with Captain Bradley of New-Haven, to deliver them in ten or twelve days.

I am, Gentlemen, your most obedient servant,

PETER T. CURTENIUS.

Thursday, August 3, 1775.

SIR: As I am ordered by the Provincial Congress to proceed (with my company) immediately to Ticonderoga, I should be glad to know as their clothing is to be of a better quality and a different make, if provision is made for that purpose? I am, Sir, your most humble servant,

JOHN LAMB.

To Peter T. Curtenius.

GENERAL SCHUYLER TO GOVERNOUR TRUMBULL.

Ticonderoga, August 3, 1775.

SIR: Your Honour’s letter of the 28th ultimo was delivered me yesterday. Major Elmore, who is at Crown Point, has applied to me for leave to sell the cows, which I readily consented to. If he had any grass in this quarter, they might probably become fit for the knife by fall. Provision is now coming up with more speed than heretofore, and my fears of being detained on that account are subsided. I continue building boats; but if the accounts contained in the enclosed affidavits* be well founded, and of which we do not seem to entertain the least doubt, the enemy’s naval strength will be such as, in all probability, will prevent our getting down the Sorrel River to St. John’s, as we suppose their vessels are nearly if not quite finished by this time. And although if we had a number of carpenters and the necessary materials, we might soon construct vessels equal to theirs, yet our want of ammunition would render them useless, for after completing the troops to a pound a man, I shall not have a ton of powder left.

The troops sicken alarmingly fast; ninety-two are now returned ill at this place, only when we are about five hundred strong. I wish they had tents, without which they must suffer incredibly if we should move on.

I am, your Honour’s most obedient humble servant,

PHILIP SCHUYLER.

The Honourable Jonathan Trumbull, Esq.

ETHAN ALLEN TO GOVERNOUR TRUMBULL.

Ticonderoga, August 3, 1775.

HONOURED SIR: General Schuyler exerts his utmost in building boats and making preparation for the Army to advance, as I suppose, to St. John’s, &c. We have an insufficient store of provision for such an undertaking, though the projection is now universally approved. Provisions are hurrying forward, but not so fast as I could hope for. General Wooster’s corps has not yet arrived. I fear there is some treachery among the New-York Tory party relative to forwarding the expedition, though I am confident the General is faithful. No troops from New-York, except some; officers, are yet arrived, though it is given out that they will soon be here. The General tells me he does not want any troops till more provision comes to hand, which he is hurrying, and ordered the troops under General Wooster part to be billeted in the mean time at Albany, and part to mend the road from there to Lake George. It is indeed an arduous work to furnish an army to prosecute an enterprise. In the interim, I am apprehensive the. enemy are forming one against us: witness the sailing of the transports and two men-of-war from Boston, as is supposed for Quebeck. Probably it appears that the King’s Troops are discouraged of making incursions into the Province of the Massachusetts-Bay. Likely they will send part of their force to overawe the Canadians, and inveigle the Indians into their interest. I fear the Colonies have been too slow in their resolutions and preparations relative to this department, but hope they may still succeed.

Notwithstanding my zeal and success in my Country’s cause, the old farmers on the New-Hampshire Grants, who do not incline to go to war, have met in a Committee meeting, and in their nomination of officers for the Regiment of Green Mountain Boys who are quickly to be raised, have wholly omitted me; but as the commissions will come from the Continental Congress, I hope they will remember me, as I desire to remain in the service. And remain your Honour’s most obedient humble servant,

ETHAN ALLEN.

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

N. B. General Schuyler will transmit to your Honour a copy of the affidavits of two intelligent friends who have just arrived from Canada. I apprehend that what they have delivered is truth. I find myself in the favour of the officers of the Army and the young Green Mountain Boys. How the old men came to reject me, I cannot conceive, inasmuch as I saved them from the encroachments of New-York.

E. A.

SAMUEL MOTT TO GOVERNOUR TRUMBULL.

Ticonderoga, August 3, 1775.

HONOURED SIR: The evening before last, two persons, who through policy had obtained passes by the guards at St. John’s, came with me from Crown Point. I was required to assist in examining them under oath before the General, when the substance of their relation was as follows, viz: That the King’s Troops were thirteen days ago, when they came from there, well fortified at St. John’s. That there was at that place four hundred and seventy Regulars; at Chambly, about twelve miles from thence, about one hundred and ten Regulars; at Quebeck about eighty; and at Montreal about twenty. That there were at St. John’s only two Canadians for Indian interpreters, and about forty Indians; and that there were at Montreal (which they had seen,) Col. Guy Johnson and Col. Claus with five hundred Indians, to join the Regulars. That the Regulars were in daily expectation of being joined by four thousand Regulars, who were coming into the river for that purpose. That the Regular Troops had hewed and framed two very large and strong vessels at Chambly, to carry about sixteen carriage guns each, which, before they put together, they had carted up with one hundred teams to St. John’s, and were near finished by this time. They do not suffer any of their people to come over the Colony line, till they have got all their forces and vessels ready, when their intent is to come and destroy with fire and sword as far down here and into the country as they can penetrate. The two men who give this account appear to be sensible men, and give a very distinct account. They say that about three weeks ago, an attempt was made by the English rebels to force the Canadians to take up arms against the Colonies, by putting to death a number in each Parish on their refusal, when about three thousand Canadians rose to defend themselves in a body, and disarmed one of their countrymen who had a commission from Governour Carleton, and determined to defend themselves; when Carleton, on finding their disposition to resist, got them dispersed and easy, by telling them, that although he had issued a Proclamation to invite them to take arms, yet he had no design to force them, &c. They say farther, that the Canadians will not take arms against us, unless dragooned into it by the appearance of a numerous army of Regulars. The Canadians are generally armed, but have little or no ammunition, otherwise it is most likely they would rise in opposition to the present measures, as they are highly incensed at the restoration of the old French laws, with their priestly and other burdens.

August 4.—The English rebels have lately taken two of our men prisoners, who went to carry down an Indian scholar who came from Doctor Wheelock’s college. We are here in a pitiful condition, the men seem much in clined to a seditious and mutinous temper; if we were to attempt to go forward now after leaving the sick and enough to keep the garrisons, we could not go more than eight or nine hundred strong at most, which would be inadequate. I never yet knew an army so illy provided for as this has been. A great part of the time since we have been here, we have had not more than one, two, three, or four days’ provisions at most, and some times not enough to provision the people as fast as it became due. By all the appearances of the conduct of the Province of New-York, they still are unsound at heart; they make a great noise, and send forward a few officers to command, &c., and all the carpenters and artificers who are to have extra pay; but I believe as to soldiers in the service, they are not more than

*Affidavits of John Duguid and John Shatforth, Fol. 12, 13.