sixty-five killed then, and since dead of their wounds; one hundred and twenty now lie wounded; the chief will recover. They boast you have fourteen hundred killed and wounded in that action. You say the Rebels lost fifteen hundred, I suppose with equal truth. The people of Connecticut are raving in the cause of liberty. A number from this Colony, from the Town of Stamford, robbed the King’s stores at New-York, with some small assistance the New-Yorkers lent them; these were growing turbulent. I counted two hundred and eighty pieces of cannon, from twenty-four to three-pounders, at Kingsbridge, which the Committee had secured for the use of the Colonies, The Jerseys are not a whit behind Connecticut in zeal. The Philadelphians exceed them both. I saw twenty-two hundred men in review there by General Lee, consisting of Quakers and other inhabitants, in uniform, with one thousand Riflemen and forty Horse, who, together, made a most warlike appearance. I mingled freely and frequently with the members of the Continental Congress; they were united, determined in opposition, and appeared assured of success. Now, to come home. The opposition is become formidable. Eighteen thousand men, brave and determined, with Washington and Lee at their head, are no contemptible enemy. Adjutant Gen. Gates is indefatigable in arranging the Army. Provisions are very plenty; clothes are manufacturing in almost every Town for the soldiers. Twenty tons of powder lately arrived at Philadelphia, Connecticut, and Providence; upwards of twenty tons are now in camp. Saltpetre is made in every Colony. Powder Mills are erected, and constantly employed, in Philadelphia and New-York. Volunteers, of the first fortunes, are daily flocking to the camp; one thousand Riflemen in two or three days. Recruits are now levying, to augment the Army to twenty-two thousand men. Ten thousand Militia are appointed in this Province, to appear on the first summons. The bills of all the Colonies circulate freely, and are readily exchanged for cash; add to this, that unless some plan of accommodation takes place immediately, these harbours will swarm with privateers; an army will be raised in the Middle Provinces, to take possession of Canada. For the sake of the miserable convulsed Empire, solicit peace, repeal the acts, or Britain is undone. This advice is the result of warm affection to my King and to the Realm. Remember I never deceived you; every article here sent you is sacredly true. The papers will announce to you that 1 am again a member for Boston; you will there see our motley Council. A general arrangement of officers will take place, except the chief, which will be suspended but for a little while, to see what part Britain takes in consequence of the late Continental petition. A view to independence grows more and more general. Should Britain declare war against the Colonies, they are lost forever. Should Spain declare against England, the Colonies will declare a neutrality, which will doubtless produce an offensive and defensive league between them. For God’s sake, prevent it by a speedy accommodation. Writing this has employed a day. I have been to Salem to reconnoitre, but I could not escape the geese of the capitol. To-morrow

judgment of that Court in my attendance upon this. It has been frequently objected to us by our adversaries, that we were struggling to establish a tyranny much more intolerable than that we meant to op. pose. Shall we justify the prediction of our enemies? Will it be for the honour or interest of the community that one of your friends and partisans is reduced to deprecate that power which, by his constant exertions, he has been in some measure instrumental in supporting? You profess you are contending for the rights and liberties of British subjects. Why then deny appeal to common law? Am I impertinent in claiming the rights of Magna Charta and Bill of Rights? Have I no title to a trial by jurors, or the benefit of the Habeas Corpus Act? But if by a forced construction I am deemed amenable to martial Jaw for matters transacted before my appointment to the hospital, and before the promulgation of those laws, why are the rules and articles framed by the Continental Congress, for the government of the Army, violated in every letter, to accumulate distresses upon me?

“I have suffered already the utmost penalty annexed to the breach of that law, for which I now stand committed. Am I to be the victim of the insatiable rage of my enemies? Am I perpetually to be subjected to the successive pains and penalties of every capricious power? It is a maxim in that Government which I claim as my inheritance., Sir, and for which you have expressed the highest veneration,” Misera equidem est servitus ubi jus est vagum et incertum:” Miserable indeed is that state of slavery where the right of the subject is vague and uncertain. But I will not engross the time of this honourable Court. I did say, Sir, the letter, as now read, is not a literal construction of that I wrote in ciphers, as far as my memory serves, for the letter was written in great haste. I never have been favoured with a copy since, to consider of it, and have never seen it till today, except the very cursory reading I gave it when before the General Court-Martial, at which time the perturbation of mind incidental to such a situation naturally prevented such a close attention as to enable me to recollect the contents.. I believe, in general, the sense is preserved; in some instances it is perverted. It has been proposed, that the letter bo read in paragraphs, and that I be questioned in order. If it will be agreeable to the honourable House, I will read the letter in paragraphs: I will candidly and faithfully execute my intention in the course of my reading; and to convince the honourable House that I mean not to cavil at trifling inaccuracies, I will correct the erroneous passages as I proceed, and restore the true reading on a different sheet.”

