send one of the members of the Committee of the aforesaid King’s District, and desire that the subject-matter of this Petition may be heard, and the privilege of a batta lion, or part of a battalion, with officers thereto, from the parts before mentioned, be directed to be raised for the Continental service, if wanted, under the direction of such person or persons as your honourable body shall appoint.

And your Petitioners in duty are bound to pray.

Signed by order of the aforesaid Committee and officers, in behalf of themselves and the people aforesaid.

Dated King’s District, Albany County, Province of New-York, the 18th day of April, 1776.

	MAT. ADGATE,	BARET DYER,	}	Committee.
	ASA DOUGLASS,	JOSEPH WOOD,
	ELISHA PRATT,	PETER GARNSEY,
	W. B. WHITING,

Col. 17th Reg. Militia, in the County of ALBANY.

To the Congress.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM FORT GEORGE, DATED APRIL 18, 1776.

I arrived at this place last Tuesday afternoon, and expected to find the lakes open, but am disappointed. Gene ral Thomas left this place yesterday morning, and intended to break his way through; and this day about forty batteaus went off with the same intention, and earned about five hundred men; the residue of the troops here, (about three hundred,) and the cannon, (four thirty-two-pounders, four twenty-four-pounders, four eighteen, and some nine, with eight tons of powder,) go off in the morning. The batteaus which went away this day, we just hear, have got above twelve miles. Colonel St. Clair’s Regiment is at Fort Edward, fourteen miles below this, and are ordered here to-morrow.

This day arrived, with their interpreter, (Mr. Deane,) the Indian Delegates of the seven tribes in Canada, from the Congress of the Six Nations, at Onondaga. I was intro duced to, and had the honour to take them by the hand. Deane says they have resolved to observe a strict neutrality, and have appointed deputies to attend our Indian Commis sioners at Albany, and may be daily expected there.

I write this from the spot where the battle was fought and Dieskau taken prisoner, by Sir William Johnson, and within a quarter of a mile of Fort William Henry, which Montcalm took.

GENERAL LEE TO PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

[Road April 29, 1776.—Referred to Mr. Harrison, Mr. Rutledge, Mr. Goldsborough, Mr. Paine, and Mr. Rodney.]

Williamsburgh, April 19, 1776.

SIR: The disagreeable uncertainty I have been in (from the circumstance of their being able to fly in their ships from one spot to another) of the enemy’s designs, has kept me at Williamsburgh. It is evident that their original intention was against North-Carolina; but the apparently total over throw of their whole scheme by Colonel Caswell’s victory, makes it more probable that they will bend their force to some other quarter; whether to this Province or South-Carolina, it is impossible to divine. I am myself more in clined to think that this will be their object, as the numerous intersecting navigable waters present them such superior advantages; though, at the same time, I confess myself in great pain for South-Carolina.

The force in that Province seems alarmingly small. I wish I could afford to detach from hence at least three battalions; but neither our number of men, the state and con dition of our arms, nor the vast extent of this Province (open to attack) will admit of the thought. If Pennsylvania could spare three or four battalions for the defence of Virginia, Virginia or North-Carolina might detach the same number to South-Carolina; and as the Army which was employed in the blockade of Boston is now set at liberty, I should imagine this force might be afforded us.

We are so extremely deficient in arms that I have been under the necessity of sending an officer into the back parts of the country to purchase all the rifles he can procure, for the Continental service. The arrangement I have made of arming two companies of each battalion with spears, will render muskets and bayonets less necessary; and the ease I find in reconciling the men to this kind of arm, is a flattering symptom of their spirit. The price of these rifles, I am told, will be five pounds each; but as the article of cartouches, accoutrements, and bayonets, will be saved, upon the whole, they will not be more, if so expensive.

The defence and security of the capital rivers, with their creeks, are an object of so great importance that I have thought it necessary to direct as great a number of half galleys as possible to be constructed with the utmost expedition; but as the carpenters and other artificers in this country are so lazy a race of mortals that it is in vain to expect any fruits from their labours, unless there is a coercive power over them, I thought it the surest and safest method to establish, or try to establish, two companies of carpenters, on the same terms with those in the Jerseys. The measure is absolutely necessary, and I flatter myself it will prove economy.

The nature of the service here is such, (the force not being collected into one point, but scattered in fragments.) that a greater number of subordinate staff officers are requisite than in the Northern and Eastern Armies. I have, therefore, taken the liberty, until the pleasure of the Congress is further known, to appoint a few who could not be dispensed with. Enclosed is a list of them.

The Committee of Safety, I find, sir, had not apprized you of their having already raised a company of Artillery, and appointed officers. Captain Innis, who was placed at the head of it, though he professes himself utterly ignorant of this particular branch, is a man of great zeal, capacity, and merit; and as there is a vacant Majority in the Ninth, or Colonel Flemming’s Regiment, I have ventured to appoint him to act in that station, in hopes that the Congress will confirm his commission. A body of horse is a sine qua non in a country circumstanced like this. I take the liberty of enclosing to you an address I published to the young gentlemen of this Colony on the subject, and wish it may meet with your approbation.

I shall make Monsieur Arundel accountable for the sixty dollars; but, at the same time, beg leave to submit to the consideration of the Congress, whether the expenses of his journey should not be allowed. They amount to thirty dollars. Indeed, the pay of the Artillery officers and Engineers is so wretched that I do not see any chance of procuring men fit for the service on the terms; and if they are procured, they cannot possibly subsist, unless the expenses of their frequent journeys are paid, for they are obliged, from the nature of their business, to make more journeys than other officers, and not in corps, but singly. I have been obliged to subsist Baron Hasenback; as likewise to furnish Captain Smith, who is now at York, with money for his expenses.

I am, sir, with the greatest respect, your most obedient, humble servant,

CHARLES LEE.

To the Honourable John Hancock.

P. S. Enclosed is an affidavit transmitted from North-Carolina, with a resolve of their Provincial Congress. I forgot to mention that I advanced at New-York to Monsieur Arundel fifteen dollars, to carry him to Philadelphia; but I shall send to the Secretary, as soon as possible, an account of the several sums I have advanced. To-morrow I set out to visit the posts at Suffolk, Kemp’s Island, the Great Bridge, &c.

C. L.

TO THE YOUNG GENTLEMEN OF VIRGINIA.

As an Army without Cavalry is, in all conntries, a very defective machine, but in this Province, circumstanced as it is, it is impossible to carry on the service with any tolerable degree of credit, without a certain proportion of this species of troops, General Lee begs leave to address himself to the young gentlemen of the different Counties, entreating that they will form themselves into companies of Light Dragoons, consisting of one Captain, one Lieutenant, one Cornet, two Sergeants, two Corporals, and a Trumpet or Horn-Sounder. As it is intended and hoped that the whole will bo composed of gentlemen volunteers, it will not be expected that they should receive any pay; but, at the same time, as it is not reasonable that they should put themselves to the expense of maintaining their horses, they are to be allowed rations for them, as well as for themselves. Their arms should be a short rifle carbine, a light pike, of eight feet

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