duty, should, amidst the hurry and confusion I then was in, have done it myself.

You said you understood there were only a few blankets in arrear; which not being the case, the persons in whom you confided must have been deficient in giving you proper information.

You say that Mr. Rollins had orders, in July last, to provide a hundred coats; this was not done, nor has that attention been paid to your order which you might reasonably expect. I hope, therefore, you, gentlemen, will readily agree with me that there was a defect somewhere, and, without my assistance, find where to place it. I should be extremely sorry to have it thought I meant to censure or condemn so respectable a body as the Committee of Safety. I suppose it my duty to write facts as they are; I shall thereby do justice to you, and acquit myself of the charge of indolence and inattenlion.

I am sorry to find that you have so just a foundation for hinting that some of the officers raise difficulties themselves, and then instil them into the minds of the men. I believe that is too often the case; but from whatever source these difficulties spring, the trouble to me, and dishonour to the Troops, and consequently to the Province, is equally the same. I shall use my endeavours to make the terms you propose in your letter as agreeable as possible to the men, and spare no pains in endeavouring to keep the Troops from troubling you with complaints.

Gentlemen, I am, with great respect, your most obedient servant,

JOHN SULLIVAN.

Honourable Committee of Safety.

ADDRESS OF THE JUSTICES OF THE PEACE FOR THE COUNTY OF DEVON.

Address of the Justices, assembled at the General Quarter Sessions of the Peace, held at the Castle of Exeter, in and for the County of Devon, on the 5th day of October, 1775; presented to His Majesty by Sir Richard Warwicke Bampfylde, Baronet, one of the Representatives of the said County in Parliament.

To the King’s Most Excellent Majesty.

The humble Address of JAS. CARRINGTON, Clerk, Chairman; Sir RICHARD WARWICKE BAMPFYLDE, Baronet; Sir THOMAS D. ACLAND, Baronet; Sir JOHN DUNTZE., Baronet; THOMAS PUTT, PAUL, ORCHARD, FRANCIS BASSETT, FRANCIS BULLER, RICHARD INGLETT, THOMAS TAYLOR, JAMES PITTMAN, WILLIAM KITSON, JOHN WILLS, JOHN RUSSELL MOORE, Esq’s; SAMUEL NEWTE, JOHN CRUWYS, RICHARD LEWIS, GEORGE COOKE, and RICHARD BAWDEN, Clerks, Justices assigned to keep the peace, and to hear and determine divers felonies, trespasses, and misdemeanors, within the County of DEVON, assembled at their General Quarter Sessions of the Peace, held at the Castle of EXETER, in and for the said County, the fifth day of OCTOBER, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five.

We, your Majesty’s very dutiful and loyal subjects, duly sensible of the many blessings which we enjoy under your Majesty’s auspicious Government, beg leave to approach your throne, in this alarming crisis of publick affairs, with every testimony of our sincerest duty and affection for your Majesty’s sacred person and Government, and to assure your Majesty that, although we cannot divest ourselves of those feelings of humanity which induce us to lament the miseries which our deluded fellow-subjects in America have brought upon themselves by that daring abuse which they have made of your parental tenderness and forbearance towards them, whereby your Majesty has been compelled, much against the benevolent sentiments of your own heart, to make the last appeal, in order to reduce them to their duty. And although we earnestly wish, agreeably to those feelings, to stop the farther effusion of human blood by every conciliating measure which can be devised, consistently with the dignity and safety of the supreme legislative authority of this Realm, yet, as good subjects, we cannot forbear testifying, at this important juncture, our unfeigned readiness to strengthen the hands of Government, by giving every assistance in our power towards accomplishing the most desirable event; that, by the wisdom and firmness of your Councils, you may be able to bring back the misguided inhabitants of your American Dominions to a just sense of their duty, and a peaceable submission to the laws of their Mother Country.

And we should be wanting to ourselves and to our duty, as the guardians of the publick peace, did we pass over in silence, and were we not openly to declare our disapprobation of those associations which have been endeavoured to be procured by circular letters and factious emissaries, dispersed throughout the Kingdom, in order to disturb the peace of your Majesty’s Dominions, and in open defiance of your late royal Proclamation; for which daring insult, (big with every mischief,) offered to the powers with which your Majesty is invested for the security of the publick tranquillity, we beseech your Majesty that the propagators and abetters of such insidious measures may be brought to speedy and condign punishment.

And we earnestly supplicate the great Disposer of all things to give stability and success to every constitutional measure, which your Majesty’s wisdom and care for your people shall deem necessary, for re-establishing the publick peace and tranquillity of your Colonies; and that you may long continue to reign in the hearts of a dutiful and united people, in the full enjoyment of every earthly blessing, is our most earnest and ardent prayer. By the Court:

JOHN HELLIAR, Clerk of the Peace.

PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS TO GENERAL WASHINGTON.

Philadelphia, October 5, 1775.

SIR: The Congress having this day received certain intelligence of the sailing of two north country built brigs, of no force, from England, on the 11th of August last, loaded with six thousand stand of arms, and a very large quantity of powder and other stores, for Quebeck, without convoy; and as it is of great importance, if possible, to intercept them, I am ordered by the Congress to give you this information, and to desire you immediately to apply to the Council of Massachusetts-Bay for two armed vessels in their service, and despatch the same, with a sufficient number of people, stores, and particularly a number of oars, in order, if possible, to intercept said brigs and their cargoes, and secure the same for the use of the Continent. It is also their desire that you give orders to the commanders of the vessels you send on this service, to seize and take any other transports, laden with ammunition, clothing, or other stores, for the use of the Ministerial Army or Navy in America, which they may meet with, and secure them in the most convenient places for the purpose abovementioned.

That you give the commander or commanders such instructions as are necessary, and also proper encouragement to the marines and seamen that shall be sent on this enterprise; that the instructions you shall give be delivered to the commander or commanders, sealed up, with orders not to open the same until out of sight of land, on account of secrecy. If the vessels in the service of the Massachusetts-Bay can be readily obtained, you are to employ them, and others, if you should think more necessary, to effect the purposes aforesaid; if they cannot, you will employ such as can be soonest fitted out. At the same time I am directed to inform you that the Rhode-Island and Connecticut vessels of force, if possible, will be directly sent after, to the assistance of those you send out; for which purpose I write, by order of Congress, to those Governments, by this conveyance.

For the encouragement of the men employed in this service, I am to inform you that the Congress have determined that, on this occasion, the master, officers, and seamen, shall be entitled to one-half of the value of the prizes by them taken; the wages they receive from their respective Colonies notwithstanding. It is farther resolved, that the ships or vessels of war, employed in this service, are to be on the Continental risk and pay during their being thus employed.

For further intelligence I must refer you to the enclosed, which I have not time to copy, as I am ordered immediately to despatch the express.

I have the honour to be, &c.,

JOHN HANCOCK, President.

To General Washington.

P. S. The enclosed please to order to be delivered to the Council of Massachusetts-Bay.

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