GENERAL SCHUYLER TO PRESIDENT OP CONGRESS.

[Read December 30, 1775]

Albany, December 21, 1775.

SIR: I do myself the honour to enclose you a return of the military stores that were at Ticonderoga Landing and Crown-Point on the 2d instant. The cannon, mortars, and other stores sent for by General Washington, are happily arrived at Fort George, from whence they will be moved to the place of their destination as soon as we are favoured with a fall of snow, and that the ice in the river will be strong enough to bear the heavy cannon.

A post, which arrived here on the 18th, and who left Montreal on the 4th, brought me no letters, either from General Montgomery or General Wooster. I inquired of the man, who could inform me nothing of the former, but that he was gone towards Quebeck. The frost here is so intense, that the river is frozen over, and I expect will be passable with horses in a day or two.

A quantity of baggage belonging to the prisoners, and which was embarked in a sloop, is caught in the ice, about five miles below this. The greatest part of it belongs to those who are now in Pennsylvania, and how to get it to them I do not know.

Should there be a necessity in the ensuing campaign to keep up a force to the eastward, equal to what there has been in this, I fear there will be a scarcity of flour in that quarter. Should my apprehension be well founded, would it not be prudent to transport a quantity of flour from the eastern parts of this Colony, to the eastern side of the Green Mountains? which, though passable in winter with sleds, are scarcely so at any other season of the year for any kind of carriages.

I have not yet received any pay-rolls from the Colony of Connecticut. I fear that unless great attention is paid, the publick will suffer considerably by overcharges. What measures shall I pursue with such officers as return me false pay-rolls? The time for which they were engaged is expired, and no military punishment can be inflicted on them.

The conference with the Six Nations has had a happy issue; they have delivered up the war-belt which was given them with much ceremony by Colonel Johnson, at Montreal. The proceedings will be transmitted to the Congress in a few days.

The Commissary-General has this moment waited upon me, with a letter from Mr. Lewis, containing in substance an order that the clothing sent here for the army in this department should, if not moved from Albany, be sent to Cambridge. As I have ordered four companies to be raised in this quarter, of which I acquainted Congress some time ago, and promised that they should be supplied with clothing, I have ordered the Commissary-General to detain as much here as will be sufficient for these men; and as the remainder cannot be immediately sent, it is more than probable that before it can leave this, Congress will, in consequence of my last letters, countermand Mr. Lewis's orders.

I am, sir, with much respect, your most obedient, and very humble servant,

PHILIP SCHUYLER.

To the Honourable John Hancock, Esq.

[GENERAL WASHINGTON] TO GENERAL WARD.

Cambridge, December 21, 1775.

SIR: His Excellency has commanded me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of this date, and to inform you that if the persons mentioned in Mr. Champion's letter, are enlisted to serve in the new army, that they must not be permitted to go to him, but if they are not, that you may grant them a discharge.

l wrote you the 11th inst., respecting the prisoners to be sent to Simsbury, and enclosed a letter for the Committee of that place; to these I beg leave to refer you. In case you did not receive them, his Excellency desires that you will send them off under a proper guard, unless there should be any of the Connecticut troops going home, who will take the charge of them to the Committee. You will please certify the Committee of the atrociousness of their crime, and of the court's sentence.

I am, &c.

To Major-General Ward, Roxbury.

[GENERAL WASHINGTON] TO GENERAL SPENCER.

Cambridge, December 21, 1775.

SIR: I am commanded by his Excellency to acknowledge yours of the 18th instant, and to inform you that he has no objection to Mr. Peck's being appointed Adjutant to Colonel Huntington's regiment.

I am, &c.

To Brigadier-General Spencer, Roxbury.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER RECEIVED IN EXGLAND, FROM AN OFFICER AT BOSTON, DATED DECEMBER 21, 1775.

The Rebels, for some days past, have been erecting a battery at Phipp's Farm, which, it is said, will be soot) opened. The new constructed mortar, taken on board the ordnance brig, we are told, will be mounted upon it; and we expect a warm salute from the shells, another part of that vessel's cargo; so that, in spite of her capture, we are likely to be complimented with the contents of her lading: for all this we will be indebted to our worthy Admiral. This vigilant officer, instead of sending his squadron to protect the store-ships and transports from England, has, with the utmost prudence, ordered the ships-of-war in this harbour to be secured with booms all round, to prevent their being boarded and taken by the rebel whale-boats; and for some time past he has never sent a single ship to cruise off Cape-Ann, because the Rebels have had some cannon mounted upon it. No doubt the Parliament will thank him on his glorious return for so effectually preserving His Majesty's ships. In town, the General acts in quite a different manner; he seems to think it his duty to annoy the enemy. When we discovered the Rebels at work on their new battery, another was immediately raised against them of twenty-four pounders and some mortars, at Barton's Point. From this battery we have fired upon them for some days incessantly, apparently with good effect, though not sufficiently to make them discontinue their work. The news with us is not propitious. Quebeck is taken, and General Carleton, and all the King's troops under him, prisoners of war. You may guess the truth of all this from the person who has favoured us with the information. Mr. George Erving is the man; he had it from his brother-in-law, Mr. Bowdoin, one of the Rebel Counsellors. By this you may discover that the Rebels without, and the nominal friends of Government within, have a very good understanding together. This may be no news to you, though it may be to many in England. We know that till General Howe had the command, all our former Governours and commanders were gulled by Government. These good friends were always grasping at profitable places, and we are certain many obtained them; but still they had a warm feeling for American independency, and we have invariably-found them, after their large salaries were fixed, taking