by, amongst other bad regulations, one, and that grievously against sound policy, has taken place here, respecting some special marks of favour shown by us (suppose that is your meaning) to the country carpenters above the York carpenters. Now, we request you would point out this special mark of favour. Sure we are that the country carpenters have not been so comfortably accommodated as the others, having no fireplace to this day (November 10th) to go to; and, according to your own confession, they are the most faithful workmen. We have always understood that it was both just and sound policy to reward merit; we have rather been deficient in this to those deserving men. If you had heard any unreasonable murmurs from the York carpenters, why was it kept from us? as a proper inquiry might have been made, and, if unjust murmurs, the persons guilty should have been discharged from the service. The rest of this long carpenters’ affair we shall leave, thanking you for your advice at the conclusion, which we think would be very impolitick, in these times, to put into execution.

Fifthly. As the oxen are again introduced, with an estimate of the difference of twenty men’s labour and two oxen, with the teamster, one day, in which you make a balance of five Pounds eight Shillings in favour of oxen; but you have forgot that this one teamster cannot put a stick of timber twelve inches by twelve, eighteen feet long, on the carriage by himself, nor put it down when at the place wanted. We have had a pretty good sample this day in the oxen carrying of stone, when six men were employed to put the stone on and support it all the way to where it was thrown off. We are apprehensive your calculations of the cost of hay and corn for two oxen, four months, is below the mark, as we will soon be convinced of However, on the whole, we join with you in the necessity of having them at this place, and that a vast saving will be made by using such; the reason why they were not procured sooner we have already mentioned.

Sixthly. In regard to the erroneous principle you say our labourers are hired on, you may be very right in, could it have been carried into execution on our first coming here, (if you had then mentioned it;) which is some doubt with us, as the times are.

Seventhly. The superficial view you say you took of the ground, when you first came up here, was a great errour. It should have been minutely examined, to have made a proper estimate of works to be erected here. As to the estimate, you never favoured us with it. We wish you had; it might have been of some service then; it can be of little now, amongst your considerations presented to us. All the necessary tools, wheelbarrows, &c., brought to this post, were procured without any direction from you. In your estimate of the expenses of barrack and store, you have forgot glass for the windows, iron, the freight of boards and shingles, unless the freight of the two latter articles are included in your incidental requisites.

Eighthly. As to the article of not being able to do without miners, is a doubt with us. We however submitted to some being employed for taking away a large part of a rock to the northwest of the block-house, although powder was scarce with us, and not sent up for such service, twenty odd weight of which has been already expended. We are satisfied to have two miners employed for the purpose of taking away rocks that cannot be removed without, as soon as we have powder sent up for that service, which we have applied for; but to have four employed to blast stone for the works, we presume would be very expensive indeed, as stone enough can be procured all around us, and brought with the team to the works, when, after a blast is made, the large pieces are to be worked upon by labourers with mauls to make them portable.

Ninthly. On what view you have interfered with the Steward’s office, you best know, in your directions about delivering out the provisions; we know what provisions are received, what number of hands every day to be victualled, and he keeps an account of provisions expended. If it has proceeded from a suspicion that more provisions may be delivered out than necessary, by which an extraordinary expense will arise, we wish you would consider how often we have requested you to send from this post your negro, (which we now insist on, ) who is a nuisance, and has caused more dissatisfaction amongst the people than ever we could learn from any particular favours shown to the country carpenters. Your addition of a clerk for yourself, is an officer we can by no means allow of, and for the above reason, desire, if you retain him, to pay and provide provision for him at your own expense. You cannot have forgot when you recommended Mr. Vandome to Messrs. Bayard, Bedlow, and Hanson, that he was to assist you in your writing.

Tenthly. As to the number of unwelcome guests we so frequently have had, you know it has never met with our approbation; and have frequently informed the Provincial Congress of the impropriety of suffering it.

Lastly. As to your entreaty to make the necessary alterations you have recommended in your conclusion, we think the above a sufficient reply; and could any alteration, in this advanced season of the year, take place, to advance the fortifications, no persons would more gladly embrace them to further the publick service we are engaged in, as we think ourselves as much interested to do it, in the rank the honourable Provincial Congress of this Province have placed us in, as possibly you can be. We know the powers we are invested with, and will be glad to see you not interrupt them, by assuming sole director in every thing here. Upon the whole, we assure you, Sir, we have no other desire than to treat you as a gentleman who has an important trust committed (with us) to your charge. Therefore, to avoid every thing that should interrupt that harmony that ought to subsist amongst persons employed in the cause of American liberty, do desire that, whenever you want to have any piece of work done, we may come together and consult about it, that we may approve or not.

We are, Sir, your very humble servants,

To Bernard Romans, Engineer.

COMMISSIONERS FOR FORTIFICATIONS TO NATHANIEL WOODHULL.

Highlands, November 11, 1775.

SIR: We beg you will lay the following lines before the honourable Provincial Congress, respecting our present situation. We have now a block-house completed, with eight four-pounders in the upper story. The curtain of the intended fort, of two hundred feet in length, will be finished up to the parapet in a few days, weather permitting; the grand bastion, round the eminence on which the block-house stands, but little advanced, and think, from the advanced season of the year, nothing further on that can be expected to be done. We shall endeavour to get a small magazine finished in the northwest corner of the curtain, if brick can be procured in time, we having been disappointed in a kiln we had engaged near us, by its turning out very bad; the platform to the curtain will also be complete in a few days. A barrack of eighty feet by twenty finished; one adjoining it, of one hundred feet by twenty, under cover, floored, and completed, all to the stacks of chimneys and glazing. As, according to the Engineer’s plan, a great deal more work is to be done, especially a block-house on an eminence two hundred yards to the southeast of the one finished, which the Engineer is for going on with, as it commands the river down below the West-Point, we would be glad to know if any of the artificers and labourers should be retained at this post the winter, for going on with the works whenever the weather will permit; and if it would be agreeable to retain some carpenters, we had not better keep the country carpenters and discharge the York ones, as the former are better qualified for such works as we shall now have to do; they work more faithful, and under better order. We have had a great deal of wet weather, which has retarded our work much.

We should be glad to have the directions of the honourable Provincial Congress herein; and are, Sir, your humble servants,

To Nathaniel Woodhull, Esq.