you to Colonel Lowrey, who is appointed by the Continental Congress to subsist the battalions under your command. Mr. Fisher received from me two thousand five hundred, being one-half of the five thousand dollars to be applied towards furnishing arms for your battalion. I hope we shall soon have Colonel Maxwell's battalion completely armed, for which purpose the members of the Committee of Safety have sent to the several County Committees, entreating their assistance in procuring the Province arms that may be in their Counties.

Our Provincial thirty thousand pounds will not be printed for some time for want of proper paper, which is now making for that purpose; and if it was now ready, the Commissioners are particularly directed in what manner to apply it; and I find the members of the Committee of Safety are of opinion they have no power to apply any of the Provincial money for Continental services.

We passed a law in the House of Assembly appointing barrackmasters to repair the several barracks, which was condemned or d?d in the Council, so that we must now do as well as we can with them.

You no doubt will have seen, ere this comes to hand, the dispute between the Governour and Council. The House of Assembly thought it most for the publick service to avoid all disputes at this critical time.

I am, with tenders of service, your assured friend and most obedient, humble servant,

SAMUEL TUCKER.

P. S. I expect the Commissioners will be here tomorrow or next day.

THOMAS LOWREY TO LORD STIRLING.

Trenton, December 10, 1775.

MY LORD: I received both your favours at Philadelphia, and note the contents. I saw Mr. Hancock, Mr. Adams, Mr. Livingston, and sundry others of the members. I informed them, and urged the necessity of having every thing done that you wrote to them about. I had great hopes something would be done, but so much other business on their hands prevented them last week. All the members I talked with promised me something should be done. There is a resolve of the House that Mr. Crane is to give directions to you for getting the blankets. He told me he would be home some time this week. I have been with Mr. Tucker about the barracks. He says he will call the Committee soon and get something done. I have done all I could every where, and with every one concerned, to forward the cause. I informed them of the trouble your Lordship and myself hath had. All seemed pleased with what we have done.

Mr. Crane will forward the articles for wear. The commissions for the sundry persons your Lordship wrote for, will be filled up agreeably to your desire. I did not see Colonel Maxwell, but sent him your letter and wrote to him myself. Two of his company will be ready to march in ten days, complete. I have paid off Falkener's company; he is in Burlington barracks. I have also paid off Captain Shute, of Salem, and Captain Howell, of Cumberland. They will be at Burlington this week, but in no order for marching; arms and blankets are wanting; and I am now on my way to Sussex to forward Shaw's and Scott's companies, and intend being with you at Elizabethtown, on Thursday next at furthest. Pray be pleased to order Meeker, M'Myers, and Piatt, to have their muster-rolls, &c., in good order and readiness that I may not be detained when I come.

I am, my Lord, your Lordship's most obedient and humble servant,

THOMAS LOWREY.

CONANICUT (RHODE-ISLAND) PLUNDERED.

Newport, December 11, 1775.

About one o'clock, yesterday morning, the bomb brig, a schooner, and two or three armed sloops, left this harbour, went to Conanicut, and landed upwards of two hundred marines, sailors, and negroes, at the east ferry, marched in three divisions immediately over to the west ferry, and set the several houses on fire which were near the ferry-place, then retreated back, setting fire to almost every house on each side the road, from the west to the east ferry, and several houses and barns some distance on the north and south side of the road, driving out the women and children, swearing they should be burnt in the house if they did not instantly turn out.

