are expressly ordered to recall every one who is negligent or unsuccessful in this duty.

The new enlisted men, upon producing to the Colonel or Commanding Officer of the Regiment they are enlisted into, a Blanket, fit for use, will be entitled to the two dollars allowed by the Continent therefor; and the Colonel or Commanding Officer is to make out a list of the names of such men, that the money may be drawn for them. The Colonel is to keep a copy of such list, to prevent mistakes; the list must specify the Company each man belongs to.

The Major-General, with the Brigadier of his division, are to appoint three persons of character and judgment to value the Arms of discharged soldiers, specifying to whom they belong, whether publick or private property, and what they consist of. They are to fix a reasonable and just price upon them, and to take none but such as are fit for service. They are to enter into a book such valuation, and deliver the Arms so valued to the Commissary of Artillery Stores, and take a receipt for the same.

A General Court-Martial to sit to-morrow, in Cambridge, to try such prisoners as shall be brought before them. The General Court-Martial of which Colonel Poor was President is dissolved.

Head-Quarters, Cambridge, November 24, 1775.

Captain William Hubbel, of Colonel Webb’s Regiment, tried at a late General Court-Martial, for “behaving in a low, scandalous, and unofficerlike manner.” The Court having acquitted the prisoner, the General orders him to be released.

Captain Grey, of Colonel Brewer’s Regiment, tried at a General Court-Martial, whereof Colonel Enoch Poor was President, for “dissuading the soldiers from enlisting, therein acting the part of tory and enemy to his Country.” The Court thinking proper to acquit the prisoner, the General orders him to be released.

Head-Quarters, Cambridge, November 25, 1775.

The commissioned, non-commissioned officers and soldiers, lately arrived in camp from Kennebeck River, are to join their respective Corps. A return of them, signed by the Commanding Officers of their respective Regiments, to be sent to the Adjutant-General Monday morning.

At the request of the honourable the General Court of this Colony, the General directs that the Colonels or Commanding Officers of the Massachusetts Regiments, do respectively order each of their Captains to make out a Muster and Pay-Roll of his Company, up to the first day of August last, from the time of each man’s enlistment. This is to be done agreeable to the form of a return, which is lodged with, and may be had of the Adjutant-General. The Court desires these Rolls may be confirmed, upon oath, and lodged, as soon as possible, (with the original certificates,) in the Secretary’s office of the Colony, that all the Massachusetts Regiments may be paid up to the Ist of August, aforesaid. For further particulars, relative to this resolution of the General Court, the General refers to their resolve of the 3d instant; it being too long to insert in these Orders.

Head-Quarters, Cambridge, November 26, 1775.

The Colonels and Commanding Officers of Regiments upon the new establishment to order the men to be recruited to be paraded every morning, at ten in the forenoon, before the Brigadier-General of their respective Brigades, who will reject such as are unfit for service, or do not come within the description of the recruiting orders. The Brigadier will sign a certificate of the recruits he approves of, and deliver it to each of the Colonels, that the blanket money due may be paid, and no more.

Head-Quarters, Cambridge, November 27, 1775.

A Court of Inquiry to sit to-morrow morning, to examine into the conduct of Lieutenant-Colonel Enos, who appears to have left Colonel Arnold, his commanding officer, without leave. Major-General Lee, President; Brigadier-General Greene, Colonel Stark, Major Durkee, Brigadier-General Heath, Colonel Nixon, Major Sherburnc, Members.

Head-Quarters, Cambridge, November 28, 1775.

An express last night from General Montgomery brings the joyful tidings of the surrender of the City of Montreal to the Continental arms. The General hopes such frequent favours from Divine Providence will animate every American to continue to exert his utmost in the defence of the liberties of his Country, as it would now be the basest ingratitude to the Almighty, and to their Country, to show any the least backwardness in the publick cause.

GENERAL WASHINGTON TO COLONEL JOSEPH REED.

Cambridge, November 28, 1775.

DEAR SIR: Your favours of the 15th and 17th are come to hand. In one of them you justly observe, that the sudden departure of Mr. Randolph must cause your absence to be the more sensibly felt. I can truly assure you that I miss you exceedingly, and if an express declaration be wanting to hasten your return, I make it most heartily, and with some pleasure, as Mr. Lynch, in a letter of the 13th, gives this information: “In consequence of your letter by Colonel Reed, I applied to the Chief Justice, who tells me the Supreme Courts are lately held, and that it will be some time before their term will return; that he knows of no capital suit now depending, and that it is very easy for Colonel Reed to manage matters so as not to let them prevent his return to you. I am sure Mr. Chew is so heartily disposed to oblige you, and serve the cause, that nothing in his power will be wanting.” I could wish, my good friend, that these things may give a spur to your inclination to return, and that I may see you here as soon as convenient; for I feel the want of your ready pen greatly.

What an astonishing thing it is that those who are employed to sign the Continental bills should not be able, or inclined, to do it as fast as they are wanted. They will prove the destruction of the Army, if they are not more attentive and diligent.

Such a dearth of publick spirit and such want of virtue, such stockjobbing and fertility in all the low arts to obtain advantages of one kind or another in this great change of military arrangement, I never saw before, and pray God’s mercy that I may never be witness to again. What will be the end of these manoeuvres is beyond my scan. I tremble at the prospect. We have been till this time enlisting about three thousand five hundred men. To engage these, I have been obliged to allow furloughs as far as fifty men to a Regiment; and the officers, I am persuaded, indulge as many more. The Connecticut troops will not be prevailed upon to stay longer than their term, saving those who have enlisted for the next campaign, and are mostly on furlough; and such a mercenary Spirit pervades the whole, that I should not be at all surprised at any disaster that may happen. In short, after the last of this month, our lines will be so weakened, that the Minute-men and Militia must be called in for their defence; and these, being under no kind of government themselves, will destroy the little subordination I have been labouring to establish, and run me into one evil whilst I am endeavouring to avoid another: but the less must be chosen. Could I have foreseen what I have experienced, and am likely to experience, no consideration upon earth should have induced me to accept this command. A Regiment, or any subordinate department, would have been accompanied with ten times the satisfaction, and, perhaps, the honour.

The Congress already know, from the general estimate given in for a month, what sum it will take to supply the Army, and that little less than two hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars will answer the purpose. Pray impress this upon the members, and the necessity of forwarding the last sum voted, as one hundred thousand dollars will be totally inadequate to our demands at this time.

I wish that matter respecting the punctilio hinted at by you could come to some decision of Congress. I have done nothing yet in respect to the proposed exchangeg of prisoners, nor shall I, until I hear from them or you on

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