SAMUEL PURVIANCE TO CAPTAIN PHILLIPS.

Baltimore, April 5, 1776.

SIR: You will please to purchase whatever turpentine may be necessary for the use of the gun-carriages now pre­paring; and in case any person who has it refuses to sell it to you, you must take it, and the price thereof shall be allowed by the Committee for the use of the publick.

SAMUEL PURVIANCE, JUN., Chairman.

To Captain James Phillips.

MARYLAND COUNCIL OF SAFETY TO CAPTAINS KENT AND HENRY.

GENTLEMEN: Your Minute Companies are to be paid off agreeable to the enclosed list. We are, &c.

To Captains Kent and Henry.

MARYLAND COUNCIL OF SAFETY TO WILLIAM HINDMAN.

SIR: We request you will keep the enclosed letter until Captains Kent and Henry apply or send for it. We are, &c.

To William Hindman, Esq.

MARYLAND COUNCIL OF SAFETY TO DELEGATES IN CONGRESS.

GENTLEMEN: We have your favours of the 26th of March, and the 2d of this month, and are pleased with the assurances Messrs.Willing & Morris give us, that we may shortly expect the powder they agreed to supply us with. Those gentlemen should recollect that our money was advanced in confidence that their contract would long ago have been fully complied with. We shall be much obliged if you will let us know the exact number of the chests of arms that were sent us by them. As we are not in immediate want, we would not have you borrow the ton of powder yon mention of the Congress; but as we fear we shall be in great want of duck for our tents, could the Congress spare us any of the light kind, and fit for making tents, we would willingly take it in exchange for part of that belonging to us, which you disposed of to them. Mr. Duvall has appointed Mr. Gerrard Hopkins, of Baltimore town, to act as his deputy, who will take care of whatever is sent to that place for the use of the publick.

We shall communicate to the gentlemen of the Conven­tion, when they meet, your sentiments on the expediency of an adjournment; and shall have the affidavits made out you desire for ascertaining the time Hudson’s ship was in posses­sion of the tenders. She left Patapsco River ten or twelve days ago, and, as we have heard nothing of her since, hope she is out of the bay by this time. We are, &c.

To the Deputies of Maryland, in Congress.

P. S. Saturday morning, April 6.—We are sorry to in­form you that we have this instant received intelligence that Hudson’s ship was taken last Wednesday morning, by two tenders belonging to the Otter. We are apprehensive that we have likewise lost one of our Provincial vessels.

HENRY FISHER TO PENNSYLVANIA COMMITTEE OF SAFETY.

Lewestown, April 5, 1776.

GENTLEMEN: Last night, at ten o’clock, I received your letter, dated April 3, per express, with a letter from Cap­tain Faulkner, with a signal for Captain Barry, which I shall take great care shall be answered. We have had a guard of thirty men at the Light-House, to protect the sig­nal. Captain Watkins has been sent on shore this morning in a small boat, with four other men, by whom I learn that they have got a pilot (James Jones;) and, from all that I can collect, as soon as their fleet arrives, they design up your river. We have this morning sent off Lieutenant Ball to Dover; and I desire that you would send down for him, and have him secured, as he is very active on board, and, being here so long, he has got more intelligence than I could wish. The ship is now coming to sail, and, from all appearances, is going out on a cruise, as she has done several times. Pray send me some powder for signal guns, at the false Cape, to alarm your vessels standing in, as we keep up a guard there night and day, of twenty-four men, some of whom are pilots.

I am, with clue respect, your humble servant,

HENRY FISHER.

To the Committee of Safety, at Philadelphia.

CAPTAIN BRICE (A PRISONER) TO THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS.

New-Brunswick, New-Jersey, April 5, 1776.

GENTLEMEN: The following is a state of my case and situation, which I beg leave to lay before you. At the giving up of Fort Chambly, (and some time before it,) I was in such bad health, which rendered me incapable of crossing the lake; on my disorder continuing, I applied to General Montgomery for leave to winter in Canada, which he rea­dily complied with. I fixed on Montreal, being a place most likely to get advice. I remained the winter, until the 7th of last month, when all the prisoners were ordered off. At my arrival at Albany, I applied to General Schuyler for leave to go to Philadelphia; he told me, on my coming to Brunswick the Committee there would let me and every officer go to whatever place we chose. On my acquainting the Committee with what the General said, their answer was, that they had no such authority from Congress, under whom they were to act; the consequence of which is, I am here stopped until the pleasure of the Congress is known. Therefore, beg leave to assure you, it is from no other motive whatever my requesting your leave to go to Philadelphia, but entirely for the advice of an able physician, as my com­plaints still remain with me. Having had so great an account from Colonel Zedtwitz, of Doctor Kuhn’s knowledge, I humbly beg leave to solicit your permission in letting me go to Philadelphia. If I am so happy as to obtain it, after getting the Doctor’s advice and instruction, and you think it necessary to move me, I shall cheerfully submit.

I have the honour to be, gentlemen, your most obedient and most humble servant,

ARTHUR HILL BRICE, Captain of Seventh Reg’t Foot, or Royal Fusileers.

To the Honourable the Continental Congress.

GENERAL ORDERS.

Head-Quarters, New-York, April 5, 1776.

The Soldiers are strictly enjoined to retire to their Bar­racks and Quarters at tattoo beating, and remain there until the reveille is beat.

Necessity obliges the General to desire the inhabitants of the city to observe the same rule, as no person will be per­mitted to pass any sentry after this night, without the coun­tersign. The inhabitants, where business requires it, may know the countersign, by applying to any of the Brigade Majors.

Head-Quarters, New-York, April 8, 1776.

The General informs the inhabitants, that it is become absolutely necessary that all communication between the Ministerial fleet and shore should immediately be stopped; for that purpose has given positive orders the ships should no longer be furnished with provisions. Any inhabitant or others, who shall be taken, that have been on board (after the publishing of this order) or near any of the ships, or going on board, will be considered as enemies, and treated accordingly.

All boats are to sail from Beekman’s Slip. Captain James Alner is appointed Inspector, and will give permits for oystermen. It is expected, and ordered that none at­tempt going without a pass.

ISRAEL PUTNAM, Major-General in the Continental Army, and Com-mander-in-Chief of the Forces in New-York.

JEREMIAH CLARK TO NEW-YORK COMMITTEE OF SAFETY.

Orange County, April 5, 1776.

MR. CHAIRMAN, SIR: By certain gentlemen that lately left New-York, I am informed that the four battalions to be raised for the defence of this Colony, are not yet full; and although the Counties of Ulster and Orange have raised their full allotment of men, yet there seem to be numbers that are