But, considering it a duty inseparable from the principle of humanity first of all to forewarn the deluded people of the miseries ever attendant upon civil war, I do most earnestly entreat and exhort them, as they tender their own happiness, and that of their posterity, to appease the vengeance of an injured and justly incensed nation, by a return to their duty to our common Sovereign, and to the blessings of a free Government, as established by law; hereby offering, in his Majesty’s name, free pardon to all such as shall lay down their arms and submit to the laws, excepting only from the benefit of such pardon Cornelius Harnett and Robert Howe. And I do hereby require that the Provincial Congress, and all Committees of Safety, and other unlawful associations, be dissolved, and the Judges allowed to hold their Courts according to the laws and Constitution of this Province; of which all persons are required to take notice, as they will answer the contrary at their utmost peril.

Given on board the Pallas transport, in Cape-Fear River, in the Province of North-Carolina, the 5th day of May, 1776, and in the sixteenth year of his Majesty’s reign.

H. CLINTON.

By command of General Clinton:

RICHARD REAVE, Secretary.

To the Magistrates of the Province of North-Carolina, to be by them made publick.

COLONEL MAGRUDER TO MARYLAND COUNCIL OF SAFETY.

Rock-Creek, May 5, 1776.

GENTLEMEN: I received your orders yesterday evening, and should have been glad to have known the number of prisoners that were to be at Georgetown. I sent off a guard of six men well armed, and if they wanted assistance to apply to some officers at town.

I am, gentlemen, your humble servant,

ZADOCK MAGRUDER.

To the Honourable the Council of Safety.

GERRARD HOPKINS TO MARYLAND COUNCIL OF SAFETY.

Baltimore, May 5, 1776.

GENTLEMEN: Agreeable to an order received from you this day, I have sent one half of every kind of linen which was in the magazine, viz: forty pieces rolls, seventy-four pieces hessings, forty-five pieces osnaburghs, and two and a half reams cartridge-paper, it being all the paper now in the magazine. I shall render an account by Captain Fulford of all the stores now in the magazine. The muskets which came in Captain Tibbet were delivered to Captain Nathaniel Smith, agreeable to an order from you, which was all I have had in the magazine, except one received from Major Gist, which he bought for the Province. I did not agree with the skipper, Paul Miller, for the freight of the linens; you will please settle with him.

I am your most humble servant,

GERRARD HOPKINS, Son of R.

To the Honourable the Council of Safety.

P. S. Captain Smith has fifty-five muskets.

GENERAL WASHINGTON TO PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

[Read May 7, 1776, and referred to Mr. J. Adams, Mr. Braxton, and Mr. Duane.]

New-York, May 5, 1776.

SIR: I am honoured with your favour of the 30th ultimo, and observe what Congress have done respecting the settlement of the Paymaster’s accounts. This seems expedient, as he is out of office, and I am certain will be attended with but little, if any difficulty, nothing more being necessary than to compare the warrants with his debits, and the receipts he has given with his credits. I wish every other settlement as easy, and that a Committee was appointed to examine and audit the accounts upon which the warrants are founded, particularly those of the Quartermaster and Commissary-Generals. They are long, and of high amount, consisting of a variety of charges—of course more intricate, and will require time, and an extraordinary degree of attention to adjust and liquidate in a proper manner. Upon this subject I did myself the honour to write you a considerable time ago.

Having had several complaints from the officers in the Eastern Regiments, who have been and are engaged in recruiting, about the expense attending it, and for which they have never yet been allowed anything, though the officers in these Governments have, as I am informed; I shall be glad to know whether the allowance of ten shillings, granted to the officers for every man inlisted by the resolve of Congress in—— is general and indiscriminate, or confined to the Middle District. If general, must I have retrospect to the time of the resolve, and pay for the services since, or only for future inlistments?

In a letter I wrote Congress the 25th of December, I enclosed one I had received from Jacob Bayley, Esq., about opening a road from Newbury to Canada. I have received another of the 15th ultimo; and from his account, and the intelligence I have from others upon inquiry, I have no doubt of the practicability of the measure, and am well informed that the distance will be considerably shortened, insomuch that our people going from any part of the New-England Governments, eastward of Connecticut River, to Canada, or returning from thence home, will perform their march in five or six days less time, than by coming or going any way now used; add to this, that the road may be so conducted as, it is said, to go to the River Missisque, from whence the water carriage to St. John’s is good, except forty odd miles; or to be carried so far to the northward as to keep clear of the lakes altogether, and afford an easy pass into Canada at all seasons. The advantages resulting from this route being so great and important, I have advanced Colonel Bayley two hundred and fifty pounds to begin with, and directed him to execute his plan. No doubt it will require a more considerable advance to accomplish it, but that will soon be sunk. The expense saved from taking off six days’ pay and provisions from the soldiers returning to the Eastward Governments at the expiration of this campaign, will be almost, if not more than equal to the charge incurred in opening it; if not, as in all probability there will be often a necessity for sending detachments of our troops to Canada from those Governments, and for others to return, it will soon be repaid.

By a letter from General Schuyler, of the 27th ultimo, I find General Thompson and his brigade were at Albany; General Sullivan with the last, except three or four companies of Colonel Wayne’s Regiment not yet come, is embarked and gone, and probably will soon be there. I am apprehensive, from General Schuyler’s account, they will not proceed with the wished-for expedition, owing to a difficulty in getting teams and provender for cattle necessary to carry their baggage, and a scarcity of batteaus at the lakes for so large a number, though he is taking the utmost pains to procure them. Should they be stopped for any time, it will be exceedingly unfortunate, as their going from hence has weakened us here much, and our Army in Canada will not be strengthened. I have sent with the last brigade sixty barrels of powder, and other stores and intrenching tools, a supply being asked for; also the chain for a boom at the Narrows of Richelieu, and the three boxes of money, brought by Mr. Hanson; and have written to General Schuyler to have the boom fixed as soon as possible. The Commissary, too, has forwarded about eight hundred barrels of pork, and is in expectation of a further quantity from Connecticut, which will go on without stopping here. As the magazine from whence the Northern and Eastern Armies will occasionally receive supplies of powder will probably be here, and our stock is low and inconsiderable, (being much reduced by the sixty barrels sent to Canada,) I shall be glad to have a quantity immediately forwarded. Our stores should be great; for if the enemy make an attack upon the town or attempt to go up the North River, the expenditure will be very considerable. Money, too, is much wanted; the regiments that are paid have only received to the 1st of April, except those of Pennsylvania and Jersey which are gone to Canada—they are paid to the last of April. By a letter from General Ward I find his chest is just exhausted, the money which was left with him for the payment of the five regiments at Boston and Beverley being almost expended by large drafts in favour of the Commissary and Quarter-master,