begun to enclose Fort Washington, and hope, in a short time, to have it in a good way. I will endeavour cheerfully to comply with your orders at all times, and exercise my small talents in the glorious cause we are now contending for.

I am, with great respect, your Honours’ most obedient servant,

DAVID GILMAN.

To the Honourable Committee of Safety of New-Hampshire.

P. S. I think we are neglected with regard to Chaplain. The men are badly provided with arms: I fear the Muster-masters did not discharge their duty in that respect. Flints are much wanted, and cannot be had.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM CAPTAIN DEMPSTER, OF THE TRANSPORT BLUE-MOUNTAIN VALLEY, DATED NEWRY, IRELAND, MAY 7, 1776.

I wrote you, from America, the misfortune which befel me in the loss of my ship; but as you probably never received it, I will inform you of the misfortunes that have befallen me from my leaving the Downs till my arrival in Ireland. I left the Downs towards the end of October last, when that dreadful gale of wind drove so many ships ashore on the coasts of England and Ireland; but I escaped from that tolerably well. The remainder of my passage was one continued gale of wind, until my arrival on the coast of America, where I found my ship disabled in every respect, being leaky, &c., having had a thirteen weeks’ passage. The moment I came off New-York, I sent my chief mate on shore by a pilot-boat, in order to get on board the ships-of-war lying there, to demand assistance in carrying the ship into New-York, where we might refit, in order to proceed to Boston, our intended port; but unluckily for me, as I afterwards learned, my mate was taken prisoner, and was obliged by threats to discover what the ship was, where bound, and of no force. Upon this intelligence, they fitted out four armed vessels, with about sixty men each—in all upwards of two hundred men—an overmatch (as you may easily believe) for a ship with four small guns, and sixteen hands in all, after being thirteen weeks at sea, and hardly able to keep the ship from sinking. When the vessels made their appearance, I took them for vessels from the men-of-war, the officer who commanded the party being dressed in the uniform of a Lieutenant of the Navy, and I did not then know my mate was taken prisoner. They boarded the ship in every part, and carried her about ten or twelve miles up a river, where two of the King’s ships lay, to a place called Elizabethtown, making a prize of the ship and cargo, and myself a prisoner upon parole. After the Americans, by order of the Congress, had unloaded the ship, by an order from that same power, I was set at liberty conditionally— that I should not go near either the Army or the Navy, but return to Britain the first opportunity, which I gladly embraced by coming home in the Catharine, Captain Moore, bound for Newry; and happy was I to get away, lest they had recalled this indulgence. I arrived here the 5th of May, after a pleasant passage of five weeks, and shall proceed with all speed.

JOHN HAMILTON DEMPSTER.

GENERAL ARMSTRONG TO PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

[Read June 17, 1776.]

Charlestown, South-Carolina, May 7, 1776.

SIR: Having on the 3d instant arrived at this town, duty would have led me without loss of time to have made returns of the Continental forces raised in this Colony, their situation, arms, stores, &c.; but found the military department of this Colony established in a different way from that which is Continental. By virtue of the resolutions of the Provincial Congress, the military was committed to the Council of Safety, upon the dissolution of that body after forming a Constitution for the Colony. It has since been assigned, by an ordinance of the Legislature, to his Excellency the President, from whom the officers derive their commissions, as well those of the Provincial regiments as of the Militia; so that at present I have little more to do than to receive the civilities of the gentlemen here, equally hospitable and polite.

The President having candidly disclosed to me that the troops of this Colony are not on the Continental establishment, and that the reasons why are at large laid before and submitted to the decision of the honourable the Continental Congress, I shall not, therefore, attempt any detail of, nor observation upon them, further than express my opinion that the difficulties might all have been obviated, and the troops stood on the common footing. On the other hand, such is the activity and publick spirit of the officers, the great merit and distinguished abilities of the President, procuring to him the common suffrage of this country, that I see no reason to apprehend the publick service should suffer in his hands. In the mean time, I shall here wait the further orders of Congress, begging only to be favoured with these as early as may be convenient. I shall also obey the orders of General Lee, to whom I now write, or return to North-Carolina, in case the enemy should gain footing there. I should be unpardonable to omit the very friendly reception given me by the President, to which, in a gentlemanly style, he has added a series of good offices. The great loss of this country is its want of men, and the misfortune of so many malcontents, said to be about two thousand or upwards. A number of the better sort of these are coming over; but the greater part of them are said to be of the canaille, who probably want to avail themselves of a day of publick calamity, for the abject purposes of rapine and plunder. Four thousand men, I think, have been voted by this Government; of that number, about two thousand are now raised, and many officers out recruiting. Some accounts from Georgia speak of two thousand British troops being at St. Augustine; not generally believed. The Continental troops at Georgia are about four hundred; and when joined by the Militia, are, by the gentlemen here, estimated at one thousand. I shall, however, write to the Colonel of that battalion. For the North Government, we hope for considerable numbers, and a short time will probably bring one of the Carolinas into action, as appears by a late accession to the fleet at Cape-Fear. Happy for these Colonies, (particularly South-Carolina and Georgia,) should the Insurgents, the domesticks, and Indians, be restrained.

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

JOHN ARMSTRONG.

To the Honourable John Hancock.

P. S. Captain Conner is come forward, in order to serve, as was proposed, in the character of Brigade-Major.

GENERAL LEE TO PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

[Read May 14, 1776, and referred to the Committee to whom a former letter from General Lee was referred.]

Williamsburgh, May 7, 1776.

SIR: I find the part I have acted in the business of Mr. Eden has given great umbrage to the Council of Maryland. I take the liberty of enclosing to you a copy of my letter to that Board on the occasion. As I hope it will appear to the Congress a full explanation and justification of my conduct, I shall not trouble them any more on the subject.

Five transports with troops are arrived at Cape-Fear; I shall, therefore, set out on Thursday for Wilmington, by the way of Halifax. When we consider, sir, the vast extent of the vulnerable parts of this country; the numerous navigable intersecting waters; the multitude of slaves; that we have not more than five thousand regulars fit for duty in the Province; that of these five thousand, not more than three are properly armed; that to arm them, (defectively as they are,) the Province has been driven to the necessity of disarming the Minute-men,—I say, sir, when these circumstances are considered, I shall appear, I hope, reasonable in entreating the Congress to spare us if possible some battalions, and of those battalions which are best armed. If indeed, our Minute-men were properly furnished with muskets and ammunition; if our rivers were already secured in the manner I propose, I should think myself capable of baffling all their attempts with our present force; but situated as we are, my anxiety for the common safety obliges me to solicit a reinforcement.

A letter from one of your members informs me that five thousand blankets and five thousand pair of shoes are on the road, for the use of this Army. They are much wanted. The