County. Angus Cameron, of Argyleshire, came to New-York Government two years ago; has no settlement; has been in Virginia; has followed farming since he came; was a drover in Scotland; lived near Captain Campbell’s, to whom he left some money, about fifty Pounds, on interest, at New-York; lent Captain Campbell some money, also, about one hundred Pounds; got part of his money from Alexander Campbell.

“Roderick McDonald, examined, says he was enlisted at Boston, the beginning of this month of October; went to Boston in Captain Hastings’s vessel, in September last. Captain Duncan Campbell and Lieutenant Symes were coming with them to recruit at New-York; that in August last, Capt. Campbell was at his house, in Dutchess County, and told him he was going aboard the Asia, and to come to him there. About sixty volunteers went with Captain Campbell to Boston; one Foster, a Sergeant, McNeill, Conway, and two more of the volunteers, were Provincial soldiers—some in their uniforms; Foster, supposed to be a Sergeant in Wooster’s Army, came from Milford, New-England; Captain Campbell advised and encouraged him to enter into the service.

“James Neill says he entered the King’s service at New-York; he met Captain Hastings at New-York, who persuaded him to go aboard his ship, and said he should have good encouragement; went aboard; Captain Campbell there told him, if he would enter into the King’s service, he should have two hundred acres of forfeited land, fight or not fight.

“Thomas Firm says he went on board a man-of-war at New-York; afterwards Captain Campbell came on board, and enlisted him; promised him two hundred acres of laud; he was not sworn; did not know Captain Campbell before he saw him on board the man-of-war at New-York.

“David Carsan says he has been in this Country about six or seven months; lived at McCollison’s, in New-York; heard they wanted men on board the transport; got put on board, and enlisted; was to have two guineas advance, and two hundred acres of land, not in the back parts, but cultivated forfeited lands. Was promised by Captain Campbell and the officers on board.

“Richard Wilson says he came from England last May; was a year at Captain Sadler’s; lived with Lucas and with Smartsmith, in New-York. Galbreath, a Lieutenant of the Asia, persuaded him to go on board the Asia; went from that ship to the transport; Capt. Campbell promised him two hundred acres of forfeited lands. Captain Campbell was now coming to bring off a number of Highlanders that lived near his place in New-York Government; heard Captain Campbell and Lieutenant Symes, on whom he waited, talk of it; they expected about two hundred men, to come in small parties; three or four men were sent up from the transport before they left New-York, one of whom was Rod. McDonald, to engage the above people, and come back; could not get them down at that time; Captain Campbell left some people at his plantation, to bring the rest down.

“Robert Saunderson says he worked along shore at New-York, about a twelvemonth ago; was pressed on board a man-of-war; carried to Boston; came in the summer, in the Mercury, to New-York; got discharged, in order to go to Boston to enlist; was enlisted by Major Small; came with Captain Campbell, in the Rebecca & Frances, to New-York; got a number of men there; carried them to Boston, and were now coming back to get more.

“George Hastings says he is Master of the Ship Rebecca & Frances, of London, owned by James Mather; left Boston the 5th of October, bound for New-York, with commissioned officers, Captain Duncan Campbell, Lieutenant Symes, two Sergeants, named Hugh Morrison and William Foster, and twenty-one privates, belonging to a Regiment raising in America; that he understood they were coming to New-York, for the purpose of recruiting; that there sailed with him the Fowey, a twenty-gun ship, and one transport, bound to Halifax; that last Monday morning, before day, the weather being hazy, the said ship Rebecca & Frances struck on the shore at Brigantine Beach, where she lies stranded; that Captain Campbell parted with him at the beach on Tuesday evening, and, he supposes, made the best of his way to New-York, in some boat; did not see him in any boat; parted with him at his tent after dark; the Lieutenant went away in a small boat, with one man, an elderly man, dressed like a fisherman, on Tuesday, about noon; that they had on board sixty muskets, with bayonets and cartouch-boxes, and two barrels and a half of powder, all which were thrown into the sea; that the 20th July last, the said Captain Campbell sailed with him from Boston to New-York, and carried between fifty and sixty recruits from New-York to Boston; that he was chartered two hundred and ninety-three tons burden; that the said Campbell had been in the Forty-Second Regiment; lived in Dutchess County, New-York; has a wife and children there; that he was not ordered to apply to any person in New-York, but to be under the protection of the Asia; that Captain Campbell, while the ship lay at New-York, remained on board, and frequently sent the boat ashore for the recruits that were raised for him; the officers of the Forty-Eighth and Forty-Ninth Regiments are going home; General Gage is going home in a transport vessel of sixteen guns; no men of war or troops gone to Quebeck; no account of an expedition intended against Quebeck, but talk of one against Halifax; the soldiers now brought were some of those enlisted at New-York, and carried by Captain Campbell to Boston; has no written instructions; was to be directed by Captain Campbell.”

A draught of a Letter to the Continental Congress, in answer to the two last Letters, was read and approved of, and is in the words following, to wit:

In Provincial Congress, New York, November 2, 1775.

SIR: Your letters of the 20th and 26th of October did not come to hand till Saturday last. For want of a sufficient number of members to make a Congress, we have been obliged to postpone an answer till this time. As to Governour Tryon’s letter of the 13th, mentioning that the Continental Congress had recommended it to us to seize the officers of this Government, and particularly himself, we are to inform you that no application relative to that affair was made to this Congress, nor have we taken any part therein. The whole was conducted between the Governour and the Mayor and Corporation of this City. The Committee for the City was applied to by the Mayor, and, from the best inquiry we are able to make, the whole of the correspondence on this subject is contained in the enclosed printed sheets. [See 1052, 3, 4.]

We are sensible of the dangerous practices made use of to procure recruits for the Army at Boston, and you may rest assured that our best endeavours shall not be wanting to frustrate these designs. Proper orders have been given for securing Grant, of Dutchess County.

It is with real concern that we find the Congress have recommended it to us to seize the shirts, blankets, and sheets, in the King’s stores in this City, and flatter ourselves they must have been imposed upon relative to this matter, or such a recommendation would never have issued. We think it our indispensable duty, as well for our own justification as for the information of the Congress, to state the matter in its true light.

There were in our lower barracks a number of hospital stores, consisting of shirts, blankets, and sheets. Some persons, without the knowledge or approbation of this Congress, in the night time, removed them to the house of our Commissary, who the next morning informed us of this transaction. Upon inquiry from him, we found the whole number of blankets did not exceed one hundred and fifty; some of them had been used in the Hospital, and the rest were destroyed by the moth. As to the shirts, we have not been able to ascertain the number, though the object is of very inconsiderable value. From this state of facts, the Congress thought proper to order these things to be returned, and, among other, for the following reasons:

1st. Because the stores had been taken away without the order or knowledge of the Congress, who ought to have been made acquainted with the transaction; which, in its consequences, might endanger the lives and properties of the inhabitants of this City.

2d. For that the stores were, at that time, entirely in our power, and more safe than in the custody of our Commissary, as our military watch was kept in the same house where the stores were lodged.

3d. Because, if we had sent the blankets up to the