JOHN HANCOCK, PRESIDENT, TO THE NEW-HAMPSHIRE CONGRESS.

Congress Chamber, July 22, 1775.

GENTLEMEN: By return of the Army, transmitted by the General to Congress, it appears there is a great deficiency in many Regiments; upon which the Congress came to the enclosed resolutions, which I am ordered to transmit to you.

I am, Gentlemen, your obedient humble servant,

JOHN HANCOCK, President.

Convention of New-Hampshire.

P. S. I enclose you a publick paper, in which you will see the resolutions of Congress respecting the Militia through the Continent.

GENERAL WOOSTER TO CONTINENTAL CONGRESS.

Camp at Harlem, July 22, 1775.

SIR: I received your order of the seventeenth instant, and immediately contracted for vessels to carry the Troops to Albany. The first division, under the command of Colonel Waterbury, will march on Monday next, and the remainder will march as soon as I can possibly get the vessels ready to take them, which wont exceed Wednesday. And indeed, Sir, you may depend upon my utmost exertion and assiduity for carrying into execution every order within my department, for the good of the common cause, notwithstanding some discouragements that I have met with, after a series of thirty-four years in the service of my King and Country.

Since General Schuyler went to Ticonderoga, a letter came from General Washington, addressed to him or the officer commanding at or near New-York, in which was the following paragraph, viz: “The commissions which have been forwarded to me are not sufficient to answer the demand I have for them, there being at least one thousand officers in this department, and not more than five hundred commissions in my possession. As you are so much nearer to Philadelphia than I am, I request you to apply to Congress for as many as you are likely to want.”

The forces under my command are in general good health and high spirits, and rejoice to have it in their power to go where they may have an opportunity to do their Country some service.

I am, Sir, with the greatest esteem, your obliged humble servant,

DAVID WOOSTER.

The Honourable John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress.

GENERAL SCHUYLER TO NEW-YORK CONGRESS.

Ticonderoga, July 22, 1775.

SIR: I am just favoured with your letter of the thirteenth instant, enclosing a copy of Colonel Hinman’s to the Congress. Every consideration induces me to take all the precautions possible, more especially as I have four important posts to maintain, with a small number of troops, and those very ill armed and with little ammunition. In this disagreeable situation, I feel very sensibly the exceeding slowness with which the levies are made in every part of our Colony. Captain Mott informs me that I need not expect a re-enforcement in less than a month. Should General Burgoyne (as is reported) be gone with a body of troops to Canada, and make an attack in this quarter, in our present weak and defenceless situation, what the consequences would be to the Country are easier conceived than described. I hope such as are raised, although the Regiments may not be complete, will be ordered up without delay with camp equipage. I am, Sir, your most humble servant,

PHILIP SCHUYLER.

Henry Williams, Esquire, Chairman of the Committee of New-York Congress.

NEW-IPSWICH (NEW-HAMPSHIRE) COMMITTEE.

New-Ipswich, July 22, 1775.

In February last, the Committee of Inspection for the Town of New-Ipswich, in New-Hampshire, finding that Mr. David Hills, a trader in said Town, had raised the price of some articles of his Merchandise, whereupon said Committee called him to an account, and after some debate, said Hills promised to adhere strictly to the Association; so said Committee received him again. In the beginning of March then next, the said Hills violated the Association again in the same manner as before, whereupon said Committee called him to an account again; then he said he did not understand the Association nor the promise, as we did, but for the future he would adhere to the Association and the promise, as we understood them; so was again received. Now he has violated the Association in like manner the third time, notwithstanding his promise; so we again examined him, and he owned he had raised his price on some articles, viz. Salt, Fish, and Rum, and says it is no violation of the Association so refuses to make satisfaction. Now we, the Committee, advise all good people to break off all dealings with him, as the Association binds all to do. By order of the Committee.

JOSEPH BATES, Chairman of said Committee.

DAVID HILLS TO THE PUBLICK.

New-Ipswich, August 30, 1775.

The publication in the Essex Gazette, printed the 24th instant, signed “Joseph Bates, Chairman of said Committee,” requires this piece of justice to the publick, and to my character, that some of the facts therein mentioned be rightly stated. The customary price of salt was four shillings per bushel till July last, when the price of carting was necessarily raised five or six pence, for want of loading to carry down, and nearly all the salt I have had on hand ever since has cost three shillings, seven pence, one-fifth, per bushel, delivered here, and the price complained of is four shillings, three pence, one-fifth; so that the advance is eight pence, making no allowance for the casks to contain it, waste, &c. I have had license to retail rum only since November last. My price has been two shillings, six pence, two-fifths per gallon, till July last, when I raised it to two shillings eight pence, which has been the customary price here for several years, the excise on it being two pence. The customary price of common fish is two pence and three pence per pound; this of mine is spring merchantable fish, equal in quality to what the Army is supplied with at nineteen shillings per quintal, and my price for it is three pence per pound. As for what passed in February and March last, see a vote of the Town at the annual meeting, March 13, viz: “Voted to accept of the Committee of Inspection’s Report, with respect to the two shop-keepers, and that the Town is satisfied with said shop-keepers.” This I can fully prove is the true state of the case, and I hereby challenge this Committee, and the whole world, to produce any evidence to the contrary. Their publication, however absurd, is less strange, since it appears that two, the most leading men of the Committee, have declared against the present proceedings of the united American Colonies, as being imprudent, and that we had better have complied with the requisitions of the British Parliament. Upon principles, it seems, not unlike this, the Committee have proceeded in the most arbitrary and obstinate manner to publish the said piece, utterly refusing, after repeated entreaties, to submit to a hearing of the case before any other Committee. Now I desire all people, both “good” and bad, to treat this Committee and their publications as they deserve.

DAVID HILLS.

STATEMENT OF COMMITTEE.

New-Ipswich, September 13, 1775.

The piece published in the Essex Gazette, the seventh instant, signed by David Hills, which says, “the publication in the Essex Gazette, printed the twenty-fourth instant, signed by Joseph Bates, Chairman, requires that piece of justice to the publick and his character,” I observe is such a piece of justice as the Tory party have practised to publish, mostly false and scandalous, representing things in a false light. When he says the carting was necessarily raised, he hired some teams to carry and fetch a load at eight shillings, lawful money, a journey cheaper than the usual price; the salt he mentions, he bought at twelve shillings per hogshead; the fish, which he says is equal in quality to what the Army is supplied with at nineteen shillings per quintal, he bought at ten shillings per quintal, as appears by his bill from his merchant; the rum he bought a large store of, at