Boston to Charlestown, light loaded or almost empty; three boats passed from Charlestown to Boston very heavily loaded with men.

I would beg leave to ask your Excellency whether it was the intent and meaning of your orders to send an express to Head-Quarters every day when there is nothing more occurs than has for two days past.

These from your Excellency’s most obedient servant,

LOAMMI BALDWIN, Lieut. Col.

MASSACHUSETTS COUNCIL TO GENERAL GATES.

Council Chamber, Watertown, July 28, 1775.

SIR: Your letter of the 21st instant to the Speaker of the honourable House of Representatives, was by them referred to this Board, who are of opinion, that the jails of Worcester, Springfield, and Northampton, are the most suitable places for securing the prisoners, and therefore recommend that they be sent to one or more of those places. I am, Sir, your most obedient humble servant,

PEREZ MORTON, Sec’y pro tem.

Horatio Gates, Esq., Adjutant-General in the American Army.

ORDERS TO CAPT. BAKER FOR THE REMOVAL OF PRISONERS.

You are to proceed with the detachment under your command to Worcester, taking under your care two Sergeants, two Corporals, twenty-one private Soldiers of the Ministerial Army, and twelve Tories, who have been aiding and abetting General Gage and his adherents; you are to deliver them to the Chairman of the Committee at Worcester, who is hereby enjoined to order a detachment from the Militia of that Town to escort them to Spring field, and deliver them to the Committee there, where they are to be secured, so as to be forthcoming whenever exchange of prisoners, or a happy reconciliation between Great Britain and her Colonies, shall take place.

Given at Head-Quarters at Cambridge, this first day of August, 1775.

HORATIO GATES, Adj.Gen.

N. B. One of the Marines left wounded at Cambridge, which reduces the number to twenty Privates.

Worcester, August 3, A. D. 1775.

Received of Joseph Baker, Jun., Commander of the detachment who escorted the prisoners (lately taken at the Light-House) to Worcester, two Sergeants, two Corporals, eighteen Privates, and twelve Tories.

WILLIAM YOUNG,

Chairman of Comm. of Correspondence.

N. B. There appears to be a mistake of two Privates in the number given in the General Orders.

Received this seventh day of August, Anno Domini 1775, of Mr. William Young, Chairman of the Committee of Correspondence for the Town of Worcester, two Sergeants, two Corporals, eighteen Privates, and eleven Tories, which were ordered to be delivered to the Committee of Correspondence for the Town of Springfield by Horatio Gates, Adjutant-General.

NATHANIEL BREWER,

Chairman of Springfield Committee.

N. B. The Tories in number were twelve, one of whom was left sick at Worcester, as the Chairman of Worcester Committee informs.

CAPT. BEDELL, TO NEW-HAMPSHIRE COMMITTEE OF SAFETY.

Haverhill, July 28, 1775.

SIR: When I was with the Committee, and received my order for this department, I was willing to serve as a Captain, though I had the command of three companies; but I have this day received certain account from Crown Point, that an army was forming for an expedition against the Regular Troops in Canada, and orders sent to raise men under Colonel Allen on this river. I do expect the orders will be sent to me to match that way; at the same time shall expect to have a Regiment, except some old experienced officer should offer; otherwise shall decline, as I never meant to enter the service as a Captain to serve out of the Government. We can raise a Regiment in this part of the country. Colonel Bayley, who attends service, will inform as to news. As there is no person appointed as a Committee of Supplies here, it is necessary we should have some money; and I desire it may be sent by Col. Bayley, and what is sent by him I will be accountable for, taking his receipt for what is sent. I imagine that one hundred Pounds is as little as will answer. These from yours at command,

TIM. BEDLEL.

To the Hon. Matthew Thornton, Esq., Chairman of the Committee of Safety.

TO THE MEMBERS OF THE CONVENTION OF VIRGINIA.

Williamsburgh, July 29, 1775.

GENTLEMEN: I am a man who has spent some part of my life between the barracks and camp, therefore have contracted a natural love for military parade. To indulge my foible, I went the other day to see one of your independent companies go through the Prussian exercise, as they called it; when, behold, all that I saw was their forming six deep, by the rear half files facing to the right about, and marching eighteen paces to the rear. This, with rest, order, open your files to the right and left, with the slow parade motions of prime and load, was (as I understood) to constitute the whole; and you may call it Prussian exercise, if you please, but if I have any judgment, it is mere burlesque on all exercise. Upon inquiry why the regular Prussian discipline was not adopted, I was told by the man that was to teach them, that he could not tell off a Battalion; that is, he could not put them through their firings. If this be the case, as I have great reason to believe it is, (not only so with that company, but many others in the Colony,) that many who pretend to teach the Prussian exercise never saw a Battalion told off in their lives, according to the Prussian method of firing, and if they did, their low stations in the ranks rendered it impossible for them ever to know any thing but what belonged to their own sub or grand division. If so, what must those companies propose to themselves by the mode of exercise they have adopted, in case of emergency? Each company might be formed into a battalion, and to lead a body of brave men, with such counterfeit discipline, to face a disciplined enemy, would, in my opinion, be downright murder. Let us not plume ourselves with this conceit, that we shall always have the bush to fight behind; for, in the different services of war in this Country, there will be passes to be guarded or forced; bridges to be crossed or defended; trenches to be guarded or formed; streets to be cleared; and sometimes squares to be formed: in all which cases, bushing it would be of little or no use; and to send undisciplined Troops on such service would be absurd indeed. The native courage of the Americans, and their knowledge of the woods, with an early use of fire-arms, has rendered them superiour in the woods to any Troops in Europe, and, if under regular discipline, might be as famous in the field. But it may be observed and said, we want men of knowledge in such cases to Instruct us. First, clear yourselves of those caterpillars that poison the military blossoms of your first endeayours, and leave only a smoky webful of excrements behind. Next, advise those bookish theorists to lay by their Christ-Cross-Row; for he who learns the trade of war by book, will find himself to seek when on actual service. Then give proper encouragement to men of abilities, (for such there are amongst ye,) who may lay a foundation for ye that may make ye one day or other become as great in arms as Rome of old. Knowing I must rise or fall with this Country in the general struggle for liberty, were I to lie dormant on the occasion, I should count myself highly culpable, for the gracious acceptance of the poor widow’s offering emboldens me to cast in my mite. My station, when in the Army in Europe last war, rendered it necessary for me to be thoroughly acquainted with all parts of the Prussian infantry and artillery exercise; I therefore freely offer my poor service to the publick. Those gentlemen who choose to employ me, may hear of me by directing a line to the care of Mr. Edmund Day, of Southampton, or Mr. Elisha Copeland, of Nansemond County for, the publick’s humble servant,

ROBERT WASHINGTON.

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