Wallace the sum of six thousand pounds of them, as mentioned in the order to him of this date.

We are, &c.

To William Hindman, Esq., Treasurer of Eastern-Shore.

ALEXANDER WILCOX TO NEW-YORK COMMITTEE OF SAFETY.

In Committee of Safety, Philadelphia, March 18, 1776.

GENTLEMEN: The naval armament that is preparing for the defence of this Province requiring a considerable number of seamen, (more than can be raised in this city,) this Committee has thought it advisable to send Captain Charles Alexander and Lieutenant John Humphrey, (two of the officers of our armed boats,) to recruit a number of seamen for the naval service of this Province. The Committee has been induced to take this measure in consequence of information it has received, that there are now a great many sailors in the City of New-York destitute of any employment, by reason of the entire stop put to trade by the last act of Parliament; and that there is danger that they may enter on board the men-of-war, if means are not taken to engage them in the service of the Colonies. This Committee begs leave to recommend to your countenance the above-mentioned gentlemen, and trust you will give them any assistance that may be necessary to enable them to execute the business intrusted to them.

Gentlemen, your humble servants,

By order of the Committee:

ALEXANDER WILCOX, Chairman.

To the Committee of Safety for the Province of New-York.

ELISHA BOUDINOT TO LORD STIRLING.

Newark, New-Jersey, March 18, 1776.

MR LORD: The bearer hereof, (Captain Wheeler,) with his company, waits On your Lordship, agreeable to your request, and begs the favour that you would review them before they go to their quarters, if possible. If they could be put upon duty by themselves, that their works might appear, it would raise their emulation to merit your Lordship’s approbation; and you would soon see the good effects of it,

I have the honour to be, my Lord, your Lordship’s most obedient, humble servant,

ELISRA BOUMNOT.

To Lord Stirling, New-York.

WILLIAM BURNET TO LORD STIRLING.

Committee-Chamber, Newark, March 18, 1776.

MY LORD: Though the Committee are sensible that the common cause is deeply interested in putting the city of New-York in a state of defence, yet, in case the King’s troops arrive, if they do not make a general landing in this Province, it is more than probable they will at least make incursions into it, especially if they meet with opposition at New-York. We need not mention to you, my Lord, the present very defenceless state of this Province, nor that every man sent to you from our Militia will render it more so; and if the harbour of New-York and the Sounds be under command of the ships-of-war expected with the troops, the return of our Militia will be impracticable, or attended with such delay that the mischief may be done here before we can receive their assistance. These considerations have prevented us the pleasure of sending you the full complement of men you requested from this County. We have, however, this day, in addition to the one hundred and fifty already sent, ordered Captain Wheeler, who waits on your Lordship with this, to march with his company to New-York, there to attend to your commands for one week, and no longer. The above reasons have weighed with us in giving him these restrictive orders.

As it will not be so injurious to the defence of this Province to send men from Morris, Sussex, Somerset, and Hun-terdon, as from the frontier Counties; if your Lordship should think a larger number of men requisite to be employed in the fortifications, it is submitted to your consideration, whether it would not be most expedient warmly to solicit the aid of the back Counties above-mentioned.

By order of the Committee of the County of Essex:

WILLIAM BURNET, Chairman.

LORD STIRLING TO BERGEN COUNTY (NEW-JERSEY) COMMITTEE.

New-York, March 18, 1776.

SIR: The alarming intelligence received from General Washington, of the preparations of the Ministerial Army at Boston to embark for this place, induced me to call in some of the Militia of this and the neighbouring Colonies to our assistance. This measure has since been approved of by the Continental Congress, who have agreed that all such shall receive the pay of the Continental Troops in the Middle Department. I have not as yet called on the County of Bergen, to send any of their Militia to this place, because I had another employment in view for them in their own County. The first is, to make a thoroughly good and broad road from Brown’s Ferry to Paulus-Hook Ferry, which is become of very great importance to this place, as it is the only communication between the western and southwestern parts of New-Jersey and this place. Another work is, to make good the road through Bergen Wood, from Wee-hawk to Hackensack Ferry. I think there ought to be two hundred men employed at the first work, and one hundred on the latter; and I hope you will order the best men to turn out for this purpose. There must not be more commissioned officers than the proportion of four to the hundred, and one Field-Officer to oversee the whole. They are to take their arms and accoutrements, and working tools, with them, and are at night to mount an officer’s guard at Bergen town. The road from Brawn’s Ferry should be laid out as nearly as possible according to the last act of Assembly. When I am informed of the men being ready to go to work, I will order a proper person to attend at Bergen town to muster them, and to point out how the work is to be done.

STIRLING.

To the Committee for the County of Bergen.

LORD STIRLING TO ESSEX COUNTY (NEW-JERSEY) COMMITTEE.

New-York, March 18, 1776.

SIR: I have received your letter of this date, by Captain Wheeler, and am much obliged to you for making the addition of his company to the one hundred and fifty before ordered from your County to the assistance of this place. I can now inform you that I have the authority of Congress to allow them Continental pay, while in the service. You may be assured the safety of New-Jersey shall be the object of my attention, as much as this place, and that I conceive them so closely connected that they must be looked upon as parts of one whole concern. I have already determined in my own mind on some works of fortification, which I think will cover every approach to that Province, by the way of the Kills or Staten-Island, and on some means of securing the communication between this city and New-Jersey, in spite of the utmost efforts of the enemy. This plan will be communicated to you in a day or two, and I should be glad that you wilI appoint a sub-Committee to be ready to meet me, or some officers I shall send, to explain my designs to you, and to engage the people of Elizabethtown to carry them into execution, which, according to my plan, they will be able to do with two or three hundred men in a few days. Some intrenching tools will be necessary, and it will be proper to have them collected as soon as possible at Newark or Elizabethtown.

Lieutenant-Colonel Ward came here with the First Company from your County; since that, Lieutenant-Colonel Cadmus and Major Ludlow are come with the Second Company. There seems to be a competition and uneasiness, which of the Field-Officers of Essex is to command these detachments. I have told them that as Lieutenant-Colonel Ward came first, he was of course in the command, and that I should not alter it until the Committee of the County should determine otherwise. With this they seem to be perfectly satisfied. I must, therefore, request that the Committee of the County of Essex will determine this very important point.

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

STIRLING,

To the Chairman of the Committee for the County of Essex.