another relapse. I sincerely wish that may be the case.

On considering the whole of the intelligence from Boston, I am of opinion General Howe has been playing off manœ uvres to divert General Washington from taking full possession of the grounds of Dorchester; yet, by the last accounts, General Howe has proceeded too far in his embarkations to leave us room to think it is all a feint. That General Washington is of this opinion, I can have no longer a doubt, as he is himself preparing soon to be at this place. Some part of his Army is on the way hither; the destination of the remainder must depend on circumstances. Brigadier-General Thompson is this afternoon arrived from Philadelphia, and, of course, has the command here.

I am, my dear General, your very affectionate and most obedient, humble servant,

STIRLING.

To Major-General Schuyler.

LORD STIRLING TO GENERAL WASHINGTON.

New-York, March 20, 1776.

MY DEAR GENERAL: I received your letter, by express, of the 14th, and your letter of the same date to General Lee, which I opened and forwarded agreeable to the directions he left me. I am happy to find that the aid I called in from New-Jersey and Connecticut exactly concords with your sentiments. The two Regiments of Connecticut are now here, consisting of about five hundred rank and file each; they are impatient to go home, as many of them are farmers, who want to mark out their summer’s work. The time of their engagement with General Lee ends next Monday. I have used my best endeavours to prevail on them to stay till their places are supplied from that quarter; but it is still doubtful whether they will consent to it. Of this I have apprized Governour Trumbull, and have requested him to supply their places, and to make the whole two thousand from that Colony. From New-Jersey I have requested one thousand men; about two hundred of them are come in. About one thousand men are ordered from the northern Counties of this Province; none of them have yet arrived. We have now in this place and on Long-Island about two thousand five hundred men, including the above two Connecticut Regiments. The Militia in town amount to about as many more. Near one-half of the whole are on fatigue every day, carrying into execution the plan of defence formed by General Lee. They go on with great spirit and industry.

The Congress have ordered eight thousand men for the defence of this City and Province. The corps to make up this number are, four regiments from Pennsylvania; one from New-Jersey, and four of this Province; none of which have yet arrived; and most of them are incomplete, and unfit to march, especially the latter, of which not above two hundred are yet in town; and some of them I find are to be employed on Hudson’s River, and the northern parts of this Province. From this state of the matter, you will see that, if the Ministerial Troops leave Boston and move this way, how necessary it will be to detach a large part of your Army to this place; which, undoubtedly, is the most important object in North America. On receiving your last letter, I had determined to detain at this place the eleven tons of powder designed for your camp; but, lest the manœ uvres at Boston should prove a feint, I have ordered five tons of it to proceed to-morrow morning. The rest will follow according to the intelligence we receive.

Ten o’clock, P. M.—Brigadier-General Thompson has arrived here this day, and, of course, takes the command. My utmost industry will be exerted to assist him in it.

My most sincere and best wishes attend you; and have the honour to be, my dear General, your most obedient, humble servant,

STIRLING.

To His Excellency General Washington.

MAJOR DOUGLASS TO NEW-YORK COMMITTEE OF SAFETY.

Brooklyn, March 20, 1776.

SIR: I this moment am honoured with yours of the 18th instant, and at present observe the contents. It appears, by Major-General Schuyler’s letter, that the honourable the Continental Congress have honoured me with the command of the lakes, and that Captain Wynkoop should be employed under me. I am now upon furlough by Major-General Schuyler, which directs me to wait until I receive orders from the Congress or from the General respecting my destination. I told Captain Wynkoop what I now tell you, that, whenever I should receive orders from the Congress or the General, I was willing to comply, if my health would permit; and as Captain Wynkoop is desired by the General to get his men and go up, I beg you would assist and forward him, and, if I am not called upon, shall endeavour to serve my country in some station of as much importance as to command the lakes.

I hope you will excuse my not answering your letter before now, as it was not handed to me, but to a soldier, who laid it on my table with other papers, and did not acquaint me of it; and it was by mere accident that I found it this evening.

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

WILLIAM DOUGLASS.

To Joseph Hallett, Esq., Chairman of the Committee of Safety, New-York.

JAMES BOYD TO NEW-YORK COMMITTEE OF SAFETY.

Staten-Island, March 20, 1776.

GENTLEMEN: I have been informed there is a complaint lodged against me in your House, the particulars of which I have not been informed; but understand that it is dropping expressions injurious to the country, and in favour of Ministerial tyranny. You must know gentlemen, that this is the country that gave me birth, and for which I hope ever shall have the tenderest and most feeling regard; the country for whose liberty I would step forward with as much cheerfulness as any gentleman that has entered complaint to your honourable body; the country which I always intended to risk my life in defence of her just rights, for which reason I last week went to New-York, in order to see Messrs. Lawrence and Bancker, and offer myself for a commission in the Continental service. At the time when the people belonging to one of his Majesty’s transports, then lying at the watering place, came on shore to plunder the inhabitants of this island, I shouldered my firelock, and, with the foremost, marched to oppose them. Such, gentlemen, has been my conduct; which is, in my opinion, nowise inimical to the cause of America. For the sincerity of my intentions, and the truth here offered to you, gentlemen, I appeal to Mr. Lawrence, who has been intimately acquainted with my conduct, and a great deal of my conversation, since the present unhappy contest began.

Gentlemen, I shall esteem it a particular favour if you would, by letter, acquaint me with the particulars of the crime alleged against me, that I may be the better enabled to vindicate myself against the aspersions thrown out against me.

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

JOHN JAMES BOYD.

To the Committee of Safety of the City of New-York.

WILLIAM POWELL TO NEW-YOKK COMMITTEE OF SAFETY.

New-York, March 20, 1776.

SIR: Having a permit from the Committee of this city to sail in ballast for St. Croix, and as I am under a St. Christopher’s register, and going out with a West-India family, my friends inform me I may probably get a permit, under those circumstances, to sail by the men-of-war; and would request of you to obtain leave from your honourable House for me to go on board of the men-of-war to solicit it. *

Which will much oblige, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,

WILLIAM POWELL.

To the Chairman of the Honourable Provincial Congress of New-York.

To the Honourable the Committee of Safety of the Colony of NEW-YORK.

The Memorial of SAMUEL LOUDON, of the City of NEW-YORK, Printer, showeth:

That some weeks ago a manuscript, composed by a gentleman at some considerable distance, and sent in order to be printed here, in answer to the celebrated pamphlet entitled Common Sense, was put into my hands by a gentleman of this city, who desired me to print it. As a publication

[Endorsed—“MARCH 20, 1776. A Letter from W. Powell. He desires to go to Captain Parker s ship. Refused.” ]