THOMAS LOWREY TO PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

[Road January 27, 1776.]

Perth-Amboy, January 25, 1776.

SIR: Give me leave to congratulate you and your honourable House on the success of Lord Stirling, by the capture of the transport-ship, Blue-Mountain-Valley, Captain Dempster, the particulars of which Lord Stirling writes you by this conveyance. I was on board the ship last evening, in Amboy-Bay. Some of the sailors informed one of our men that there was a quantity of arms and ammunition in the hold. The ship is now gone up to Elizabethtown-Point, to wait your orders.

The bearer, Mr. Barbarie, is owner of a sloop which was taken off Sandy-Hook by some of the men-of-war's tenders, and retaken on her passage to Boston, by Captain Manly, or some other New-England Captain. Mr. Barbarie is looked upon as friendly to our cause, and now goes down for instructions from Congress, how to proceed to regain his sloop and cargo.

I am, with due respect, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,

THOMAS LOWREY.

To the Honorable John Hancock, Esq.

P. S. A. number of our Militia, with three companies of Lord Sterling's regiment, are on Long-Island, and are disarming the Tories, without opposition. We expect them back in a few days.

WILLIAM DE HART TO SAMUEL TUCKER.

Staten-Island, January 25, 1776.

DEAR SIR: I am now on my return from Long-Island, and expect to see you at Elizabethtown to-morrow morning. All our men are well, no accident by land or water, nor the appearance of it. I could not join Colonel Heard, at Bergen town, by reason of excessive weather and distance, of bad roads, and late at night, and pointed in the boats for Paul us-Hook, but was unable to reach it, by reason of the high wind, and obliged to put into New-York, where I provided good quarters for our men in the barracks. Early next morning I proceeded to join Colonel Heard, who I came up with about four miles out of town. But a few of Colonel Hoard's Militia having come up, I was obliged to quarter our men at Hellgate, and the next day got as far as Jamaica, staid there two days, and then marched to Hempstead, and staid at that place two days more, when we joined, which I think might have been much earlier. Discovered that a much smaller number might answer our purpose, and Colonel Heard proposed to me to separate, which I humbly agreed to, and informed him of my approbation of going or staying, as might be most agreeable to him; but suggested the hint, as less troops might serve, which would be less expensive to the Continent. However, he informed me that it was a Militia business, and it was most proper for them to stay, and ordered me to return home, which I heartily consented with, and left him last Wednesday, with about six or seven hundred Militia at Hempstead, where great numbers of Tories were every hour coming in, and delivering up their arms without the least appearance of opposition. I suppose they may deliver up about five hundred arms, and if they transport them by water, they may be worth the freight.

I have the happiness of informing you, that our men have behaved with the greatest degree of civility towards the inhabitants of Long-Island, but some little complaint happened about some New-York Volunteers, which, upon examining into, proved of very little consequence. I am now happy in returning from a place being deserving of correction, and effected with so little difficulty, from the consideration of their being our neighbours.

I am your Lordship's most humble servant,

WILLIAM DE HART.

GENERAL SCHUYLER TO PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

[Read February 2, and referred to Mr. Wythe, Mr. E. Rutledge, and Mr. McKean.]

Albany, January 95, 1776.

SIR: I have this moment received a letter from General Wooster, copy of which, with copies of sundries enclosed, I now do myself the honour to transmit to you. I shall order him to send every person from Canada that may be dangerous to our cause if left in that country.

From General Wooster's letter one would be led to imagine that I had sent back vast numbers of dangerous persons; he has before wrote to me on the occasion with an unbecoming jubacity. I, therefore, trouble you with the detail. Sears, whom he mentions, was sent to me from Connecticut with a recommendation from the Committee of . . . . . . to permit him to return to Canada, which I did, ordering him to wait on the commanding officer; Captain Goodwin and Lieutenant Schalk I permitted to remain at Ticonderoga at the request of General Montgomery, until they could be informed if their wives and children, whom they had left at Quebeck, were gone to England, or had come to Chambly. If to the latter, then he wished they might be permitted to return and convey them into these Colonies. They, their wives and children, are now at Chambly. Mr. McCullough, a Commissary, was another, a widower, who had left four small children in Canada, and whom I likewise permitted to return on the same account; these, together with the Canadian peasants taken at St. John's are all that I recollect to have sent back, and not even the last without the approbation of General Montgomery first had. The peasantry were too insignificant to have any influence, and there seemed at that time little danger from the others, and yet I took the precaution of their word of honour, not to say any thing on the subject of the controversy. If they have abused my confidence they are scoundrels, and I will treat them accordingly, without repenting that I gave them the indulgence, for that was an act of humanity. If they are not culpable they are injured, and I too. I shall sift the matter to the bottom, and my resentment, without any kind of exception, shall be experienced by those that deserve it.

I have just received at letter from Colonel Warner, of which the following is a copy:

"Bennington, January 22, 1776.

SIR: My prospect in raising men seems very encouraging, one hundred and upwards I have sent forward; a number more is ready to march soon. I have twelve companies raising, though the men shall be sent forward as fast as possible. More money is necessary, as I have paid the chief out that I received. Two companies more I expect to raise, as they have sent me they wish to engage. Major Safford will be the receiver of what money will be disbursed for said purpose. From your humble servant,

SETH WARNER."

In answer to this I sent the following, which I showed to Mr. Livingston our brother delegate, and of which he approved.

"Albany, January 25, 1776.

SIR: Major Safford has delivered me your letter of the 22d instant. I was in hopes that by that time a much larger number of men had marched than what you mention; the bounty I promised was in consideration of their immediately marching; when, therefore, as many men are actually marched, (which I expect will be without delay,) as I gave you the bounty for, I shall furnish you with a further sum to send as many more as will amount to a regiment on the present Continental establishment, which is seven hundred and twenty men, officers included; but I do expect that the whole will march by the 1st day of February; such as are not marched by that time will not be entitled to any part of the bounty."

January 26.—I was last night informed that the better part of the troops to be raised in the County of Berkshire were already marched. I have sent Governour Trumbull a return of the arms that were delivered into store by the men raised in the Colony of Connecticut—he cannot furnish the regiment raising there, and I propose to return those arms, or a like number, that they may not be a Colonial charge against the Continent.

I am, sir, most sincerely, your obedient, humble servant,

PHILIP SCHUYLER.

To the Honourable John Hancock, Esq., &c., &c., &c.

Montreal, January 14, 1776.

SIR: Your letter of the 31st ultimo, I received per post, also a number of letters for General Montgomery, all of