this reaches you, that the Rebels of Tryon County will be quelled, and their good arras put to a better use.

Accept of my best wishes for your health, success, and happiness, and believe me, respectfully, your most obedient and very humble servant,

DAVID WOOSTER.

To General Schuyler.

Montreal, February 11, 1776.

SIR: Your letter of the 26th ultimo I have received, in answer to which, give me leave to observe to you, that I also claim a right to be treated with the respect due to me as a gentleman and an officer intrusted with a command from the honourable the Representatives of Thirteen Colonies. Why, sir, are these positive mandates? Have I ever disputed your orders? Since I have been in the Army I have exerted every faculty to promote a union among the officers, and have carefully avoided every thing that might have the least tendency to cause jealousies; in short, sir, I have steadily and invariably pursued those measures that appeared to me conducive to the true interest of our country. How ungenerous, therefore, is it that an advantage should be taken of my conciliatory disposition. Yet, you will pardon me if I misjudge. I cannot account for your imperious conduct towards me upon any other principle. You will remember your letter to me while I was at St. John's, founded in falsehood, and which you could have no motive for writing but to insult me. I thought it, at that time, not worth answering, and shall, at present, take no further notice of it. I shall, however, send a copy of it to Congress, and of your last letter, together with copies of my own, except the one which you observe was wrote with unbecoming subacity; that is somehow mislaid, and I shall be obliged to you if you will forward it. I can remember nothing in it either disrespectful or subacity, and being confident nothing of that nature was intended, I presume the Congress will find that it is not expressed. As you have already complained to the honourable the Congress, I thought it my duty to show them what has passed between us, and they will judge which of us has the greatest reason "to complain of ill treatment. For the present, let the, matter rest, they will doubtless do justice. This is no lime to altercate; the whole of our time is little enough to attend to the operations absolutely necessary for the defence of our country.

You will give me leave to inform you that the commanding officer who is with the Army is to give out orders, and is the only competent judge of what is proper, and what not, for the internal regulation of the Army, and for the immediate safety of this country.

Since the death of the worthy and brave General Montgomery (with whom I had the happiness to serve in the strictest harmony and friendship, and who ever treated me like a gentleman) the command devolves upon me, and I shall give out such orders as appear to me necessary for the publick good, and shall send out of the country all prisoners and such persons as may be thought dangerous to our cause, as soon as it can be done with convenience. The returns of the Army shall be made out and transmitted to you, I shall also take care that your orders to General Montgomery are executed as far as is possible, and shall do every thing in my power to carry into execution every resolve of the Congress.

Mr. Jordan has accepted the bill for five hundred dollars. When it is paid, I shall credit the publick. I mentioned to you, in a former letter, that I thought it very necessary that an Artillery company, as well as artillery stores, &c, should be sent into this country. Should be glad to hear whether they can be spared from the Colonies or not, and what assistance of that nature we may expect.

I shall send a copy of this letter to Congress, and, shall also enclose with this a copy of my letter to Congress; if there are any misrepresentations, you will have an opportunity to correct them.

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

DAVID WOOSTER.

To General Schuyler.

P. S. I will just observe further, that I think it would have been much more generous in you, to have pointed out to me the exceptionable part of my letters, before you complained to Congress.

Ticonderoga, October 23, 1775.

SIR: Being well informed that you have declared, on your way to this place, that if you were at St John's, you would march into the Fort, at the head of your regiment, and as it is just that you should have an opportunity of showing your prowess and that of your regiment, I have desired General Montgomery to give you leave to make the attempt, if you choose. I do not wish, however, that you should be too lavish of your men's lives, unless you have a prospect of gaining the Fortress.

I am, sir, your most humble servant,

PHILIP SCHUYLER.

To General Wooster.

RUFUS PUTNAM TO GENERAL WASHINGTON.

Roxbury Camp, February 11, 1776.

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY: You have enclosed a chart of some of the most important posts and rising ground in and near Boston, which is as exact as I am able to make from the little leisure I have had to take surveys of them. By this draft, it appears, that the enemy's works on the Neck is nearer the Causeway going to Dorchester-Point than Bunker Hill is to the covered way going on to Lechmere's Point. Therefore, if a covered way was necessary m that case, To will be in this. Should your Excellency think proper to order works thrown up on any part of the Point, how this covered way will be made is a question. To procure upland or marsh turf at this season, is, in my opinion absolutely impossible, and nothing short of timber, instead of turf, will answer the purpose. The method I have thought of is two sides or hew the timber on two sides only, raising a single tier on the side of the Cause-way, raising a parapet of stone and earth next the enemy, the timber to be well spliced together, and, if need be, a post with a brace in about fifty feel to support the timber against the stone and earth. I know stone are bad in a parapet, but as they are easily procured from the walls at Dorchester, and I think cannot be driven through the timber by any shot whatever, I would place them at the bottom, and cover the top with earth, which might be procured by openings a pit for that purpose. About two hundred rods is necessary to be made a covered way, which eighty tons of timber to raise one foot, and so in proportion to every foot the parapet is high.

I have been to the swamp I mentioned to your Excellency the other day, find it between twelve and thirteen miles from the lines of Dorchester; there is near one hundred tons already got out, Resides a number of mill-logs; the carting from this place will be twelve shillings per ton. One hundred' tons more may be had on these lands, if the swamp does not break, and, no doubt, but timber may be had in other places. What your Excellency may think of so costly a work I cannot tell, it is the only method I know of, but wish a better way may be found out. I hope your Excellency will pardon my officiousness in suggesting, that I think this work-may be carried on with safety to the people employed, and to the cause in general, as the enemy cannot take possession of Dorchester-Hill at present. Can we, by any means, raise a covered way in this frozen season, it will be of no small consequence in taking possession of this ground in a favourable hour. The people who have been employed by Mr. Davis in getting the timber out of the swamp, will get no more unless your Excellency gives orders for it.

I remain, your Excellency's most obedient, humble servant,

RUFUS PUTNAM.

To General Washington.

MEMORIAL WEST-NDIA PLANTERS AND MERCHANTS, PRESENTED TO LORD GEORGE GERMAINE.

February 12, 1776.

Your memorialists, in consequence of your Lordships' Inclination, publickly declared, to assist and relieve the Sugar Colonies, your memorialists held a general meeting on the 22d of December last, and another on the 7th instant, the result whereof has been to lay the following propositions before your Lordships.

That it is the opinion of your memorialists, that during the continuation of this calamitous war, and the interdic-