(if in the town or its vicinity) by signals to be agreed on. A mode of proceeding of a similar kind concerted with Jersey would bring in a reinforcement speedily, and without those irregularities and unnecessary expenses which but too frequently attend the movement of Militia.

“Thus, gentlemen, I have expressed my sentiments to yon upon the occasion. Your prudence will suggest to you the necessity of adopting these, or other methods of a like nature; and your wisdom will point out the most effectual and expeditious manner of carrying them into execution; I therefore submit them to your consideration; and am, with very great respect, gentlemen, your most obedient and very humble servant,

“GEORGE WASHINGTON.

“To the Chairman of the Committee of Safety for the Colony of New-York.”

Another Letter from General Washington, dated the 24th instant, was also read and filed, and is in the words following, to wit:

“New-York, April 24, 1776.

“GENTLEMEN: It being necessary that I should know the number of troops to compose the Army here, I must request the favour of your honourable body to inform me how many regiments are raising in this Province for the Continental service by order of Congress, and what their state is as to men and arms. From the accounts I have had, I have reason to fear there is a great deficiency in the latter, which, at a crisis when nothing else seems left to decide the contest we are engaged in, is truly alarming, and calls aloud on every power for their utmost exertions to procure them. The pleasing and ready assurances I have received from you, to co-operate with me in every measure advancive of the common cause, leave me no room to doubt but proper steps will be pursued for obtaining them, and lead me to ask what expectations and source you have for getting a supply.

“If any officers have been commissioned by you, I shall be obliged by having a list of their appointments.

“I have been informed that there is a number of arms at Kingston, that were taken from the Tories in Dutchess County; if so, are they not at your disposal, and can they be had?

“I am, gentlemen, with the greatest respect and esteem, your most obedient servant,

“GEORGE WASHINGTON.”

A draft of an Answer to the two Letters received of General Washington, was read, and approved of, and is in the words following, to wit:

In Committee of Safety, New-York, April 25, 1776.

SIR: The polite sensibility with which you have been pleased to treat our attention to your requisition of the 17th instant, affords us singular pleasure. Convinced with you that there can be little doubt that things will go well under a harmonious co-operation of the civil and military power, permit us once more, sir, to assure you of our most vigorous exertions in seconding your efforts in the common cause.

We wish it were in our power immediately to inform you in what time a body of two thousand or two thousand five hundred Militia might be collected from this Colony for actual service on a sudden emergency. Although we do not at present foresee that emergency, it may nevertheless happen. It is therefore our indispensable duty to be provided with a plan for calling them in with the utmost despatch, well equipped, and without disorder; and this we are fully convinced cannot be effected without a preconcerted plan. To this end, we would request an explanation, whether you would wish the proposed aid should exclude or include the Militia of this City. As soon, sir, as we are favoured with an explanation on this head, we shall lose no time in forming an arrangement for so important a service; we flatter ourselves, however, that, in either case, the required number will, upon such steps as we shall take, be ready at a very short warning; and lest necessity should require the aid in any small interval of adjournment of this Committee, we shall take care to have our place supplied by a sub-Committee, to comply with the application of the Commander-in-Chief, whenever the exigency of affairs shall require it.

Give us leave, sir, to express our approbation of the plan you propose for establishing good look-outs. And as you very properly judge it best that they be made out of the Continental forces, we can only assure you that, upon notice of the approach of danger, or on any other necessity for the assistance of the Militia, all the succours in our power to command shall be most cheerfully and speedily contributed. We shall consider of a necessary signal, on such occasions, which may, perhaps, be best settled, when we know that which, besides expresses, is to convey intelligence to the Commander-in-Chief from the look-outs you propose to establish. The whole plan would, perhaps, be best formed in concert with New-Jersey, the vicinity of which will afford this City as speedy succours as the nearest Counties in this Colony. On this head, we are ready, sir, if you should think it necessary, to appoint a Committee, to meet you for settling the arrangement, especially as we cannot sufficiently thank you for the confidence you are pleased to place in us. We cannot think of taking so momentous a matter entirely upon ourselves.

We heartily wish it were in our power to inform you of the present state of the New-York Continental Troops. The number of troops to be raised by us, and destined by Congress for the protection and defence of this Colony, is four battalions. Besides these, there is one battalion for the Canada service, directed to be commanded by Colonel Van Schaick, an inhabitant in the northern part of this Colony. This regiment was naturally to be recruited in that quarter. For this reason, the moneys sent to us for that purpose by Congress, we immediately sent to General Schuyler, who has the forming of that battalion solely under his direction.

With respect to the four battalions, Congress has thought proper to put them under our immediate direction, saving in the appointment of Field-Officers, the right of appointing out of our recommendation. The Field-Officers are all appointed, and a list of them is subjoined. We have issued warrants to all the officers under that degree. We have taken the necessary steps for filling up the battalions, and for enforcing a return of their present state, with which we will furnish you as soon as we are possessed of them. The list of those under the degree of Field-Officers is so mutable in its nature, that it would answer no purpose to trouble you with it now. Their warrants are all conditional in their nature. If any of them are negligent or unfortunate in recruiting, they must give way to new appointments, for we are determined to fill the four battalions with the utmost expedition; and for this purpose, we have ordered returns. When the arrangement is settled, it shall be laid before you.

You cannot, sir, feel more sensibly than we do at the prospect of a deficiency of arms, at a crisis when we are compelled by Great Britain to the last appeal, in which we must, without arms, necessarily prove unequal combatants. We should therefore esteem ourselves deaf to the most alarming call, should we not exert our every power to procure them. When the affair of Lexington proclaimed the war, this Colony was extremely destitute of arms. Our brethren of New-England, who were first called on for the defence of American liberty, purchased many arms from our inhabitants. Our Colony troops were supplied last year with arms at our Provincial expense. Most of those still remain in the Canada service. These considerations, together with our ineffectual attempts to obtain foreign supplies, increase the difficulty of arming our battalions. We are not, however, without hopes of succeeding. We have made several contracts already with manufacturers. We have published encouragement for people in that branch. We shall continue to make as many contracts for the purpose, as we shall from time to time have in our power. We have also directed the Committees in the several Counties to purchase arms, and we hope we shall be able to furnish our four battalions. The number already furnished by our Commissary is three hundred and eleven. He has still on hand a few. We have reason to believe many of our troops will come provided, and, upon the whole, we shall not be very deficient in so material an article. Colonel Ritzema is authorized to send an officer into the different Counties wherein his officers have recruited, for the purpose of collecting from the Committees the arms that have been taken from the disaffected inhabitants; and as we have given repeated and pressing orders to the Committees to execute the Continental resolve for disarming Tories, we hope for some supply from that source.

Your information concerning the arms at Kingston, is well founded; and we shall immediately order them either