you will forward, in the most expeditious manner, to General Schuyler.

As it is of great importance the Army in Canada should be well supplied, you will exert yourself to effect this purchase as speedily as possible. Whenever you send or draw for the money, your bill on me for twenty thousand dollars shall meet with due honour.

I am, sir, your very humble servant,

JOHN HANCOCK, President.

To Mr. Trumbull, Commissary-General, at New-York.

COLONEL WAYNE TO PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

New-York, April 26, 1776.

SIR: By order of his Excellency General Washington, I have sent Major Haussegger (the bearer hereof) to Philadelphia to bring up the remainder of my battalion, which, with five others, are to march to Canada immediately. I must therefore request that you will use your influence to supply my regiment with arms. The Major will render a list of the number wanted.

The three companies that are here were obliged to march without a single waistcoat, and but one shirt per man, and most of them too small, although made of the worst of linen. I therefore beg you to give orders to the Commissaries to supply the remainder as soon as possible. I am not unacquainted with your important situation and the multiplicity of business on your hands, but necessity obliges me in this instance to apply to you. I must therefore beg pardon for this freedom, and hope you will not be troubled in future by any applications of this nature by, sir, your most obedient and very humble servant,

ANTHONY WAYNE.

To the Hon. John Hancock, President of Congress.

GENERAL WASHINGTON TO COLONEL IRVINE.

New-York, April 26, 1776.

SIR: Immediately upon receipt of this letter, you are desired to march the remainder of your battalion directly to this city, in order to embark for Albany on your route to Canada.

The Congress have been pleased to order that, upon your march or embarcation from hence for Canada, the pay of your men shall be the same as those of other regiments, employed in the same service, to-wit: six and two-thirds dollars per month. Of this you will please to inform them.

I shall depend upon your making despatch; and am, sir, yours, &c.,

GEORGE WASHINGTON.

To Colonel William Irvine, of the Sixth Pennsylvania Regiment.

GENERAL WASHINGTON TO GOVERNOUR TRUMBULL.

New-York, April 26, 1776.

SIR: When you did me the honour of a visit at Norwich on my way to this place, I recommended to you the recommendation I had received from Congress for sending four battalions from hence to reinforce our troops in Canada. I now beg leave to inform you that, in compliance therewith, on Saturday and Sunday last I detached four regiments thence under the command of Brigadier-General Thompson; and by an express received last night, am ordered by Congress, in addition to those already gone, to send six more immediately. Our regiments being incomplete and much wanting in numbers, I need not add that the Army here feel a sensible diminution from this detachment, and when the second is gone, will be weak indeed, considering the importance of this place, the many extensive posts which must be guarded for its defence; and, added to this, almost the whole of our valuable ordnance, stores, and magazines, will be deposited here. For these reasons it appears to me expedient that some mode should be adopted without loss of time, by this, your, and the Jersey Governments, for throwing in immediate succours upon the appearance of the enemy, or any case of emergency.

I have written to the Congress of New-Jersey upon the subject, praying them to form such regulations respecting their Militia (they being the only resource we have) that assistance may be had on the earliest notice of an approach of the enemy, for preventing the fatal and alarming consequences which might result from the common, tedious, and slow method generally used for obtaining their aid; and would take the liberty of mentioning, that if the same should be done by you and your honourable Council respecting your Militia, or such part of them as are most contiguous to this place, that the most salutary ends might be derived there from. The benefits flowing from a timely succour being too obvious for repetition, I shall propose, with all possible deference, for your consideration, whether it will not be advisable to have some select corps of men appointed, under proper officers, in the western part of your Government, to repair to this place on the earliest notice from the General, or officer commanding here, of the appearance of an enemy.

If it should be thought necessary upon an emergency, in the first instance to resort to you for all the ordinary forms to be gone through before any succours can be ordered in, it is to be feared that the relief would be too late to answer any good purposes. This, however, I shall submit to you, in full confidence of your most ready assistance on every occasion, and that such measures as appear to you most likely to advance the publick good on this and every other instance, will be most cheerfully adopted.

I am, sir, with great esteem, &c.,

GEORGE WASHINGTON.

To Governour Trumbull.

Return of the Regiment of Foot, in the service of the United Colonies, commanded by Colonel MCDOUGALL, April 26, 1776.

Commissioned Officers present: One Colonel, one Lieutenant-Colonel, one Major.

Staff Officers present: One Adjutant, one Quartermaster, one Surgeon, one Mate.

INSTRUCTIONS TO THE COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO REPAIR TO PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

In Council, April 26, 1776.

To WALTER SPOONER, GEORGE PARTRIDGE, and JONATHAN GROUT, Esquires:

You being appointed by this Court to repair to Pittsfield, on the 14th day of May next, and to make proper inquiry into the cause of the matters of complaint subsisting there, and report the same to the General Court, at their next May Sessions: You are to give notice to all the towns in the County of Berkshire, of your meeting them at Pittsfield aforesaid, by directing the Sheriff of the said County to notify their clerks may attend, as the said towns shall appoint. When you are so met, you are to inquire into the cause of the disquiet subsisting there, and let them know that it is the expectation of this Court that all the inhabitants of this Colony will do their utmost endeavour to support the Government, as recommended by the Continental Congress; that at a time when Great Britain is exerting her utmost strength to destroy these Colonies, or subject them to the lowest degree of vassalage, it is the