You are to enlist none but able-bodied men; and every person that shall so enlist is to subscribe an enlistment, in the following words:

“1, A B, —, in the Colony of —, by trade a —, do acknowledge to have voluntarily enlisted myself a private soldier in a Regiment of Foot, to be commanded by such Colonel as the honourable the Continental Congress shall thereunto appoint; and do promise that I will faithfully serve in such Regiment, so commanded, for the term of seven months, unless sooner discharged, and be obedient to and observe such articles of war as the honourable Congress hath or shall from time to time institute for the government of their Army, raised for the defence of American liberty, and for repelling every hostile invasion thereof.”

You are to keep an exact account of the date of every man’s enlistment.

You will make no delay in executing this service, as the time for which the men now here and at Fort George were enlisted will soon expire, and I wish to have the new-raised men up some time before.

I am, Sir, your most obedient humble servant,

PHILIP SCHUYLER.

To Captain Eleazer Curtis.

Montreal, October 19, 1775.

DEAR SIR: I know your goodness will pardon the trouble I am giving and likely to give you; the necessity of the day will plead my excuse. Will you take the trouble to forward the enclosed letters? They are of consequence to me, as well as to those to whom they are addressed.

I shall also take leave to inform you that John Orillat, a French gentleman of this Town, for whom I have great regard, and with whom I have extensive commercial concerns, is now a prisoner with the Rebels, by which his family and property suffer much. Will you, my good Sir, do me the kind office to get him exchanged, if possible, supply his wants, and return him to his family, and you will thereby render the most acceptable service to, dear Sir, your faithful humble servant,

BROOK WATSON.

To Major Shirreff, Boston.

P. S. The last letter from Mr. Orillat was dated Ticonderoga, 29th September, 1775. I hope to sail for London in ten days.

B. W.

Montreal, October 16, 1775.

DEAR SIR: I have had the long wished for satisfaction of hearing from you at last. On the 7th instant I received yours of August the 14th, and immediately desired my friend at Quebeck to find Mr. Bliss, and get from him your letter of the 13th August, which I received the 14th instant, with an excuse of Mr. Bliss, that he had left it on board with his baggage. Your letter, in answer to mine of April the 6th, I have not received; hence, you may naturally conceive me very unhappy concerning you and Mrs. Faneuil; but am now relieved, and happy to learn you had determined on going to winter in Nova-Scotia, because you will certainly be in safety there. The Admiral can never suffer the Colonists to cross the Bay of Fundy, and seize the Province, nor can publick affairs continue to be conducted as they have been hitherto. From the little knowledge I have of America, and of military operations, I do conceive General Goge cannot winter at Boston, and that ere this he will have determined to quit it; because, should it remain longer undetermined, it may not be in his power to quit Boston without quitting America. My meaning is, that he cannot winter all his troops at Halifax; therefore, part of them must come to Quebeck; and it is necessary, to that end, that they should now be embarked, or they will not get up the river. The Hunter, sloop-of-war, is arrived at Quebeck, from Boston. Perhaps she may bring some news of the kind.

Your intention of quitting America nest spring, and with the fragments of your fortune purchasing an annuity for your and Mrs. Faneuil’s lives, in case publick affairs shall not alter much for the better, I greatly approve; at the same time, hope you will not have occasion to carry it into execution. Surely the Kingdom of Great Britain cannot much longer be governed by such weak counsels and feeble efforts. She has scarcely got a secure Province in America. As to this, it has long been on the brink of falling into the hands of the most despicable wretches. Had not the inhabitants of this Town gone out to meet Colonel Allen, on Monday, the 25th ultimo, the Town and principal part of the Province would have been in their hands, and that fellow would probably have been Governour of Montreal. Thank God, that day’s action turned the minds of the Canadians; and I have reason to hope the Province out of danger, at least for this year, and, doubtless, ample protection will be afforded it early in the next.

As to the affairs of W. & R., I have great pleasure in telling you I have sent them home forty thousand Pounds sterling since my arrival, thirty-two thousand Pounds of which in furs, per the ship Pomona, Captain Green, which sailed from Quebeck the 2d instant. Had it not been for the unhappy troubles which have reigned this year, I should have sent ten thousand Pounds more; but I have reason to be content and happy in having made a voyage to America in 1775.

The Province of Nova-Scotia stands much indebted to W. & R., and I should be happy to have it in my power, as it is my wish, to visit it before my return to England; but I conceive both the affairs of that Province and this demand my presence in London as soon as possible; for which reason, it is my intention to leave Quebeck in the ship Adamant, about the 10th of next month, hoping to arrive on or about the 15th December, before Parliament shall be adjourned. Should my presence in Nova-Scotia be absolutely necessary, I shall, in discharge of my duty, visit it next spring. At the same time, I hope in God that may not be the case, for I ardently long for peace and home.

Your friends, Messrs. Jonathan and Isaac Clarke, would have done well, had not these troubles followed them to this Province. They have long had their goods packed, ready for embarking; but I hope they will not be obliged to ship them.

Our friend Butler writes me he had resolved to go to London, with his wife, in the Canadian, Captain Abbott. Should that happen, I hope you will get to Halifax before his departure, and take charge of W. & R.’s power of attorney.

Pray make my compliments and affectionate regards known to Mrs. Faneuil; and be assured that I am, dear Sir, your faithful and affectionate friend,

BROOK WATSON.

To Benjamin Faneuil, Jun., Esq., Boston.

P. S. My friend, Mr. John Orillat, of this City, is now prisoner with the Colonists. I esteem him much, and W. & R. have great commercial concerns with him and partner, Mr. Foretier. The last news I had of him, he was at Ticonderoga. Now, dear Sir, use your interest with General Gage to have him exchanged, get him released and returned to his family, supply his wants, and thereby render a most acceptable service to your friend,

BROOK WATSON.

Montreal, October 19, 1775.

DEAR SIR: I wrote you by the Cellery, Captain Hardie, from Quebeck, on the 18th ult., acknowledging receipt of your esteemed favour of August 19th, when I made you acquainted with the unhappy situation of this Province. I then wrote you fully concerning Kavanagh’s affairs, and desired, in case any accident should prevent the Canadian from arriving, or that she should load fish for Europe, that you would charter a vessel to send home Kavanagh’s oil and furs, &c. The Adamant did not arrive at Quebeck till after I had chartered a ship to carry home her intended cargo. I had two country vessels, with thirtytwo thousand Pounds sterling in furs on board, waiting her arrival, at a time when the Bostonians were hourly expected to master the Province. Hence I thought it my duty, and did charter the ship Pomona, Captain Green, for three hundred and seventyfive Pounds, to proceed, with furs, &c., to London; and she sailed from Quebeck the 2d instant. It was my intention to have gone home in her, and had prepared every thing accordingly, but altered my mind, and came off for Montreal the morning she was to sail for London; and I confess to you that no one measure I ever