and six field-pieces, three-pounders, and a proportionate quantity of lead; that the vessel with those arms and ammunition is a small brigantine, about one hundred or one hundred and ten tons; that she was under convoy of the Lizard, of twenty-eight guns, who was to take her in tow, if necessary; that there were four Companies of Artillery, with the train abovementioned, destined for America, besides this store vessel; that the Captain of the said brigantine informed him, that another vessel, with the like quantity of stores, was to sail for Virginia, for the use of the negroes there; but that the officer who had the direction of the arms, &c., gave him no information of that matter; that he heard, soon after the receipt of the news of Bunker’s Hill, that Hanoverian or Hessian Troops were to be sent for; that three thousand ton of transports were taken up immediately after the arrival of the Bunker’s Hill news, and generally reported to be taken up for the Hanoverian Troops; that those transports were not sailed, to his knowledge, when he left Britain; that, after the news of Bunker’s Hill arrived, as many Members of Parliament as could be collected near London were called and consulted; that, from what he heard at the Exchange, the voice of the landed interest seemed to be for the measures of Administration, and the mercantile interest against them; that there was not any talk of a change of Administration; that the people were in expectation of overtures from the Congress; that it was generally reported that General Gage was to be recalled, as inactive, and General Amherst sent to take the command; that he counted seventy-two vessels, with brooms at mast-head, between Deptford and London Bridge, besides many others to he sold; that they believed a non-exportation would take place in America; that there were very great complaints among the American merchants and manufacturers, of the stagnation of trade; that he heard nothing of the West-India merchants in particular; that the ship carpenters had chiefly abandoned the yards; that it was currently reported that the manufacturers had discharged some of their people, and that one in the woollen branch told him he had discharged a dozen of his hands; that there is a discontent among the lower class of people; that there had been a large demand for woollens from Russia, and larger than usual, but that it was in a great measure satisfied; that the Russian demands had assisted to keep down the murmurs of the people; that orders were issued to put ten sail of ships in commission; that stocks had fallen a very little, viz: half per cent., and had risen again a quarter per cent.; that the news of Ticonderoga and Crown Point being seized had been long arrived, and that the taking those places was generally condemned; that the appointment of the Generals Washington, Lee, Putnam, &c., and the striking paper money, was known in London; that those officers were thought to be proper men and good officers; and that General Washington was spoken of in a very high character as a General; that some people laughed at a paper money; that there was money for paying troops, and many rich presents to the Indians, on board of the Lizard frigate-of-war, for Quebeck; that they had the accounts of the conduct of the people of Georgia, and looked on the union of the Colonies as complete; that they had formerly been taught to believe that a handful of men could conquer the Colonies; that they say in England, that if they do not conquer America now, she will throw off all obedience, and become a Republick.

The preceding is a true copy of notes of the information given by Captain William Thompson to the Provincial Congress, at New York, on the 10th of October, 1775; which notes were by me taken, and afterwards read to Mr. Thompson in Congress, who then declared they were truly taken.

JOHN MC KESSON, Secretary.

GENERAL SCHUYLER TO GOVERNOUR TRUMBULL.

Ticonderoga, October 12, 1775.

SIR: Your favour of the 29th ultimo I had the honour to receive on the 10th instant, by Captain Stanton. Your Honour has my warmest thanks for your kind wishes. By the Divine favour, my health is so far restored as that I hope in a few days to leave this, and join the Army.

It gives me pain that your Honour should labour under any uneasiness on account of the information Colonel Dyer has given you; and therefore, agreeable to your request, I shall relate what is come to my knowledge of the facts, for I was not here when Mr. Lynch honoured this place with a visit.

On the 30th of August, in the evening, I returned here, from Albany, after an absence of thirteen days; and on the next day I issued an order, of which the following is an extract:

“Such part of Hinman’s as can be furnished with boats to embark to-morrow, and the remainder (except Balch and Curtis’s Companies) as soon as boats can be provided; to carry with them four barrels of flour and four of pork in each boat; to join the Army, wherever it may be, with all possible despatch. Those of the Regiments who are fit for duty, and have bad arms, to exchange them with those that are sick, and have good arms.”

There were then at this place Colonel Hinman’s, Captain Buell’s, Captain Haines’s and Captain Sedgwick’s, Captain Curtis’s at the landing, and the remaining three Companies at Crown Point, who were also ordered to march. I embarked a little after sunset on the 31st of September, having just before delivered, among others, the following order to Colonel Hinman:

“You will give discharges to all such men as have no prospect of being fit for service this campaign, to whatever Regiments they belong, provided they have the certificate of the Surgeon or his Mates.”

I make no remarks on this order, as I believe the propriety of it must be evident to every person; and when I wrote your Honour on the 31st, (not the 21st, as your letter mentions,) I really believed I should have carried five hundred of Hinman’s down the lake. I found, however, soon after my arrival at Isle-aux-Noix, that I had laboured under a mistake, as you will hereafter perceive; for, since your letter on this subject, I find, by examination, that the last return I had of Colonel Hinman was of Saturday, the 12th of August, four days before I went to Albany, and I had no idea that so many had sickened between that time and my return, on the 30th. In this return, two hundred and fifty effective rank and file were returned here, and two hundred and thirty-four at Crown Point—amounting, together, to four hundred and eighty-four; but I now find that, between the 12th and 25th of August, inclusive, fifty-three of this Regiment had gone from this post on furlough; and the number of sick increased with such amazing rapidity, that General Montgomery, between the 16th and 28th of August, discharged thirty-five of Colonel Hinman’s; and the Colonel himself, on the 1st and 2d of September, discharged eighty-seven, and between that and the 16th, inclusive, the further number of eighty-three—so that I believe Mr. Lynch was not much misinformed, that Colonel Hinman had not above one hundred men with him when Mr. Lynch was here, provided effectives at this place were meant. And I am more induced to believe this, because on the 12th of September, at Isle-aux-Noix, Brigade-Major Dimon, in a general return of the Army, reported only twenty-two of Colonel Hinman’s, officers included, fit for duty; and as they had arrived only four or five days before, there could not be many sick; and of these twenty-two, it is reasonable to conclude that the Crown Point Companies made the greatest part, as they had all along been healthy.

I cannot account for the foundation of the report that Colonel Hinman has suffered his men to depart to their various homes, unless it took rise from the number that went on furlough when Mr. Lynch was here; but I had reason to believe they were sick men, sent to recover their healths in the country.

I do not know that any of the troops from Connecticut came without arms, if guns, in whatever condition they may be, can be called arms; but, to speak like a military man, great numbers of every corps in the Army under my command wanted arms. Witness the order of the New-York Provincial Congress, for all the gunsmiths in that large City to quit all other work, and immediately repair the arms of General Wooster’s and Colonel Waterbury’s Regiments. These had then been on little or no service. Witness, also, the several armourers that have been constantly employed, both at this place and Crown Point, in repairing the arms of Colonel Hinman’s Regiment and Colonel Easton’s small corps, from the beginning of the