to and confined, and kept in the same manner as ordered by said Congress, in the Jail in Norwich, in the County of New-London, until further orders from said Congress and this Board. (And order is given accordingly.)

On motion and request by Letters from the Committee of New-Haven and Norwalk, and consideration of their circumstances, &c.,

Voted, That six hundred weight of Powder be sent to New-Haven, to the care of Colonel Jonathan Fitch, &c., and that he send two hundred weight of it to the said men and Committee of Inspection at Norwalk, to be considered as Colony stock, and subject to the orders of this Board; and that the said Powder be taken from Saybrook, where it is lodged for the use of the Brig Minerva.

On motion and request from the Town of New-Haven, &c., on consideration,

Voted and Resolved, That the men or Companies raised for the protection or defence of said New-Haven, and also those so raised for the defence of New-London, Stonington, and Lyme, whose term would expire on the 1st of December next, be continued to the next session of the General Assembly, or until further orders from this Board.

The Congress of New-York being moved and directed by the General Congress to provide and establish proper and expeditious ways of conveying intelligence in case of any alarm, or invasion, &c., by Beacons, or Posts, &c; and they moving us to come into similar methods with them, &c.,

Voted, That His Honour the Governour be desired to write to and employ sundry proper persons in the western Towns of this Colony, to engage and provide proper persons, to be in readiness at a minute’s warning, to carry any intelligence of alarm or invasion to every proper Town and place, as occasion may require; and that he be also desired to advise the honourable Congress of New-York of this provision.

Colonel Elderkin, having been heretofore appointed, &c., laid in his Report about fortifying at the Harbour of New-London, recommending the same to be done at Mammicock, Winthrop’ s Point, and Groton Hill, stating the circumstances, &c., of each.

And thereupon, Voted, That the men stationed at and for the defence of New-London be employed, during their continuance in said service, in erecting and making proper works of defence, in or at the Harbour of said New-London, either at Groton Hill, Winthrop’s Point or Mammicock, that is to say, at such one or more of said places as can be best undertaken and completed in this advanced season of the year, under the direction and conduct of Colonel Saltonstall, Ebenezer Ledyard, Esq., Captain John Deshon, Mr. Nathaniel Shaw, Jun., and Mr. Park Avery, all of New-London and Groton, and Mr. Josiah Watrous, now residing in Windham: that is, the works at Mammicock to be done with the consent of said Mr. Shaw, who owns the soil where, &c.

On motion and consideration, Voted, That his Honour be desired, in the name and behalf of this Council and Colony, to move and request of the honourable Continental Congress for liberty and order to receive a number not exceeding fifty Cannon, from thirty-two to twelve-pounders, some brass, if it may be, from St. John’s, or any other Northern posts lately fallen into the hands of the Continental Army, where they can be spared; to be improved for the defence of New-London, in this Colony, a place and port of great importance for the safety of said Colony, and very capable of defence, and where works are now erecting, but cannot be supplied with Cannon in any other way that can be devised, and for any other use for the protection and safety of the Colony.

Voted, That it be recommended to the honourable County Court of New-London County, that they immediately cause to be erected and built a proper and sufficient yard or fence round and enclosing the Jail, or part of it, at Norwich, so as effectually to prevent any communication from without with any Prisoner committed there; and which is more immediately and especially necessary in order to comply with the requisition of the honourable Continental Congress and General Washington, respecting Dr. Church, who is now in this Town, and by order of the Governour and this Council to be committed there.

And adjourned.

Thursday, November 23, 1775.

At a meeting as aforesaid, present:

His Honourthe Governour, Honourable Deputy-Governour Griswold, Jabez Huntington, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Nathaniel Wales, Esquires.

On motion by the Governour, respecting the disposition of the Prisoners sending to this Colony from St. John’s,

Voted and Ordered, That the Committee to take care of Prisoners be directed to receive said Prisoners, and distribute them in suitable proportions in the Counties of Litchfield, Hartford, and Windham, for the present; and that they give the preference as to choice and convenience of situation, if any be, to the Officers, &c., of the Twenty-Sixth Regiment, and especially Major Preston; and that they also have regard to the places of assigning mechanicks who may be among the soldiers, so as they may most beneficially employ themselves; and take care that families, if such there be, be not separated. And that said Committee use their prudence and caution in placing the Officers so as the least probable inconvenience may arise from their situation.

Moved by Captain Deshon, That Captain Niles, of the Armed Schooner Spy, informs that there is a Vessel at Sag-Harbour, Long-Island, loading with Provisions, &c., said to be bound to Nantucket, without any proper permit, and is suspected to be designed for the use of the Ministerial Troops. And that he desires direction, whether he shall prevent her, &c.

Ordered, That a copy of a Resolve of the Continental Congress, respecting the exportation of Provisions from any of the United Colonies, &c., passed about the 6th of November, instant, be sent to said Niles, for his direction.

It being represented that several Prisoners from Chambly, or thereabouts, of the inhabitants of Canada, now at Farmington, are turbulent and disorderly, and refuse to give their parole to abide faithful Prisoners, and say they will escape, unless imprisoned, &c., and it is suspected they wish to be imprisoned, they may complain of hard usage, and affect the minds of their Canadian brethren, &c.,

Ordered and Agreed, That the Committee for Prisoners have and cause to be kept a special and vigilant watch over those persons, so as to prevent their escape, even if some extra expense should be incurred thereby. And that they give proper notice of their apprehensions of the designed escape of those persons, describing them, &c., to such Towns and places as they shall judge expedient, and request that they keep out a vigilant eye, to prevent the execution of such design.

And dismissed.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER PROM GENERAL MONTGOMERY TO ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON.

Montreal, November, 1775.

For the good fortune which has hitherto attended us, I am, I hope, sufficiently thankful; but this very fortune, good as it has been, will become a serious and insurmountable evil, should it lead Congress either to overrate our means, or to underrate the difficulties we have yet to contend with. I need not tell you that, till Quebeck is taken, Canada is unconquered; and that, to accomplish this, we must resort to siege, investment, or storm. The first of these is out of the question, from the difficulty of making trenches in a Canadian winter, and the greater difficulty of living in them, if we could make them; secondly, from the nature of the soil, which, as I am at present instructed, renders mining impracticable, and, were this otherwise, from the want of an engineer having sufficient skill to direct the process; and, thirdly, from the fewness and lightness of our artillery, which is quite unfit to break walls like those of Quebeck. Investment has fewer objections, and might be sufficient, were we able to shut out entirely from the garrison and Town the necessary supplies of food and fuel during the winter; but to do this (the enemy’s works being very extensive, and offering many avenues to the neighbouring settlements) will require a large army, and from present appearances mine will not, when brought together, much, if at all, exceed eight hundred combatants. Of Canadians I might be able to get a considerable number, provided I had hard money, with which to clothe, feed, and pay their wages; but this is wanting. Unless, therefore, I am soon and amply re-enforced, investment, like siege, must be given up.

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