honourable Committee, whether the command shall be complied with or not.

To the Honourable the Committee of Safety for the Colony of New-York.

Mercury, February 5, 1776.

SIR: Please to supply His Majesty's ship Mercury, with the following Provisions, to complete her to three months, viz: Two thousand pounds bread; two hundred gallons spirits; two thousand pounds flour; two hundred pounds butter; four hundred pounds cheese; eleven bushels peas; eleven bushels oatmeal.

The above to be sent on board as soon as possible.

From, sir, your most obedient servant,

JOHN HERRING.

In Committee of Safety, New-York, February 6, 1776.

Abraham Lott, Esq., attended, and informed the Committee that the Purser of His Majesty's ship Mercury, had sent to him (as Agent-Victualler of His Majesty's ships in this port) a list of sundry Provisions required for the said ship Mercury, and Mr. Lott desired to know whether he be at liberty to supply the said ship Mercury, with Provisions:

Ordered, That Mr. Lott be informed that it is the sense of this Committee that he ought not to supply the said ship Mercury with Provisions.

WILLIAM A. FORBES TO NEW-YORK COMMITTEE OF SAFETY.

New-York, February 6, 1776.

GENTLEMEN: Your petitioner having understood that several battalions are to be raised, in defence of our inestimable rights and liberties, and being duly sensible of the justness of the cause in which we are all embarked, humbly begs leave to offer himself to serve in one of said battalions. He flatters himself his conduct hitherto, as an officer, will recommend him to the honourable Board, and boasts he could fill the commission of a captaincy, with that truly patriotick spirit becoming an American soldier.

Your petitioner, therefore, humbly prays the honourable gentlemen will take it in their serious consideration, and remains, with the utmost respect, gentlemen, your very humble servant,

WILLIAM ALEXANDER FORBES.

To the Honourable Provincial Congress.

LORD GEORGE GERMAINE TO MAJOR-GENERAL HOWE.

Whitehall, February 7, 1776.

SIR: Since my letter to you of the 1st instant, I have received your despatches of the 19th and 26th of December, by which I had the satisfaction to find that four victualling ships from England were arrived at Boston, and I have just now learned by a note from Mr. Robinson to Mr. Pownall, that there is advice of two others having got in.

This seasonable relief to the Army under your command is of great importance, at the same time the King very much approves the measures you have taken for procuring a supply of provisions from St. Eustatia, and of rice from the Colony of Georgia.

His Majesty observes, that you have very properly declined sending the remainder of the Sixty-Fifth Regiment to Halifax upon the advice you had received of the Twenty-Seventh being arrived there; this arrangement, however, does not make any alteration with regard to His Majesty's intention that the commissioned and non-commissioned officers and invalids should be sent to Great Britain, but you will consider yourself at liberty to incorporate the private men of that regiment fit for service, either into the Twenty-Seventh Regiment, or any other corps that you shall think proper. I am, &c.,

GEORGE GERMAINE.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER TO A GENTLEMAN IN PHILADELPHIA, DATED CHARLESTOWN, SOUTH-CAROLINA, FEBRUARY 7, 1776.

The troubles in the back parts are entirely subsided. Their ringleaders, with about one hundred and thirty others, were taken. All to about twenty have been dismissed, and sent safe to their own houses, being convinced of their mistake, and well satisfied with the treatment they received when taken. They had been persuaded to take up arms to preserve their lives and properties, which they heard had been sold to the Indians, who were to butcher them all on a fixed day, when the Liberty People, (as they call them,) were to go into forts, and leave them open and defenceless to the enemy, to be destroyed entirely. Some, villains swore before a magistrate, that powder had been sent to the Indians for this diabolical purpose. Upon this they collected a second and third time, but were attacked by Colonels Richardson and Thompson at the break of day, after a forced march of twenty-five miles in the night, surprised and taken.

About thirty of the prisoners work at a battery six miles from town, on Sullivan's Island, at the mouth of the harbour. I did myself the honour of going down as a volunteer with the detachment. Here I got acquainted with several of the insurgents, who were plain, honest, sensible fellows; and as I assumed no character above a digger or spadesman, in which, without vanity, I excelled the whole corps, they looked upon me as their brother, and heard me gladly. I gave them a full and proper account of every thing concerning the ground of the war. This, with three or four gallons of rum, was of infinite service to our cause.

The reason of deferring the battery on Sullivan's Island was the Tatnar and Cherokee, sloops-of-war, lay close alongside of this Island, which was made a den for runaway slaves, who were encouraged and protected by the people belonging to the ships. The departure of them, occasioned by want of provisions, which we refused to supply them with, the moment we had it in our power to prevent them from plundering, gave us an opportunity of fortifying the Island. I went twice down, and worked the first time three, and the second two days, the only volunteer. The ships were but a few days gone, when three others sent from England, appeared off our bar, the Syren, of twenty-eight, Raven, of twenty guns, and a transport. They several times attempted coming in, but the wind for three or four days prevented them. One of our pilot boats fired upon their barge, which was several times returned without damage. They at last sailed for Georgia, where they and the other men-of-war are now striving to procure provisions, after which we expect a visit from them, and are pretty well prepared. We have above one hundred heavy cannon mounted for the defence of the town and harbour, and the Militia from all parts are marching into town.

Upon the return of the Georgia Delegates, the Sons of Liberty assembled, unrigged all the vessels that were ready to sail for England, set up a Liberty Pole, seized upon the persons of the Governour and Council, and sent to us for two hundred men. Some Tories there are striving to bring on an Indian war, and recruiting for Government in the back parts of that Province.

The town is surrounded with seven batteries, two on James's Island, viz: Fort Johnston of twenty, and a new one of eleven guns; and two on Sullivan's Island, one of twelve, and another of four guns; so that we can rake the whole harbour from the bar. But I suppose this is nothing to what your Council of Safety has done for the defence of Philadelphia, which is so easily defended on account of the length of your river. You must be impregnable by this time. You are happy, my dear friend, in not being exposed to the more than diabolical machinations of Government tools, and the dread of insurrections from your Slaves. Hell would be ashamed of such mean and more than brutal attempts to destroy us, and the Devil would blush at the impudence of the man who would have the effrontery to recommend a reunion with so barbarous a Government.

WILLIAM SPEAR TO DANIEL OF ST. THOMAS JENIFER.

Baltimore, February 7, 1776.

SIR: Enclosed you have invoice of the osnaburghs you directed me to keep for you, which I have ready to deliver to your order. By the enclosed account, it appears there is a balance in my favour of one hundred and sixty-eight pounds, twelve shillings and two pence, which sum please to give the bearer, Mr. Cummings, an order on the Treasurer for, and oblige, sir, your obedient, humble servant,

WILLIAM SPEAR.

To the Honourable Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer.