in that country, and lamenting the obstacles which prevented the execution of the measure you had, with so proper a zeal, proposed for the safety of it, and which, I will venture to say, could not have failed; but, when I say this, I am not to presume that Admiral Graves had not good reasons for refusing to adopt it; at the same time, hoping, that, whatever his reasons were, they will be fully inquired into in the proper Department.

My business is to consider the means by which Quebeck, if possible, may be relieved; or, if lost, how we may recover it; but, as it can be of no use to explain to you all the steps I have taken for that purpose, I will only say, that, independent of the efforts we shall make very early to relieve the town, I hope, that, by the first or second week in March, we shall be able to send General Carleton at least ten thousand men.

The King approves the arrangement you propose, in respect to an Adjutant-General and a Quartermaster-General, and also your attention to Major Rogers, of whose firmness and fidelity we have received further testimony from Governour Tryon, and there is no doubt you will find the means of making him useful.

Lieutenant Bourmaster's behaviour does him great credit, and I will not fail to recommend him to Lord Sandwich; in the meantime, I have communicated to the Lords of the Admiralty, what you say of that gentleman, in an official letter, and also what you represent of the necessity of sending out seamen to complete the transports to their proper numbers, and your ideas of the propriety of augmenting the number of seamen, on board the King's ships, to a war establishment.

I am to suppose that Admiral Graves had good reasons for the step he took to destroy the town of Falmouth, and that he did not proceed to that extremity without an absolute refusal on the part of the inhabitants to comply with those requisitions, stated in the orders he received from the Lords of the Admiralty, which, however, does not appear from any account I have seen of that transaction.

In your letter of the 26th November, No. 2, you desire more particular directions in regard to the effects and merchandise in the town of Boston, on which head, it is the King's pleasure, that, if practicable, the whole should be removed and put into store, either at Halifax, or some other place of safety, so that the British merchant may have a chance, at least, to recover some of the properly for which he can never be paid. At the same time, I am to repeat to you, what was said of Mr. Pownall's letter, that you must use your own discretion, according as circumstances shall point out at the time of your removal; for, however desirable it may be, that these goods and merchandise should be secured, it is an object that must not be attended to, if it should be found to be accompanied with such difficulty as to create any embarrassment or hazard in your removal; for, supposing such a case, the destruction of these goods and merchandise will be fully justified.

With regard to the battalion and detachment of artillery, serving in North-America, it is to be understood, that you do not fill up any vacancies, but in the rank of second lieutenants, in which rank you may grant commissions, and also, in all other corps below the rank of a field-officer, which commissions will be confirmed by His Majesty.

MATTHEW TILGHMAN TO PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

Annapolis, January 5, 1776.

SIR: Several vessels being nearly ready to sail for the foreign West-Indies, agreeable to the resolutions of Congress, on the account of this Province, our Convention sent two gentlemen express to Williamsburgh and Hampton, to gain intelligence of the situation of affairs in Virginia; they have just returned, and the enclosed copies will inform of the strength of Lord Dunmore, and his present situation and circumstances. Our Convention think it imprudent to hazard the probable seizure of their vessels and cargoes by the numerous tenders and cutters employed to make cap-lures; but the loss of property to this Province, from such an incident, appears to them trivial when compared to the consequences in the relief of a disitressed enemy. Therefore, the sailing of the vessels is suspended, and the Convention request the orders of Congress, if not incompatible with any destined service, that the Hornet and Wasp, said now to be ready, may convoy the vessels through the Capes. It is apprehended they will be an overmatch for Stewart's sloop, or any of the tenders. Our Convention, likewise, submit it to the consideration of Congress, whether it may not be less dangerous, and more for the general service, that the Hornet and Wasp should push to Delaware, than return again up this bay. The Convention are very desirous of a speedy answer.

I am, sir, with great respect, your very humble servant,

MATTHEW TILGHMAN.

To Hon. John Hancock, President of Congress.

Williamsburgh, December 29, 1775-

GENTLEMEN: We are this moment favoured with yours of the 22d, by Captain Hyde, to whom we have endeavoured to give the assistance he required in the course of his inquiry, as well as to show him the civility due to a gentleman on the very friendly errand be came. We have, perhaps, been remiss in not communicating to you a full account of our situation, and that of our enemy. We had transmitted to our Delegates in Congress the state of our affairs, from time to time, and imagined it would, from thence, be communicated to our sister Colonies, as far as was necessary, and we saw no occasion to call on our neighbours for assistance, by land, and did not, till late, hope for any by water; however, on the arrival of the Liverpool, man-of-war, with a store-ship, we thought it proper to communicate that intelligence to your Committee of Safety, which we did by express, on Saturday last, and which we hope has reached you ere now. The disgraceful circumstance, to the Colony, of seizing the Printer's materials and servants, in Norfolk; the captivating our friends at Kemp's Landing, and the cowardly behaviour of a party of Militia in that neighbourhood, afterwards, proceeded from the defenceless state of that part of the country, and our inability, for sometime, to send them protection, for want of arms and ammunition. As soon as we had despatched a respectable body of men across James River, for this purpose, Lord Dunmore issued his proclamation, and dispersed his standards and oaths, in Norfolk and Princess Anne, to which the bulk of the people in those Counties resorted and, subscribed, and a number of slaves ran away to Norfolk and joined the enemy. Our Army continued their march without interruption till they got to a place called the Great-Bridge, between Suffolk and Norfolk; there the enemy had raised a stockade fort to intercept their passage. After some skirmishing for several days, Lord Dunmore's whole regulars, consisting of about two hundred, sallied out, and passed the bridge to attack our party. They met a defeat so complete, and sustained so large a carnage, that they have not yet appeared in action. They retreated on board the ships, and our Army marched into Norfolk without opposition, where there are about twelve hundred of Virginians and North-Carolinians, masters of the land, for Colonel Howe being convenient to the place, and hearing of the state of things there, had kindly marched with about five hundred men to our assistance. The notorious Tories, and some blacks, are gone on board the vessels in the harbour, and have embarked effects to the amount of one hundred and fifty thousand pounds, as estimated.

Our Convention have under examination some suspected persons of property; others have come in, and remain neuter; all the slaves, except what are on board the vessels, have surrendered, on promise of pardon, or been taken inarms, out of whom some examples will be made; and the apprehensions of danger, from that quarter, seem to have subsided. Besides the Liverpool and store-ship, which are supposed to have about four hundred seamen and marines, the naval force of our enemy consists of the Otter, of twelve six, and two four-pounders; the Kingfisher, of fourteen six, and four four-pounders; the Eilbeck, pierced for twenty-two guns, and, perhaps, now recruited from the store-ship, she had, however, only seven, three and four-pounders, badly mounted; the William, of six guns, size unknown; and several tenders, consisting of four schooners, four sloops, with small pilot boats, none of them very considerable, except a sloop belonging to, and commanded by, a Captain Stewart, which is said to mount ten carriage guns. The men belonging to all these ships of war and tenders, do not exceed two hundred, and these mostly