of such an Army, and that number we have to our utmost been endeavouring fully to complete; but because there are deficiencies in our Regiments, (as your Honour well knows there always; will be in such cases,) in order to make that quota good, we have been obliged to increase the number of the Regiments, but still there is a deficiency; and because of the inexpressible importance of having our Army effectually strong, we are, by unremitted efforts, and by every device, at vast expense, labouring to make that number fully complete, or rather to exceed it.

“May it please your Honour: Because we are vastly apprehensive of the fatal consequences, of a general defeat of this Army to the whole American cause, and are so unutterably solicitous to have it effectually strengthened, we have called in every individual of our levies, from all our outposts, to join the Army; although by that measure we expose all our Towns on the sea-coasts to the rage and depredations of the enemy, and run the dreadful risk of the best of our Towns being reduced to ashes, and taking the miserable fate of Charlestown .