Connecticut, and the Committee of Safety of New-Hampshire, on this subject, urging, in the most forcible terms, the necessity of an immediate supply, if in their power. I need not enlarge on our melancholy situation; it is sufficient, that the existence of the Army, and the salvation of the Country, depend upon something being done for our relief, both speedy and effectual, and that our situation be kept a profound secret.

In the enclosures (Nos.2 and 3) I send the allowance of provisions, &c., made by the Provinces of Connecticut and Massachusetts; the mode and quantity are different from what has fallen within my experience, and I am confident must prove very wasteful and expensive. If any alteration can be safely made, (which I much doubt,) there might be a great saving to the publick.

A gentleman of my family, assisted by a deserter, who has some skill in fortification, has, by my direction, sketched out two draughts of our respective lines, at Charlestown and Roxbury, which, with the explanations, will convey some idea of our situation, and I hope prove acceptable to the members of the honourable Congress. They are the enclosures Nos. 4 and 5.

Since I had the honour of addressing you last, I have been applied to, by a Committee of the General Court, for a detachment of the Army, to protect the inhabitants of the eastern parts of this Province from some apprehended depredations on their coasts. I could have wished to have complied with their request, but after due consideration, and consulting the General Officers, together with those members of Congress who are here, I thought it my duty to excuse myself. The application, and my answer, are the enclosures Nos. 6 and 7, which I hope will be approved by the honourable Congress. Since I began this letter, the original, of which the enclosure No. 8 is a copy, fell into my hands. As the writer is a person of some note in Boston, and it contains some advices of importance not mentioned by others, I thought proper to forward it as I received it. By comparing the handwriting with another letter, it appears the writer is one Belcher Noyes, a person probably known to some of the Gentlemen Delegates from this Province, who can determine from his principles and character what credit is due to him.

The Army is now formed into three Grand Divisions, under the command of the Generals Ward, Lee, and Putnam; each Division into two Brigades, consisting of about six Regiments each, commanded by Generals Thomas and Spencer at Roxbury, Heath at Cambridge, Sullivan and Greene at Winter-Hill. By this you will please to observe, there is a deficiency of one Brigadier-General, occasioned by Mr. Pomeroy’s not acting under his commission, which I beg may be filled up as soon as possible. I observe the honourable Congress have also favoured me with the appointment of three Brigade-Majors; I presume they have, or intend to appoint the rest soon, as they cannot be unacquainted that one is necessary to each Brigade, and in a newly raised Army it will be an office of great duty and service.

General Gage has at length liberated the people of Boston, who land in numbers at Chelsea every day; the terms on which the passes are granted, as to money, effects, and provisions, correspond with Mr. Noyes’s letter. We have several reports that General Gage is dismantling Castle William, and bringing all the cannon up to Town; but upon a very particular inquiry, accounts are so various that I cannot ascertain the truth of it.

I am sorry to be under a necessity of making such frequent examples among the officers, when a sense of honour, and the interest of their Country, might be expected to make punishment unnecessary. Since my last, Captain Parker, of Massachusetts, for frauds, both in pay and provisions, and Captain Gardiner, of Rhode-Island, for cowardice, in running away from his guard on an alarm, have been broke. As nothing can be more fatal to an army than crimes of this kind, I am determined, by every motive of reward and punishment, to prevent them in future.

On the first instant, a Chief of the Caughnawaga Tribe, who lives about six miles from Montreal, came in here, accompanied by a Colonel Bayley, of Cohos. His account of the temper and disposition of the Indians are very favourable. He says they have been strongly solicited by Governour Carleton to engage against us, but his Nation is totally averse; threats, as well as entreaties, have been used without effect; that the Canadians are well disposed to the English Colonies, and if any expedition is meditated against Canada, the Indians in that quarter will give all their assistance. I have endeavoured to cherish these favourable dispositions, and have recommended to him to cultivate them on his return; what I have said I enforced with a present, which I understood would be agreeable to him; and, as he is represented to be a man of weight and consequence in his own tribe, I flatter myself his visit will have a good effect. His accounts of Governour Carlelon’s force and situation at St. John’s, correspond with what we have already had from that quarter.

The accession of Georgia to the measures of the Congress is a happy event, and must give a sincere pleasure to every friend of America.

August 5.—We have accounts this morning of two explosions at the Castle, so that, its destruction may now be supposed certain. I have this morning been alarmed with an information that two gentlemen from Philadelphia, Mr. Hitchbourn and Captain White, with letters for General Lee and myself, have been taken by Captain Ayscough at Rhode-Island, the letters intercepted and sent forward to Boston with the bearers as prisoners; that the Captain exulted much in the discoveries he had made, and my informant, who was also in the boat, but released, understood them to be letters of consequence. I have, therefore, despatched the express immediately back, though I had before resolved to detain him till Fessenden’s return. I shall be anxious, till I am relieved from the suspense I am in, as to the contents of those letters. It is exceedingly unfortunate that gentlemen should choose to travel the only road on which there is danger. Let the event of this be what it will, I hope it will serve as a general caution against trusting any letters that way in future.

Nothing of consequence has occurred in the camp these two days. The inhabitants of Boston continue coming out at Chelsea, but under a new restriction, that no men shall come out without special license; which is refused to all mechanicks, since the Tory labourers were taken at the Light-house.

I have the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient, obliged, and very humble servant,

Go. WASHINGTON.

[No. 1.]

General Return of the Army of the UNITED COLONIES, commanded by His Excellency GEORGE WASHINGTON, Esquire, General and Commander-in-Chief.

Head-Quarters at Cambridge, July 29, 1775.

Massachusetts-Bay Regiments 26, and 4 Independent Companies; Connecticut Regiments 3; New-Hampshire Regiments 3; Rhode-Island Regiments 3.

Total of present Commissioned Officers: 30 Colonels, 31 Lieutenant-Colonels, 35 Majors, 289 Captains, 511 Lieutenants, 73 Ensigns.

Total of present Staff Officers: 14 Chaplains, 34 Adjutants, 35 Quartermasters, 35 Surgeons, 30 Mates.

Total of Non-Commissioned Officers: 1,202 Sergeants, 612 Drums and Fifes.

Rank and File present fit for duty 13,899; sick present 1,330; sick absent 690: on furlough 287; on command 692. Total Rank and File 16,898.

Wanting to complete: 124 Sergeants, 105 Drums and Fifes, 2,079 Privates.

HORATIO GATES, Adjutant-General.

N. B. Colonel Sergeant’s Regiment not included in the above Return.

[No. 2.]

In Provincial Congress, Watertown, June 10, 1775.

Resolved, That each Soldier in the Massachusetts Army shall have the following allowance per day, viz:

Article 1. One pound of Bread.

Article 2. Half a pound of Beef, and half a pound of Pork, and if Pork cannot be had, one pound and a quarter of Beef; and one day in seven, they shall have one pound and one-quarter of salt Fish, instead of one day’s allowance of meat.

Article 3. One pint of Milk, or, if Milk cannot be had, one gill of Rice.