Your advice in this case shall be ever acknowledged by your dutiful and obedient servant,

SAMUEL NORTON,

Lieutenant in Second Company in Dukes County.

To the Honourable the General Court and House of Representatives for the Colony of the Massachusetts-Bay.

GENERAL WASHINGTON TO PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

[Read December 26, 1775.]

Chelsea, December 16, 1775.

Observation of the day.—Last evening eight men came in a boat from Boston, to our guard, at the ferry; six of them Captains of vessels. They brought the following account: Yesterday one large mortar was carried over to Bunker-Hill; the troops filling water, carrying it on board the transports; provisions scarce, not more than sufficient for six weeks; one regiment of Foot and three companies of the Light-Horse sail for Halifax this day.

Dorchester, December 16, 1775.

Sailed out of Boston Harbour this morning, eight large and two small vessels, taken to be tenders; by their firing appeared to be going a voyage out to sea. Mr. Joshua Pico came last night from Boston; he confirms the information that the regiment of Foot and some companies of Light-Horse were preparing to embark for Halifax.

Cambridge, December 16, 1775.

SIR: The information contained in the above, coming so many different ways, corroborated by several vessels having sailed this day from Boston, I thought it my duty to transmit it to you. Though Halifax is the place given out for their destination, it is possible they may be bound elsewhere. I shall communicate this intelligence to Governours Cooke and Trumbull, and to the Convention of New-York, for their government.

I remain, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,

GEORGE WASHINGTON.

To the Honourable John Hancock, Esq., President of the Congress.

GENERAL WASHINGTON TO GENERAL COURT OF MASSACHUSETTS.

Cambridge, December 16, 1775.

GENTLEMEN: Among many resolves of Congress, which were forwarded to me the other day, are the enclosed.

Not being able to discover from the resolves themselves, or the letter which accompanied them, whether a copy had been transmitted to you by the President, or to be handed in by me, I thought it best to err on the safe side, especially as the Quartermaster-General has just informed me that he is exceedingly scarce of hay, and can get none under six pounds lawful a ton; and that he is fearful, if he should even consent to offer this, (enormous as it is,) the price will be further advanced upon him as heretofore, and in the article of wood.

I am, &c,

GEORGE WASHINGTON.

Honourable General Court of Massachusetts-Bay.

FROM GENERAL WASHINGTON'S SECRETARY

Cambridge, December 16, 1775.

MADAM: I am commanded by His Excellency to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 8th instant, and to inform you that an exchange of prisoners is not yet agreed upon; when it is, Mr. Tilly will probably be released among the rest. He will not be forgot then.

I am, &c.

To Mrs. Ruth Tilly, New-Haven.

"In Committee of Safety for New-Hampshire, October 27, 1775.

"GENTLEMEN: It having been represented to this Committee as necessary that a number of vessels should be properly moored above the Boom in Piscataqua river, in order to prevent the passage of the enemy's ships up the river, we do therefore hereby desire you, or any three of you, to take a sufficient number of the meanest vessels you can easily find, that will answer the purpose, and fix them in such places, and in such a manner, above the Boom, as you shall judge most proper; and to appraise each of said vessels, and make return thereof, with the names of the owners, to this Committee. And to assure the owners of the vessels so taken that, in case they are destroyed in said service, they shall be paid for according to your appraisement.

By order of the Committee,

MATTHEW THORNTON, Chairman.

To William Knight and Joshua Wentworth, Esqs., Captain William Pearce, Captain Thomas Thompson, and Captain Supply Clap."

Pursuant to the above order, we, the subscribers, determined on and transported some vessels for the purpose above mentioned, and valued the same; since which, finding it unnecessary they should lay any longer at their moorings, have returned them to the respective wharves from whence they were taken, and delivered them to the several owners, unhurt; but that some of the cables and hawsers are injured by use, of which a future estimate may be made, if the owners require it.

Portsmouth, December 16, 1775.

COLONEL SCOTT TO CAPTAIN SOUTHALL.

Norfolk, December 17, 1775.

DEAR SIR: I have just time to inform you that we have got possession of the most horrid place I ever beheld; I mean Norfolk. Almost all the inhabitants fled on board the ships. Flags are continually passing, asking water, provision, or to exchange prisoners. Duty is harder than I ever saw before. Our guards have not been relieved for forty-eight hours. The men-of-war fell down last evening about four miles, and left a brig, with five thousand bushels of salt, behind; which our guard took, and brought to the wharf; but have not got one bushel on shore yet. We have got on board the vessel Mr. Cary Mitchell.

COLONEL WOODFORD TO EDMUND PENDLETON, PRESIDENT.

Norfolk, December 17, 1775.

Your favour of the 14th came safe to hand last night, and I should esteem myself wanting in duty, and respect to your honourable body, if I did not take the earliest opportunity to express the high sense I have of the great; honour done me by your resolution of the 13th instant, and to assure the Convention that I consider my country's approbation of my conduct a sufficient reward for any services I may be thought to render at this alarming crisis.

I had taken the liberty to afford that protection and assistance to the distressed Highlanders which I find is the wish of the Convention; and Colonel Howe and myself will pay due regard to your directions respecting those that; remain still in this town. Their vessel being detained., and their distressed wives and little ones left to starve in a strange country, is a fresh instance of the inhumanity of a certain Lord.*

* A remarkable instance of Lord DUNMOUE's humanity,—A ship from Cameron, in North-Britain, with about two hundred and fifty Highlanders, consisting of men, women, and children, was bound to New-bern., in North Carolina, but forced by bad weather and other accidents to put into Norfolk, in this Colony, Lord Dunmore, whoso troops had a few days before b en defeated in the battle at Great-Bridge, forced these poor people on shore, seized their ship for accommodating; his Tory friends, who, after the battle, fled from Norfolk, on board the ships and other vessels lying in the harbour, and left his other countrymen, with their wives and children, to perish for want of subsistence,, in a strange land. In this wretched condition they petitioned Colonel Woodford to take them under his protection. This petition was transmitted by that bravo officer to the General Convention, sitting at Williamsburgh, who immediately gave orders that the Colonel should take them under his protection, relieve their immediate wants, and afford! them all necessary assistance, to conduct them to North-Carolina, the place of their first destination. In consequence of those orders, Colonel Woodford sent the Highlanders, in Wagons, under a proper escort, to Suffolk; from whence, by order of the Committee of Safety, they are to be conducted to North-Carolina, agreeably to the order of the Convention. The Committee of Safety, of this Colony, have wrote to that Committee of Safety of North-Carolina, informing them of the distresses of these poor people, occasioned by Lord Dunmore's cruel treatment, and requesting them to give directions for their relief and accommodation, till they shall arrive among their friends in that Province, amongst; whom they intended to settle. Lord Dunmore had forced about one-hundred and sixty of these unfortunate people into his Service; but, upon being informed of the humane intention of this Colony, they