there building, with four or five cannon mounted, fronting to the river; that he saw two vessels on the stocks there; that he saw the whole broadside of one, the length whereof appeared to be between fifty and sixty feet; that he supposed the vessel was nearly ready for launching; that she was planked up to the wales, and pitched black; that the other vessel was chiefly covered by the vessel last mentioned, so that he could see nothing more than about four feet of her bow, which appeared to him to be planked; that he remained there till next morning; that to the best of his judgment he, with the Indian, lay that night about ten rods from the sentinel of the Regulars placed near the woods, and at break of day they retired towards the place where they were landed near Windmill Point; that on their return, in walking on the beach towards Windmill Point, they saw ten Indians coming in a canoe from the east side of the river towards them, upon which they retired into the woods, and about four miles to the south of the place where they saw the Indians they again came to the lake, and that they arrived nearly opposite Windmill Point at night, and lodged at the house of one Vinelagh, and the next morning the Indian’s father brought them on board the schooner, and from thence the deponent came down to Crown Point on Thursday, the 24th instant; that Captain Baker, after leaving the deponent and the Indian, proceeded down the river Sorel, in a boat, to the Isle-aux-Noix, and did determine to intercept the scouts of the Regulars there, and was also there to have taken on board the deponent and the Indian; but that they, being pursued by the Indians abovementioned, were obliged to proceed further up the lake; that the Indian left the deponent at Windmill-Bay; that he seemed exceedingly anxious for Captain Baker’s safety; and that he, together with his father, determined to go down the river in a canoe to the Isle-aux-Noix, to Captain Baker, the next day; that the French and English inhabitants along the lake are very impatient to have the Army down the lake; that they declared their willingness to supply the Army to their utmost with greens and sauce; that they are almost starving for want of other provisions.

The above examination taken at Ticonderoga, the 25th day of August, 1775, before the Honourable Richard Montgomery, Esq., Brigadier-General, by Richard Varick, private Secretary to Major-General Schuyler.

TO THE INHABITANTS OF CANADA.

Isle-aux-Noix, September 5, 1775.

FRIENDS AND COUNTRYMEN: The various causes that have drove the ancient British Colonies in America to arms have been so fully set forth in the several petitions, papers, letters, and declarations, published by the Grand Congress, that our Canadian brethren (at the extirpation of whose liberty as well as ours the nefarious schemes of a cruel Ministry directly tend) cannot fail of being informed thereof, and pleased that the Grand Congress have ordered an Army into Canada, to expel from thence, if possible, those British, Troops, which, now acting under the orders of a despotick Ministry, would wish to enslave their countrymen. This measure, necessary as it is, the Congress would not have entered on, but in the fullest confidence that it would be perfectly agreeable to you; for, judging of your feelings by their own, they could not conceive that any thing but the force of necessity could induce you tamely to bear the insult and ignominy that is daily imposed on you, or that you could calmly sit by, and see those chains forging which are intended to bind you, your posterity, and ours, in one common and eternal slavery; to secure you and ourselves from such a dreadful bondage, to prevent the effects that might follow from the Ministerial Troops remaining in Canada, to restore to you those rights which every subject of the British Empire, from the highest to the very lowest order, or whatever his religious sentiments may be, is entitled to, are the only views of the Congress. In these sentiments, you will readily believe that they have given me the most positive orders to cherish every Canadian, and every friend to the cause of liberty, and sacredly to guard their property; and such is the confidence I have in the good disposition of my Army, that I do not believe I shall have occasion to punish a single offence of this kind.

A treaty of friendship has just been concluded with the Six Nations, at Albany. I am furnished with an ample present for their Caghnawaga brethren and the other Canada tribes. If any of them have lost their lives, I sincerely lament the loss; it was done contrary to orders, and by scoundrels ill-affected to our glorious cause; and I shall take great pleasure in burying the dead, and wiping away the tears of their surviving relations, which you will communicate to them.

PHILIP SCHUYLER, &c., &c.

At a Council of War held at the Camp near St. John’s, September 7, 1775, Present: Major-General Schuyler, Brigadier-General Montgomery, Colonel Waterbury, Fifth Regiment of Connecticut Troops; Lieutenant-Colonel Whiting, the same; Lieutenant-Colonel Ritzema, First Regiment York Troops.

Having taken into consideration the state of the enemy’s vessel pierced for sixteen guns, and in such forwardness as in all probability to be in readiness to sail in four days, it was unanimously agreed to be indispensably necessary to take measures for preventing her entrance into the lake. It was the opinion of the Council that this could only be effected at the Isle-aux-Noix, the weak state of our artillery affording no prospect of silencing the enemy’s guns, under the protection of which they are now rigging her.

It was therefore resolved to return without delay to the Isle-aux-Noix, throw a boom across the channel, and erect the proper works for its defence, there wait for certain intelligence touching the intentions of the Canadians, and when re-enforced send a strong detachment into the Country by land, should the Canadians favour such a design.

Isle-aux-Noix, (12 miles from St. John’s,) Sept. 8, 1775.

We embarked on Monday, 28th of August, and proceeded from Ticonderoga to Crown Point; there we encamped until Wednesday; from thence, went down the lake, to a place called Wilsborough, where we tarried that night; in the morning proceeded on our passage to a place near that, called the Four Brothers; from thence, to the Isle-la-Motte, where we remained until the Second Division came up; from the Isle-la-Motte we proceeded to the Isle-aux-Noix; having staid there one day, went to St. John’s, and were kindly saluted with bombs and cannon from the fortifications. We immediately landed, to intrench ourselves within about a mile and a half of the fort; but no sooner had we landed, than we were attacked by a body of Indians, and Regulars, who lay in ambush for us. We lost four soldiers on the spot. Three more were mortally wounded, who died in about four hours. Seven others were wounded, among whom are two officers, Major Hobby and Captain Meade. We drove the enemy off, but thought it prudent to return to the Isle-aux-Noix until our artillery could come up. We are determined to attack them shortly, and a bloody engagement must ensue, as they are very strongly fortified, and a number of Johnson’s Indians are among them.   We have a few with us.

CONNECTICUT COMMITTEE OF SAFETY.

Monday, September 4, 1775.

At a Meeting of the Governour, &c., present:

His Honour the Governour, Jabez Huntington, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Nathaniel Wales, Jedediah Elderkin, Joshua West, and Benjamin Huntington, Esquires.

The Governour laid before us a request and desire of the honourable General Assembly of the Massachusetts-Bay, communicated by the Hon. James Otis, President of the Council, representing that their Jails are generally crowded with Prisoners, &c., and moving for liberty to send some of their Prisoners into this Colony, and for direction where, &c. And in consideration of the circumstances of this case,

It is Agreed and Resolved, That although we have many Prisoners from the Northward, and much burdened many ways, and are very greatly in advance, yet, from our great affection to the common cause, this Board do not refuse to receive some of the Prisoners referred to, but depend that said Assembly will also apply to Rhode-Island and New-Hampshire Assemblies or Conventions, for the