renowned Captain in harlequin, whose success in this Town last war has encouraged him to renew his antick tricks here, now finds himself with all his buffoonery sadly disappointed, and several of those he had trepanned have already deserted. Many of the draughts that are come here to fill up the Regiments ordered abroad, swear they will never draw a trigger against the Americans, among whom they have all relations; and most of the English and Irish soldiers that left this last April and May expressed so much repugnance to the service they were ordered on, that I am fully persuaded, if your Army was not shut up in Boston, it must suffer exceedingly by desertion.

But, though I write thus freely, I would have you very guarded, for all the letters from your side are opened; and yet there are many letters in this Town which give a most tragical account of your present situation. The carnage on Bunker’s Hill is to every humane breast shocking beyond expression.

Extract of a Letter to Lieutenant JONES, of the Sixty-Third Regiment at BOSTON, dated at CORK, SEPTEMBER 10, 1775.

They [the Americans] will be scourged severely, and it is the opinion the soldiers will have all the forfeitures. I wish you all health, and that you may finish as gloriously as you have begun. The Sergeants give one guinea to every man, besides the King’s bounty; these people are to be formed into Companies additional to each Regiment to recruit it. We have taken it into our heads here that the Admiral and his fleet have not been as active as they should be, and are told he is sent for home. I am, Sir, most affectionately, yours ever,

R. GORDON.

Extract of a Letter to Captain GARDNER, Aid-de-camp to General BURGOYNE, at BOSTON, dated at CORK, SEPTEMBER 10, 1775.

I arrived here this day, and never was mortal more hurried than I am at present, but a Yankee schooner just going to leave this for Boston’s great township, I ought not to let slip the opportunity.

I enclose in this a letter to Colonel Pigot, which when you have read, seal it and deliver it to him. If you have any interest with him you will employ it in my favour, for you must know there is a damned strong Scotch party in our Regiment, which would be glad to deprive me of the paymastership. I should have been a Major before this, if it had not been for this cursed rebellion, but every thing is for the best; perhaps I may soon get that rank without purchase, if I escape the blazing irons of the saints, for I am eldest Captain in the Regiment, except Major Gray. General Burgoyne’s letter to him, [General Lee,] is deservedly much admired, and though short, I believe has made more converts to sound policy than any other production that has appeared upon the subject. The King’s Proclamation has greatly confounded the turbulent, miscalled patriots.

“Strike off their pensions, by the setting sun,
“All England, if not Europe, is undone.

Some of my old acquaintances, the Skiragathry’s, should be let slip upon the back settlements; I am convinced they would not desire better sport, and likewise convinced that nothing would sooner bring those liberty-mad gentry to reason. Your present situation must be very disagreeable, to be cooped up by such a set of dirty ragamuffins as I know they are: however, this may comfort you, the fiddle is tuning for them, and early next spring they will have such a dance as I hope will bring them to themselves. Believe me, dear Harry, to be affectionately yours,

V. GARDNER.

P. S. The transports for the Seventeenth, Twenty-Seventh, and our Regiment, sailed for this the 28th of August. You may depend that we shall have early next spring twenty thousand Russians.

Adieu! laurels and life to you.

Extract of a Letter to an Officer at BOSTON, dated CORK, SEPTEMBER 14, 1775.

There are several young men going out volunteers, who have deposited the purchase money of commissions, so that you will not want opportunities of selling out, therefore we earnestly entreat you to come home. Were you on actual service against the French or Spaniards, our natural enemies, I should be the last man in the world to suggest a thought of quitting your profession: for though much I prize your safety, you may depend that the preservation of your character holds the first place with me.

Any thing you may desire to have from hence shall be punctually executed, provided the quantity does not exceed the consumption of your own family, for as to assisting any other officers employed in this black business, I beg to be excused; they may even go dine with Duke Humphry for me.

Now for publick matters. Lord Kenmare gives a bounty of ten shillings and six pence to all volunteers enlisting with Major Roche. The Papists of Limerick and the Papists of Cork have subscribed to give as much more to the first five hundred. The Popish Bishops have likewise been applied to, to use their influence with their flocks, which they are willing to do provided the officers are Papists. These are blessed times.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN TO NEW-YORK CONGRESS.

In Committee of Safety, Philadelphia, August 19, 1775

GENTLEMEN: We have received and considered your application for a supply of gunpowder. We had already furnished to the Army and to the neighbouring Colonies all we could safely spare, when an express arriving from General Schuyler, dated 2d of August, at Ticonderoga, expressing his great want of powder, we forwarded to him twenty-two hundred weight, directed to the care of the Committee at Albany. At the time we sent it, we were not informed that a large quantity which arrived in New-Jersey from South-Carolina, had been forwarded to him a short time before, which it is likely he had not heard of when he wrote, but which would make our last supply unnecessary. As probably that may not be gone from Albany, we leave it to your consideration whether it may not, on an application to General Schuyler, be brought back from thence for your use.

We are, Gentlemen, your most obedient humble servants,

By order:

B. FRANKLIN, President.

To P. V. B. Livingston, Esq., &c., New-York.

PHILADELPHIA COMMITTEE.

Committee Chamber, August 19, 1775.

Whereas, by the eleventh Article of the Association of the Congress it is directed “That a Committee be chosen in every County, City, and Town, by those who are qualified to vote for Representatives in the Legislature, whose business it shall be attentively to observe the conduct of all persons touching this Association; and when it shall be made to appear to the satisfaction of a majority of any such Committee, that any person within the limits of their appointment has violated this Association, that such majority do forthwith cause the truth of the case to be published in the Gazette, to the end that all such foes to the rights of British America may be publickly known and Universally contemned as the enemies of American liberty, and thenceforth we respectively will break off all dealings with him or her:”

And whereas Mr. Schlosser having reported that a summons has been served upon him at the suit of William Conn, and marked with the name of Isaac Hunt, as his attorney, which Mr. Schlosser alleges was occasioned by his acting in the line of his duty as a member of this Committee:

Resolved, That Mr. Hunt be desired to attend this Committee immediately.

Mr. Hunt accordingly attended, and declared that when, he ordered the writ to be issued, he did not know or believe that Mr. Schlosser had detained the Linen, for which he had issued the summons, as a member of this Committee, under a suspicion that it had been imported contrary to the Association of the Congress.

On motion, That Mr. Hunt be asked if he means to prosecute the action against Mr. Schlosser, now he is informed that Mr. Schlosser acted in the above irstance in. the line of his duty as a member of this Committee? The