proper, the King to pay the Patent fees, Secretary’s fees, and Surveyor-General’s; besides twenty years free of quitrent; each married man gets fifty acres for his wife, and fifty for each child, on the same terms.

“And as a gratuity, besides the above great terms, one guinea levy money.

ALLEN MACLEAN,

“Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant.”

ELBRIDGE GERRY TO GENERAL WASHINGTON.

Chamber of Supplies, Watertown, August 1, 1775.

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY: Mr. Cheever has applied this afternoon for two hundred thousand small-arm cartridges, in consequence of an application from the Adjutant-General, to answer the demand of Major Gen. Lee.

Mr. Cheever is able to furnish about thirty-six thousand, it being the whole quantity now made; and there remains but thirty-six barrels in store of the quantity collected from the Towns in this Colony, and received from the others this side Maryland. There are also about two tons of lead, and not any flints in store, of which we think it necessary to give immediate information.

We are in daily expectation of some powder from the West-Indies, but cannot say what success our plan will meet with; indeed we have exerted ourselves to obtain it several ways, which may be communicated at a more convenient opportunity. With respect to lead and flints, Colonel Porter was despatched sixteen days since for New-York, for two hogsheads of flints and ten ton lead, but we have heard nothing from him since. We are ready to exert to the utmost to serve the cause, provided the Commissary-General desires it for the present. The powder shall be sent immediately if ordered, or be made into cartridges as soon as may be.

We are, Sir, respectfully, your most obedient servant,

ELBRIDGE GERRY.

His Excellency General Washington.

COLONEL LOAMMI BALDWIN TO COLONEL JOSEPH REED.

Chelsea, August 1, 1775.

SIR: I am just informed that there was this forenoon about fourteen hundred Regulars paraded in Boston, and afterward marched down in order to go over to Charlestown Heights, as they call Bunker-Hill. Suppose they are all over before this time. Another person told me there was not more than one thousand men, and that they were going to reenforce Bunker-Hill.

I send the observations as usual.

It gives me unspeakable satisfaction that my conduct is approved of by the General. Nothing that lies in my power to perform shall be wanting to render his Excellency’s command easy, and life happy. That success and victory may attend his endeavour, is the sincere wish of his and your Honour’s most humble servant,

LOAMMI BALDWIN, Lieutenant-Colonel.

P. S. I trust you will give the enclosed to the General.

THOMAS LITE (AGENT) TO GOVERNOUR TRUMBULL.

Basinghall Street, London, August 2, 1775.

SIR: I wrote you by the last packet a circumstantial detail of the proceedings in the Susquehannah cause, and sent you my bills, with a request for an early remittance to enable me to go on with the cause, and make no doubt of receiving it before November. Mr. Hooke (partner with the late Mr. Nuthall) writes to Col. Dyer by this packet, and the Colonel will have the pleasure of hearing that no inconvenience has happened by the papers being in the hands of Mr. Levy, as he sent his clerk with them to attend the hearing at the Board of Trade. Mr. Wilmot (Mr. Penn’s Solicitor) finding the inconyeniency of having only two counsel, has taken in Mr. McDonald as a third counsel. The Lords of Trade have had no Board on this business since my last, and have adjourned it till the first Monday after the meeting of Parliament. I beg my best respects to Doctor Johnson; and am, with the greatest esteem and regard, Sir, your most obedient humble servant,

THOMAS LIFE.

To the Honourable Jonathan Trumbull, Esq., Governour of the Colony of Connecticut.

EARL OF DARTMOUTH TO LORD DUNMORE.

Whitehall, August 2, 1775.

MY LORD: The hope you held out to us in your letter of the 1st of May, that with a supply of arms and ammunition you should be able to collect from among the Indians, negroes, and other persons, a force sufficient, if not to sub-due rebellion, at least to defend Government, was very encouraging; but I find by your letters delivered to me by Lieutenant Collins, that you have been obliged, from the violence of the times, menaced by one branch of the Legislature, and abandoned by the other, to yield up all the powers of Government, and to retire yourself on board the Fowey. I have the King’s commands to send you His Majesty’s leave to return to England, which, together with this letter, and a commission to Mr. Corbin to administer Government during your absence, will be delivered to you by Captain Atkins, of His Majesty’s Ship Acteon, who goes convoy to the Maria, store-ship.

At the same time it is left to your Lordship’s discretion to use this leave of absence or not, as you shall see occasion; for, relying upon your firmness, I have still a hope that, with the supply of arms now sent you, and with the assistance of a greater naval force, the King’s Government in Virginia may yet be maintained; and should this happily be the case, it will not be necessary that Mr. Corbin should be informed of His Majesty’s intention in his favour.

I am, my Lord, your Lordship’s most obedient, humble servant,

DARTMOUTH.

Earl of Dunmore.

EARL OF DARTMOUTH TO GENERAL GAGE.

Whitehall, August 2, 1775.

SIR: It being His Majesty’s intention that we should have, if possible, in North-America, early in the next spring, an Army of at least twenty thousand men, exclusive of Canadians and Indians, the proper steps are now taking for such arrangements as may be necessary to this object; and I have this day signified His Majesty’s commands, that the 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 10th, 14th, 16th, 22d, 23d, 26th, 35th, 38th, 40th, 43d, 44th, 45th, 47th, 49th, 52d, 63d, 64th, and 65th Regiments be augmented, so as that each company shall consist of three Sergeants, three Corporals, two Drummers, and fifty-six private men, besides commissioned officers. And that each of the abovementioned twenty-two Battalions be augmented with two companies, each to consist of one Captain, one Lieutenant, one Ensign, three Sergeants, three Corporals, two Drummers, and fifty-six private men.

With regard to the 18th and 59th Regiments, His Majesty thinks fit, upon a consideration of their weak state, that what remains of the private men fit for service, should be incorporated into other Regiments, and the officers and non-commissioned officers sent home to recruit: and that it should be left to your discretion to follow the same rule in the case of any other Regiments under the like circumstances.

Besides four companies of Artillery, which are ordered to embark immediately, in order to enable you to return to the line the men taken from thence for that service, it is resolved, to send you directly a further re-enforcement of two thousand men, and orders are given for the 17th and 55th Regiments in Ireland, to prepare for embarkation, the remainder of the re-enforcements to be made by recruits, which we hope to raise in time; but if when the transports are ready the number of recruits should fall short, in that case the 27th, 28th, and 46th Regiments will be ordered to embark, or such part of them as shall be necessary to make up the full complement of two thousand men.

The steps which you say the rebels have taken for calling in the assistance of the Indians, leave no room to hesitate upon the propriety of your pursuing the same measure. For that purpose I enclose to you a letter to Col. Johnson, containing His Majesty’s commands for engaging a body of Indians, and shall by the first ship-of-war that sails after the Cerberus, send you a large assortment of goods for presents, which you will contrive the means of safely conveying to the Colonel.

I wish, Sir, to state to you, with as much precision as I am able, the ideas that have been formed with respect to

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