This motion was acceded to by the honourable House, and the copy of the letter being handed to me by John Pitts, Esq., I began:” Previous to any remarks upon the substance of this reprobated letter in my hand, by your Honour’s leave, and the indulgence of the honourable House, I will repeat the circumstance which led to, and my motives for writing the letter: sometime after my return from Philadelphia, I was passing in my chaise towards Mistick, I met with a team convying household furniture towards Cambridge. In the team, seated on a bed was a woman with two children; the woman accosted me by name, asking me if I did not know her; her countenance was familiar to me; I answered yes, and inquired when she left Boston; she informed me, the day before, and told me, she had a letter for me from Boston, from my brother; she took a small bundle out of her pocket, and, opening it, handed the letter to the carman, who delivered it to me; it was directed to me; upon breaking the seal I found it written in ciphers and signed I. F. I put it. in my pocket, and rode a few rods; curiosity induced me to return back and repair to my lodgings, to decipher the letter, and acquaint myself with the contents. This is the letter, Here I handed the latter to the Speaker, who read it to the honourable House, as follows:

“DEAR DOCTOR: I have often told you what the dreams of your high flaming sons would come to; do you forget my repeated cautions not to make yourself too obnoxious to Government? What says the psalm-singer and Johnny Dupe to fighting British Troops now? They are at Philadelphia, I suppose, plotting more mischief, where, I hoar, your high mightiness has been ambassador extraordinary; take care of your nob, Mr. Doctor—remember your old friend, the orator; he will preach no more sedition. Ally joins me in begging you to come to Boston. You may depend upon it, Government is determined to crush this rebellion; a large re-enforcement of troops is hourly expected, when they are determined to penetrate the country; for God’s sake, Doctor, come to Town directly, I’ll engage to procure your pardon; your sister is unhappy, under the apprehension of your being taken and hanged for a rebel, which God grant may not he the case. You may rely upon it, the Yankees will never be a match for the troops of Great Britain. The Yorkers have behaved like damned fools in robbing the King’s stores, as Government intended to have granted them some exclusive privileges in trade had they continued loyal. It will now be a rendezvous for British Troops. We know well enough that you are divided; your people are discouraged; that you want discipline, artillery, ammunition; and Government has taken effectual care that you shall not be supplied by other Powers. I have wondered that we have not heard from you; difference of politicks has not cancelled my friendship for you. Let me entreat you not to take up arms against your rightful King, as your friend Warren did, for which he has paid dearly. I cannot send your sulky and other matters you sent for; you may thank your own people for that, who first set the example, by preventing any thing from being brought to Town. I think you might have sent us a bit of fresh pork now and then. You see Hancock and Adams are attainted already. If you cannot pass the lines, you may come in Captain Wallace, via Rhode-Island; and if you do not come immediately, write me in this character, and direct your letter to Major Cone, on His Majesty’s service, and deliver it to Captain Wallace, and it will come safe. Wo have often heard your people intend to attack the Town, By God, I believe they had such a dose on Bunker’s Hill as to cool their courage. Your sister has been for running away; Kitty has been very sick; we wished you to see her; she is now picking up.

“I remain your sincere friend and brother,

I.F.

“P. S. Don’t fail to write me soon.”

This letter being read, I proceeded: “Your Honour well knows what was our situation after the action of Bunker’s Hill; insomuch that it was generally believed, had the British troops been in a condition to pursue their success, they might have reached Cambridge with very little opposition. Not many days after this, we had a report circulated very generally, and as generally credited, of the arrival of a re-enforcement of five thousand British troops in Boston. This honourable House have not forgot the general anxiety excited thereby, together with the consideration of our not being in a capacity to make any tolerable resistance, from the reduced state of our magazines. Was there a man, who regarded his Country, who would not have sacrificed his life to effect a tolerable accommodation? My fears, I must confess, were greatly excited. At this interval (a week, perhaps, or ten days after I had received this letter) I was confined to my lodgings by a stormy day, contemplating our disagreeable situation. I pulled the letter out of my pocket, and, reading it, the idea of writing an answer to my brother started into my mind. Imagining I could improve the opportunity to effect a happy purpose, I immediately sot about it. One circumstance which was an inducement to writing at that time was, that a young woman in the same house was to set off for Newport the next morning. I will now proceed to consider the letter by paragraphs, after premising that I have endeavoured to adopt the air and language of a tory throughout, for the purpose of securing confidence, and obtaining the intelligence I wanted.

“‘Three attempts have I made to write you; the last, the man was discovered, but fortunately my letter, ’ &c. May it please your Honour, had I written or attempted to write into Boston, is it not very extraordinary that, during my long confinement, when the very antipodes have been alarmed at the transaction, and every

to correspond with the enemy;” but the person for whom the letter was designed was not in office, was not a soldier; he was my friend and brother. I have a great veneration for several of the respectable personages who composed this Court, but, abstracted from the consideration of self, I lament that those worthy characters should have been betrayed into so injurious, so unjustifiable a construction of an innocent piece of artifice to serve the common cense, If I was then convicted, I suppose my continued imprisonment is the penalty awarded for my transgression; if so, the month is up, and I ought to be discharged; but of this more hereafter.