Colonel Campbell sent in to Governour Carleton, by the flag of truce which came out for the prisoners' baggage, that he would gladly pay the value of General Montgomery's watch, if it could be procured, the consequence of which was, they sent out the watch without requiring pay, and I now send it to you by Colonel Ritzema.

LEVI ALLEN TO GENERAL WASHINGTON.

Salisbury, in Connecticut, January 27, 1776.

MAY IT PLEASE TOUR EXCELLENCY: I have rode some hundred miles in consequence of my brother Ethan Allen (commonly called Colonel Allen) being taken prisoner near Montreal, 25th September last, wailed on your Excellency at Head-Quarters, in Cambridge, in December last; since that waited on General Schuyler, on the same business. He read me a paragraph of your Excellency's letter, directing him to inquire what was become of Colonel Allen, and desired me, if possible, to get some evidence of the treatment he met with after being taken prisoner. Accordingly have spared neither trouble nor cost to accomplish the same. One affidavit only have been able to obtain, which here enclose.

There is a number of the Ministerial troops in this and the neighbouring Colonies, prisoners, but few of them have seen my brother since a prisoner; only those taken on board the Gaspee, brig, and, it is next to impossible to get any of them to say Allen or any other prisoner was used ill, for fear of retaliation, besides they have been charged by Prescott, and all the officers, not to mention Allen's being put in irons on pain of death.

The soldier that made the affidavit here enclosed, was very loath, and I should not have obtained it, but he had previously dropped words to the same import of the affidavit. I then brought him before proper authority, and told him he must declare on oath whether Colonel Allen was put in irons or not; then he declared on oath what the affidavit says, at the same time begged none present would mention his name.

Have some thoughts of going to England, incognito, after my brother, but am not positively certain he is sent there, though believe he is. Beg your Excellency will favour me with a line, and acquaint me if any intelligence concerning him, and, if your Excellency pleases, your opinion of the expediency of going after him, and whether your Excellency would think proper to advance any money for that purpose, as my brother was a man blessed with more fortitude than fortune. Your Excellency may think, at first thought, I can do nothing by going to England; I feel as if could do a great deal, by raising a mob in London, bribing the jailer, or by getting into some servile employment with the jailer, and over-faithfulness, make myself master of the key, or at least be able to lay my hand on it some night. I beg your Excellency will countenance my going; can muster more than one hundred pounds, my own property; shall regard spending that no more than one copper.

Your Excellency must know Allen was not only a brother, but a real friend, that sticketh closer than a brother. Have two brothers in the Continental Army, one a Captain, the other a Lieutenant—the latter with the army before Quebeck. Whether he is there now or with General Montgomery, in Heaven, cannot tell. We look up to your Excellency as our political father, and head of a great people.

Your Excellency's most obedient, ever faithful, and very humble servant,

LEVI ALLEN.

To His Excellency General Washington.

N. B. If your Excellency chooses I should wait on you personally, I only wait your commands. Cannot live without going to England, if my brother is sent there. Beg your Excellency will not discover this letter, lest the adverse party know my design.

ULSTER County, ss:

Peter Rammon, of lawful age, testifieth and saith, that sometime the latter end of September, or forepart of October last past, he, this deponent, was on board the Gaspee, brig, near Montreal, when a man called Colonel Allen was brought on board, and put in irons, and continued so for more than thirty days, not free from his irons one minute, day or night, to the best of this deponent's knowledge and belief, as this deponent see said Allen often every day, and often every night, during the thirty days and something more, and that said Allen was very sick during the whole time with the yellow-jaundice, and was attended by Doctor Huntley every day; and further, deponent saith not.

PETER RAMMON.

Sworn before me, the 19th day of January, 1776.

WILLIAM ELSWORTH, Justice of the Peace.

Levi Allen, of lawful age, testifieth and saith, that on the 19th day of January, 1776, this deponent was at Kingston, in Ulster County, and Province of New-York, when a soldier belonging to the Twenty-Sixth Regiment, (the No. 26 marked on his coat buttons,) named Peter Rammon, as he said, personally appeared before William Elsworth, Esq., one of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace, and being duly deposed on the Holy Evangelist of Almighty God, made solemn oath to the truth of the above deposition, in the presence of this deponent; and further this deponent saith not.

LEVI ALLEN.

CANAAN, LITCHFIELD County, ss:

January 28, 1776.

Then personally appeared the above signer, Levi Allen, and made solemn oath to the above before me.

SAMUEL FORBES, Justice of Peace.

ULSTER County, ss:

This is to certify, that on the 19th day of January, 1776, a soldier belonging to the Twenty-Sixth Regiment, and taken prisoner at Montreal, appeared before me, Johannis Snyder, one of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace for said County, and declared upon his honour, that he saw one Colonel Allen, belonging to the Continental Army, and taken prisoner by the regular troops, and put aboard the Gaspee, brig, under guard, with a bar of iron fixed to one of his legs, and iron fixed to his hands, and was sent in that situation down the river to Quebeck. I then asked him whether he would be so kind as to make affidavit of the truth of the matter; he answered he could not undertake such, for these particular reasons: For if the officers should know that he had made affidavit, or even said so, (and undoubtedly they would hear of it,) they would punish him to death, and begged of me not to mention his name, for fear of severe punishment, and I promised him not to discover him.

Witness my hand the day and year above written.

JOHANNIS SNYDER.

GENERAL WASHINGTON TO GENERAL SCHUYLER.

Cambridge, January 27, 1776.

DEAR SIR: Your favour of the 22d instant, enclosing Colonel Arnold's letter of the 2d, explained the doubt we were in, respecting his detachment, is received. Happy would it have been for our cause, if that party could have got out of the city of Quebeck, as I am much afraid, from the complexion of the letters from that place, that there is little hope of Arnold's continuing the blockade without assistance from Wooster, which he is determined not to give, whether with propriety or not, I shall not, at this distance, undertake to decide.

The sad reverse of our affairs, in that quarter, calls loudly for every exertion in your power to restore them to the promising aspect they so lately wore. For this reason, notwithstanding you think the necessity of troops from hence is, in some measure, superseded, I will not countermand the order and appointment of officers which are gone forth from this Government, Connecticut and New-Hampshire, for raising a regiment each, till Congress, (who are informed of it,) shall have decided upon the measure. I consider that the important period is now arrived, when the Canadians, and, consequently, their Indians, must take their side. Should any indecisive operations of ours, therefore, give the bias against us, it is much easier to foresee than to rectify the dreadful consequences which must inevitably follow from it. I consider, also, that the reinforcement under the command of Colonel Warner, and such other spirited men as have left the western parts of the New-England Governments, is only temporary, and may fail when most wanted; as we find it next to impossible to detain men (not fast bound) in service after they