Widow Hull lost one house; Joseph Clarke, Esq., two houses and one barn; Thomas Fowler, one house, barn, and crib full of corn; Benjamin Ellery, two houses, store, and barn; B. Remington, two houses; John Gardner, Esq., one house and tanyard; Thomas Hutchinson, one house; Widow Franklin, two; Abel Franklin, one; Benedict Robinson, one. All the above houses were plundered of beds, wearing apparel, and such household furniture as could be conveniently carried off; the rest were consumed. Some women, we are told, were stripped of some of their best clothes they had on. It is said Captain Wallace commanded on this humane expedition. A company of minutemen had left Conanicut the evening before; so that there were but about forty or fifty soldiers on the Island, most of whom had been inlisted but a few days, and arrived there but the evening before in miserable condition for such a sudden attack; but, notwithstanding, it is said there is certainly one officer of marines killed, and seven or eight badly wounded. There was not one Provincial either killed or wounded, except Mr. John Martin, who was shot in his belly, standing unarmed in his door. The above vessels brought off about thirty head of oxen and cows, a few sheep and hogs, most of which they killed before they took them on board. They left Conanicut yesterday, and came to this harbour again about noon.

The above houses were not all occupied by the owners, but each had at least one family, some two.

STEPHEN MOYLAN TO WILLIAM BARTLETT.

Cambridge, December 10, 1775.

SIR: Your agreeable favour to his Excellency came last night to hand. It was very unlucky that the Captain of the ship threw his papers overboard. He deserves to be severely punished, if it is true that this was done after he was made a prize of. In any other war than the present, he would suffer death for such an action; but we must

spirits, reminded them of their ancient glory, and, waving his hat over his head, encouragingly to them the day was their own. Thus pressing forward, he fell within fifteen steps of the breastwork. His wounds were many, and his death would have been that of a hero had he met it in a better cause. The progress of the enemy was now at an end; they retreated over the causeway with precipitation, and were dreadfully galled in their rear. Hitherto, on our side, only the guard, consisting of twenty-five, and some others, upon the whole amounting to not more than ninety, had been engaged. Only the regulars of the Fourteenth Regiment, in number one hundred and twenty, had advanced upon the causeway; and about two hundred and thirty tories and negroes had, after crossing the bridge, continued upon the island. The regulars, after retreating along the causeway, wore again rallied by Captain Leslie, and the two fieldpieces continued to play upon our men. It was at this time that Colonel Woodford was advancing down the street to the breastwork with the main body, and against him was now directed the whole fire of the enemy. Never were cannon better served; but yet, in the face of them and the musketry, which kept up a continual blaze, our men marched on with the utmost intrepidity. Colonel Stevens, of the Culpepper battalion, was sent round to the left to flank the enemy, which was done with such activity and spirit that a rout immediately ensued. The enemy fled into their fort, leaving behind them the two field-pieces, which, however, they took care to spike up with nails. Many were killed and wounded in the flight, but Colonel Woodford very prudently restrained his troops from urging their pursuit too far. From the beginning of the attack till the re-pulse from the breastwork, might be about fourteen or fifteen minutes; till the total defeat upwards of half an hour. It is said that some of the enemy preferred death to captivity, from a fear of being scalped, which Lord Dunmore inhumanly told them would be their fate should they be taken alive. Thirty-one, killed and wounded, fell into our hands, and the number borne off was much greater. Through the whole of the engagement, every officer and soldier behaved with the greatest courage and calmness. The conduct of our sentinels I cannot pass over in silence Before they quitted their stations they fired at least three rounds as the enemy were crossing the bridge, and one of them, who was posted behind some shingles, kept his ground till he had fired eight times, and, after receiving a whole platoon, made his escape over the causeway into our breastwork. The scene was closed with as much humanity as it had been conducted with bravery. The work of death being over, every one's attention was directed to the succour of the unhappy sufferers, and it is an undoubted fact, that Captain Leslie was so affected with the tenderness of our troops towards those who were yet capable of assistance, that he gave signs from the fort of his thankfulness for it. What is not to be paralleled in history, and will scarcely appear credible, except to such as acknowledge a Providence over human affairs, this victory was gained at the expense of no more than a slight wound in a soldier's hand; and one circumstance which renders it still more amazing, is, that the field-pieces raked the whole length of the street, and absolutely threw double-headed shot as far as the church, and afterwards, as our troops approached, cannonaded them heavily with grape-shot.—Va, Gax.