to you to repair thither, which order I now think proper to countermand, as I have received by express from General Schuyler a letter, wherein he mentions the necessity of having a regiment stationed on the communication between Albany and Canada; you will therefore, sir, on receipt hereof repair to Albany, and obey such orders as you may receive from General Schuyler respecting your regiment.

I am, sir, your most humble servant,

GEORGE WASHINGTON.

To Colonel Wynkoop.

GENERAL WASHINGTON TO GENERAL SCHUYLER.

New-York, May 3, 1776.

DEAR SIR: I received your favour of the 27th ultimo yesterday evening, with its several enclosures; and in part answer thereto, refer you to mine of the 29th, which probably will have come to hand ere now. But lest any accident has prevented it, I will again inform you that, in obedience to an order of Congress, I have detached six more regiments, under General Sullivan, in addition to those under General Thompson, to reinforce our Army in Canada; all of which, except a few companies, are embarked; and as the situation of our affairs in that quarter is not so promising as we could wish, and an early arrival of them may be of infinite advantage to us, I shall repeat my request, and in full confidence trust, that you will do everything in your power to hasten their march. I have, sent forward with them sixty barrels of powder, which is all that can be spared from hence at this time, which I hope will arrive safe. The Commissary 1 have been importunate with; he tells me eight hundred barrels of pork are gone to Albany, and that he every day expects a further quantity from Connecticut, which he will order to you as soon as it comes, without stopping here. You will also receive three boxes of money, said to contain three hundred thousand dollars, which, from my letter from Congress accompanying them, are for Canada: yours probably will be more particular. But I should think, my dear sir, if the whole will not be more than sufficient to pay the troops and the claims there, (though some of it might be intended for you,) that it will be advisable to send it forward. You will have it in your power to get a further supply before long to satisfy your engagements; those in Canada, either with our men or others, should not remain unpaid at this critical and interesting period; you, however, will be better able to judge what should be done in this instance than I possibly can. With respect to your military chest, when replenished, I see no impropriety in your giving warrants as usual; it seems to be necessary, and of consequence must have my approbation.

The Quartermaster has forwarded a parcel of intrenching tools and other necessaries, with about five hundred tents, the latter to be equally and properly distributed among this last detachment: no more can be had at this time. You will also receive the chain which General Lee ordered, which I think should be sent to and fixed at the place it is designed for with all possible expedition: it may be of great service and benefit. In respect to sailors to cruise and pass in the lakes, on the 24th ultimo I gave a warrant to a Captain Jacobus Wynkoop, for two hundred and seventy-six and two-thirds dollars, for a month’s advance pay for himself, officers, and men, who are engaged in that service; of this I then advised you, and of their different pay, that you might take an account of it, and know what they are to receive in future.

I am exceedingly sorry you should have been so indisposed. I had hoped you would get perfectly restored, so as not only to have seen the end of this campaign, but your great labour and unwearied assiduity in the cause of your country crowned with success and the blessings of freedom. You have my most fervent wishes for it.

I have just received an arrangement of the companies allotted by the Committee of Safety to Colonels Wynkoop and Clinton for their regiments, a copy of which you have enclosed, by which you will see they are differently arranged from what you expected or I knew; I have therefore countermanded an order which was issued to Colonel Wynkoop before, and directed him (the companies at Albany being in his regiment) to repair immediately to you for such directions and orders respecting his regiment as you may judge necessary to give. This you will employ at the posts you mentioned for the communication. I can spare no more from hence, the ten regiments already detailed having weakened us here too much. The four companies of Colonel Clinton’s Regiment at the Highland fortifications I intend shall remain there, for carrying on and garrisoning those works, and which will be joined by another. Those on Long-Island will be kept there.

I am, dear sir, with sentiments of great respect, your most obedient, humble servant,

GEOEGE WASHINGTON.

To General Schuyler.

PETER T. CURTEN1US TO NEW-YORK CONGRESS.

New-York, May 3, 1776.

GENTLEMEN: I have no bed-cases, nor cartouch-boxes, &c. These articles are in possession of Mr. Roorback and Norwood, who are not authorized to deliver any to my orders; therefore Captain Jackson will require an order on each of them for what he will want.

I am, gentlemen, your most obedient servant,

PETER T. CURTENIUS.

To the Committee of Safety.

N. B. One bed-case for two men is the allowance.

Messrs. SECRETARIES: Please to remember, when you make out orders, that Norwood has the guns and pouches, and Roorback the bed-cases, irons, trammels, pails, shovels, and tongs.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER TO A GENTLEMAN IN PHILADELPHIA, DATED NEW-YORK, [MAY3, ] 1776.

Soon after I received your letter, I sent for Colonel Sears, Mr. John Smith, and some others, whom I knew to be staunch, to spend an evening with me, that I might converse with them upon the subject. It would not do to show your letter, or even hint that I had received it; but an opportunity for introducing the subject soon offered. A Captain of my guard came and reported that the Committee of Safety had sent some persons to the main guard, who had no complaint lodged against them. I immediately sent to the Committee, and they sent a Sub-Committee to wait upon me. I asked them what charge they had to lay against the prisoners. They informed me, one was a Collector, who had not accounted for the money he had collected, and had abused their Congress; the others were in for different crimes. I told them that I could by no means consent to have free citizens subjected to trials by Court-Martial; they must try them by proper courts, if such there were; and if not, the offenders must run at large till necessity obliged them to constitute the proper courts. This opened the door for me, and I took advantage of it. The Sub-Committee thanked me for my care over the liberties of their fellow-citizens, and owned the necessity of taking up Government. Sears, Smith, & c., were strongly of that opinion, and all went home perfectly satisfied, and without suspecting the conversation was anything more than accidental.

The next day Greene and I were ordered to the jail, to see some prisoners of war. There I found some persons in for robbery, and one for murder. As I found I had good success in the beginning, I determined to keep on, and frequently took occasion to mention the great difficulty which must attend their present state; that it would be tyrannical to execute those persons without a trial; to try and execute them by process, in the name of a King with whom we were at war, would be absurd; and if neither of these methods were taken, they must, whether guilty or not, suffer perpetual imprisonment. The argument took effect; and even Tories themselves acknowledged it was best to take up Government till reconciliation should take place. This doctrine pleased me well; for I knew if Government was once assumed, upon whatever motives, they would find that the Rubicon was passed, and that they could never return to their ancient form.

I then, by the advice of my Privy Council, drew up a piece purporting to be a Petition to the Committee of Safety, to request leave from the Continental Congress to take up Government. This piece I enclose you; and though badly written, it steers so directly between Whigism and Toryism, that no person can tell whether it was drawn by a Whig or