but always with strict orders never to molest either Canadians or Indians. The last tour was without any orders from the General; and landing somewhere on the shore of the lake, he indiscreetly or wickedly snapped his firelock at some Indians he saw near him; immediately he was fired at and slain, on which his people returned the fire, and killed two of the savages. This matter was immediately represented in its true colours, by the Commissioners of Indian affairs, to the Six Nations now in Congress in this City, who thanked them for their candour; and, in order to put out the flame which this unhappy affair could not help kindling, a Lieutenant sets out to day, with four Mohawk Indians and an interpreter, to join General Schuyler, wherever he shall be, to endeavour to make up matters. This affair was prodigiously misrepresented here at first.

GOVERNOUR COOKE TO GENERAL WASHINGTON.

Providence, September 2, 1775.

SIR: I am favoured with your Excellency’s letter of the 31st of last month, by Captain Baylor, who hath purchased the warlike stores imported by Messrs. Clarke & Nightingale. The prices appear to be very high, but, considering the cost, expenses, and risk, I believe they are as low as can be reasonably expected.

In the letter I did myself the honour to write you, by Mr. Brown, I mentioned the extreme scarcity of tow cloth in the Colony. There is indeed none to be purchased.

The Committee appointed to act during the recess of the General Assembly, have given your proposal, for taking the powder from Bermuda, a full consideration, and have come to a resolution to make the attempt. Captain Abraham Whipple, the Commodore of the two armed vessels in the service of this Colony, who has been very ill, but is now upon the recovery, has been consulted, and will undertake the enterprise as soon as his health will permit. He is deemed the most suitable person to conduct it that we have. He requests your Excellency to give him a line, under your hand, assuring the people of Bermuda that in case of their assistance you will recommend it to the Continental Congress to permit them to fetch provisions for the use of the island. He does not propose to make any use of it unless he shall find it utterly impracticable to obtain the powder without their assistance.

I am, with much esteem and respect, Sir, your most obedient humble servant,               NICHOLAS COOKE.

General Washington.

CLARK AND NIGHTINGALE TO GENERAL WASHINGTON.

Providence, September 2, 1775.

SIR: Agreeable to your request by Captain George Baylor, your Excellency’s Aid-de-Camp, we have delivered him all the gunpowder and lead, with what arms his Honour Governour Cooke thought would be expedient to spare; the remainder of the powder and arms, which are but few, and not yet come to Town, he thinks will be best to continue here, in order to supply the inhabitants in case of an attack upon these parts.

As our vessel is not arrived here, and we have not been able to obtain the Captain’s accounts with respect to the voyage, we cannot ascertain our proportion of these articles; the Provincial Congress of the Massachusetts-Bay being equally concerned with us in them, they having advanced four thousand dollars, to which we put the like sum, to be invested in military stores if they could be procured. It will therefore be entirely out of our power to have this matter adjusted till the Captain’s arrival; for which reason we must request your Excellency to inform Colonel Benjamin Lincoln, (to whom we write, as he was formerly one of the Committee of Supplies, and now one of the Council of the Massachusetts-Bay, and the person with whom we contracted,) that you have the powder and lead allowed to you, and that the arms, and five thousand flints, will be sent by the first opportunity, for which your Excellency will please to settle with them, as soon as they know the amount, which shall be immediately on the Captain’s arrival.

We are, with due respect, your Excellency’s most obedient and most obliged humble servants,

CLARK & NIGHTINGALE.

His Excellency George Washington, Esq.

GENERAL WASHINGTON TO GOVERNOUR TRUMBULL.

Camp at Cambridge, September 2, 1775.

SIR: I am to acknowledge the receipt of your favour of the 21st ult., with the enclosures. By my last letters from Ticonderoga, I expect a quantity of lead will be forwarded soon, to your care, from thence. I am glad there are such prospects of a supply of that article from the mines in your Colony. I make no doubt they will receive such encouragement, both publick and private, as their importance and value demand.

By the time you receive this letter you will be able to judge, with some certainty, whether the fleet which sailed last from Boston was destined for your coast. If it is not yet arrived, we may conclude it has sailed to the eastward. If it has arrived, the issue will be known immediately; so that in either case the continuance of the new-raised levies along the coast is unnecessary. You will, therefore, on the receipt of this, be pleased to order them to march immediately to this camp, directing the commanding officer, at the same time, to give me two or three days’ notice of the time in which the troops will arrive, that suitable acommodations may be prepared. Their presence is the more necessary, as I may in confidence inform you that I am about to detach ten or twelve hundred men on an expedition into Canada, by way of Kennebeck River, from which I have the greatest reason to expect either that Quebeck will fall into our hands a very easy prey, or such a diversion made as will open a very easy passage to General Schuyler.

We are now so well secured in our late advanced post on the hill, that the enemy have discontinued their cannonade. The men continue in good health and spirits.

I am, with much regard and esteem, Sir, your most obedient and very humble servant,

GEORGE WASHINGTON.

To Governour Trumbull.

GENERAL WASHINGTON TO GENERAL WOOSTER.

Camp at Cambridge, September 2, 1775.

SIR: I have just received your favour of the 29th ult., by express. I am very sensible that the situation of the inhabitants of Long-Island, as well as of all those on the coast, exposes them greatly to the ravages of the enemy; and it is to be wished general protection could be extended to them, consistent with the prosecution of those great plans which have been adopted for the common safety. This was early foreseen, and the danger provided for by a resolution of Congress, that each Province should depend on its own internal strength against these invasions: the prejudice arising from them, even if successful, not being equal to that of separating the Army into a number of small detachments, who would be harassed in fruitless marches and countermarches, after an enemy whose conveyance by shipping is so advantageous that they might keep the whole coast in constant alarm, without our being able, perhaps, at any time, to give them vigorous opposition. Upon this principle I have invariably rejected every application made me here, to keep any detachments on the coast for these purposes. I should therefore, most probably, have thought it my duty to have ordered the three Companies mentioned in your letter to have joined your Army, to act in the general service, had they not been under command, from General Schuyler, to join him; but, as it is, I can by no means interfere. He is engaged in a service of the greatest importance to the whole Continent, his strength and appointments far short of his expectations; and to give any counter orders may not only defeat his whole plan, but must make me responsible to the publick for the failure. Instead, therefore, of their further stay, I would have them march immediately. I fear the delay of the ten days may have very bad effects, as, by my last advices from Ticonderoga General Schuyler was to march in a few days for Canada; and it is highly probable he may depend upon these Companies to occupy the posts of communication, which otherwise he must weaken his Army to do. No Provincial Congress can, with any propriety, interfere in the disposition of Troops on the Continental establishment, much less control the orders of any General Officer, so that in this instance the Congress at New-York have judged properly in declining to counteract General