GENERAL WASHINGTON TO GENERAL SCHUYLER.

New-York, April 15, 1776.

DEAR SIR: Previous to the receipt of your favour of the 7th instant, I had been directed by the honourable Congress to detach four regiments to Quebeck, if they could be spared from the service here. I am very sensible of the great necessity of sending a respectable body of troops immediately into that country, and have accordingly ordered four of the strongest regiments to hold themselves in readiness, and am providing vessels to transport them to Albany. You may depend they shall be forwarded with all possible despatch. In the mean time, I beg you would make the necessary preparations for their subsistence. There will be about two thousand men, exclusive of officers, in the four regiments.

I beg you will forward the enclosed letter to General Thomas; and am, very respectfully, dear sir, your most obedient servant,

GEORGE WASHINGTON.

To Major-General Schuyler, Northern Department.

GENERAL WASHINGTON TO GENERAL THOMAS.

New-York, April 15, 1776.

DEAR SIR: I am to acknowledge the receipt of your favour of the 7th instant, and cannot but express my concern at the great deficiency of the regiments destined for Canada; but as I am sensible of the necessity of having a respectable body of troops in that country, I am now preparing to send you four of the strongest regiments in the service; and you may rely upon it no time shall be lost in getting them forward as fast as possible. They will amount to about two thousand rank and file, and will go to Albany by water.

I have written to General Schuyler by this opportunity, and desired him to make the necessary preparations for their subsistence, and doubt not he will speedily despatch them to you.

I most sincerely wish you success equal to the importance of the cause; and am, very respectfully, sir, your most obedient servant,

GEORGE WASHINGTON.

To Major-General John Thomas, Albany.

GENERAL WASHINGTON TO JOSEPH REED.

New-York, April 15, 1776.

MY DEAR SIR: Your favour of the 13th was this instant put into my hands, scarcely in time to acknowledge the receipt of it by this post, and to thank you for your great care and attention in providing my camp equipage.

I am exceedingly concerned to hear of the divisions and parties which prevail with you, and in the Southern Colonies, on the score of independence. These are the shelves we have to avoid, or our barque will split and tumble to pieces. Here lies our great danger, and I almost tremble when I think of this rock. Nothing but disunion can hurt our cause. This will ruin it, if great prudence, temper, and moderation, are not mixed in our councils, and made the governing principles of the contending parties.

When, my good sir, will you be with me? I fear I shall have a difficult card to play in this Government, and could wish for your assistance and advice to manage it. I have not time to add more, except that, with great sincerity and truth, I am, dear sir, your most obedient and affectionate humble servant,

GEORGE WASHINGTON.

To Joseph Reed, Esq.

GENERAL WASHINGTON TO JOHN ADAMS.

New-York, April 15, 1776.

SIR: This morning your polite letter of the 1st instant was delivered to me by Mr. Dana. I am much obliged to you for your introduction of that gentleman, and you may rely on my showing him every civility in my power.

I have ever thought, and am still of opinion, that no terms of accommodation will be offered by the British Ministry but such as cannot be accepted by America. We have nothing, my dear sir, to depend upon but the protection of a kind Providence, and unanimity among ourselves.

I am impressed with the deepest gratitude for the high honour intended me by Congress. Whatever device may be determined upon by the respectable Committee they have chosen for that purpose, will be highly agreeable to me.

I have the honour to be, most respectfully, sir, your obedient and affectionate humble servant,

GEORGE WASHINGTON.

To the Honourable John Adams, in Congress.

WILLIAM ALLISON TO NEW-YORK COMMITTEE OF SAFETY.

Goshen, April 15, 1776.

GENTLEMEN: In obedience to a letter and resolve of Congress, of the 4th of March last, I have enclosed to you a state of my regiment, and lament that I was not able to do it sooner, and that they are not better equipped; but as necessity covers many wants, I hope the Committee will impute the latter to that, and the impossibility of obtaining some of the necessary articles, rather than their want of zeal for the cause.

I have not the least reason to doubt the willingness of my officers and soldiers to march on the shortest notice, but am sorry to inform you that the regiment seems to have a general aversion to the Minute service; that a great deal of pains has been taken by my Captains to turn out their proportion of Minute-men, by voluntary inlistments, but to no purpose, and to draft, gentlemen, must be an arduous task to an officer while a general reluctance prevails among the people; have therefore omitted it at the present, and if it must be done, I hope the Committee will favour me with a line to that purpose.

You will pardon the digression, gentlemen, in my saying that I am much afraid the good end the honourable the Continental Congress had in view, will never be well answered in the Minute-men. If they go on in general throughout the Confederated Colonies as they have ever done in this part of Orange County, I think I dare, without the spirit of prophecy, say we must not lay any great stress on what they will do for us in the present contest. All which is humbly submitted.

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

WILLIAM ALLISON.

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

A state of the First Regiment of Foot, in GOSHEN Precinct, ORANGE County, as to Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers, and Privates, Arms, Accoutrements, Ammunition, &c.; made out this 15 th day of APRIL, 1776:

Colonels, William Allison and Benjamin Justin, Jun.; Majors, Moses Hatfield and John Decker; Adjutant, John Wood; Quartermaster, James Sawyer.

I do hereby certify the above to be as true a state of my Regiment as I have been able to ascertain.

WILLIAM ALLISON.

JOHANNES HARDENBURGH TO NEW-YORK COMMITTEE OF SAFETY.

Rosendall, Ulster County, April 15, 1776.

GENTLEMEN: Your letter, dated the 1st of April instant, I received the 13th, and did immediately make inquiry what progress the recruiting officers had made in raising their men; and was informed by some of the officers, that two of the companies raised in Ulster County were completed and ordered to the fortifications in the Highlands; the other