I understand they have a number of thirty-two pounders at New-York, and the thirteen-inch, and other mortars, from Ticonderoga, with shells, cannon, shot, carcasses, &c. We have at Quebeck a howitzer, which throws an eight-inch shell. I am informed that one Pelissier, at Three-Rivers, can cast shells and shot of any size, but whether he will be able to do it soon enough, I cannot yet find out.

Will it not be well, in order in some measure to remedy the great difficulty of procuring hard money, to encourage a number of sutlers to bring across the Lakes all kinds of West-India and other liquors, sugar, and other articles, which can be procured in the Colonies, and wanted by the Army, for which they can be paid in paper money? I am confident that rum, wine, sugar, 8sc, can be well transported from Albany here, and sold at a great profit, and yet be much cheaper than what we now give for it. For the same reason, would it not be well to send forward, as quick as possible, a quantity of rum, which is much wanted.

I am, sir, your most obedient servant,

DAVID WOOSTER.

To General Schuyler.

Albany, January 2G, I 776.

SIR: Your letter of the 14th instant, with the papers enclosed, came to hand on the 24th. Copies of all I have sent to Congress; and on that part of your letter which respects the prisoners that I have given leave to return, I have made the following observations to Congress:

"From General Wooster's letter, one would ?ed to imagine that I had sent back vast numbers of dangerous persons. He has before wrote to me on the occasion, with an unbecoming subacity. I, therefore, trouble you with the detail: Sears, whom he mentions, was sent to me; from Connecticut, with a recommendation to me 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 should 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 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 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 least 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 ??? had the precaution to take 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 in 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."

Resolved, sir, to be treated with the respect due to me as a gentleman, and as an officer intrusted with a command by the honourable the Representatives of Thirteen Colonies, it is my positive order that you cause all such persons as have had my permit to return into Canada be called before you, and there confronted with their accusers, that they may have an opportunity to exculpate themselves, if they can, from the charges which are made against them, and, if you find them guilty, then to send them here in close confinement, together with the as davits ascertaining their guilt.

You are hereby ordered immediately to send to this place all prisoners, whether they have my permit, or not together with such persons as may be dangerous to our cause, if suffered to remain in Canada, and who cannot claim a right to remain by some capitulation.

You will also send me a return of the Army in Canada, with the names of the officers belonging to each corps; and you will cause such orders to be executed as I had given in charge to General Montgomery, and transmit the returns I had requested him to send me.

I enclose you certain resolutions of the honourable Continental Congress, which you will carry into execution, as far as you can.

I enclose you a bill on Mr. Jacob Jordan, for five hundred dollars, which you will please to receive, and credit the publick, advising me of its being accepted.

Colonel Warner has sent some men to your relief. I have ordered him to complete the number to seven hundred and twenty-eight. Colonel Fellows, of the Count of Berkshire, in the Massachusetts-Bay, is also raising a regiment, some of which are already inarched. Two regiments are on their way from Pennsylvania and New-Jersey, another is raising in Connecticut. Pray let an exact account be kept of the number of men sent by Colonel Warner, their names, and when they arrived at any post where provisions were issued to them.

I take the liberty to enclose you a letter for Mrs. Harner; her husband has gained the esteem of all the gentle-men in the country where he is quartered, by his prudence and politeness. I beg of you to have it safely conveyed to her, and to afford her your assistance in crossing the Lakes if she should incline to come this Winter.

I am, sir, your most obedient servant,

PHILIP SCHUYLER.

To General Wooster.

Montreal, January 19, 1776.

SIR: Enclosed with this you will receive the names of at number of prisoners who will accompany Colonel Easton across the Lakes, the most of them prisoners of war, but some few of them, such persons as have, by their base, ungenerous conduct, shown themselves to be our bitterest enemies. I, therefore, think it very improper to suffer them to remain in the country. As a specimen of their practices, I enclose you a copy of the affidavits of three very honest, well-disposed soldiers, concerning Mr. De Rouville's conduct. I shall, also, send Sears with them, who, as I wrote you in my last, began to spread stories of a very-bad tendency, immediately upon arriving in the country.

And here suffer me to remark, that at this time I must think that Albany is not so proper a place as some others for the prisoners. I have heard that a number of them remain there, where they have an opportunity of seeing whatever is done by our Army, and of giving their friends in this Province the earliest intelligence.

Major Campbell has behaved himself in a very extraordinary manner, and has thrown out most ungenerous and illiberal invectives against my character. He told Captain Benedict, at Chambly, that I was a damned old scoundrel, and had broke my faith with him, for that he was promised, both by General Montgomery and me, that he might remain in this town through the Winter. Truth is, that General Montgomery, just before he left this town, made out an order for Major Campbell and some other prisoners to leave the town immediately, which order he gave to Major Lockwood to see executed; but, as Major Campbell represented to me that he had some business which would suffer if he was not permitted to remain in town a few days, I permitted it. Soon after, it was difficult to pass the river; of consequence he staid till about a fort-night ago, when I sent him and some other gentlemen to Chambly, for which he was pleased to bestow upon me those illiberal invectives.

I have just received intelligence from our Army before Quebeck; they still keep up the blockade with spirit, yet are greatly distressed for want of men, being alarmed al-most every night, and having so few men, if not assisted in a little time, good as they are, (and men never behaved better,) they must be worn out. I have sent them a reinforcement of a hundred and twenty, who I suppose will arrive there to-morrow, and another party of seventy will set off to-morrow from this place. What they will do at Quebeck, or what any of us can do for want of money, God only knows. Money we must have, or give up every thing. Our friends are drained already. I hope the Paymaster is on the way. All that can be done will be done to procure it, but it is impossible to exist as an Array much longer without it.

I mentioned, in my last, that cannon and mortars might be wanted. Should be glad of your thoughts upon the subject, and to know what quantity of powder can be for-