instant before the last of General Sullivan’s brigade will embark, when I expect to have finished one hundred and ten batteaus, carrying thirty men each, besides the baggage, ammunition and intrenching tools, and about ten barrels of pork, if I can get that quantity at Fort George by that time, which I doubt much, as the troops have such an amazing quantity of baggage that they employ every carriage I can procure at this season, when forage is scarce, and when the licentiousness of some of the troops that are gone on has been such that few of the inhabitants have escaped abuse, either in their persons or property, and fewer still of the wagoners and batteaumen employed in the service, many of whom have left us, and the whole threaten to do it unless the future conduct of the troops is more becoming. I have done all in my power to prevent this disgraceful conduct of the Army; but Court-Martials are vain where officers connive at the depredations of the men. I have ordered Captain Romans to be sent from Canada for trial here, as a string of complaints are lodged against him; and since my return from Fort George, have issued the most pointed orders.

I hope this day to send off the sixty barrels of powder your Excellency ordered here; the intrenching tools have already left this, and about six hundred barrels of pork, and the first regiment of General Sullivan’s brigade is marched this morning.

It will be impossible to send more than half of the three hundred thousand dollars into Canada, as we are greatly in debt here, and our creditors exceedingly clamorous; that sum will be fully sufficient in Canada, until the Canadians agree to take our paper currency, which I am very fearful they will not; and if so, even the flour and peas for the Army must be sent from hence, if it is possible to convey it there.

I met Colonel Wynkoop on his way to Ticonderoga, and soon after Lieutenant-Colonel Cortlandt, with orders for him to repair to the Highlands; but as, from the arrangement he showed me, I concluded that it would be countermanded, I suffered Colonel Wynkoop to proceed; and in the evening I was happy to see the counter orders. It is absolutely necessary that I should leave two of his companies in Tryon County, and the remaining six (one of which, O’Hara’s, is at New-York) will very little exceed three hundred men, one hundred and fifty of which are constantly required upon a road, where a hundred carriages, to set out every day, are to pass; seventy more, in addition to one hundred batteaumen, are at least wanted to convey the provisions on part of Hudson’s River; so that I shall only have about one hundred left to transport the provisions and stores across Lake George, which is not quite a sufficient number, and none for Lake Champlain, the garrisons of Crown-Point, Ticonderoga, the Landing Place, and Fort George, and for opening Wood Creek, and cutting a road by that route—a work which ought to be executed as soon as possible; but, wishing that as many troops as possible should go into Canada, I will detain the smallest number possible of Van Schaick’s Regiment.

The tents are not yet arrived; the distribution shall be made agreeable to your Excellency’s orders. The chain is to go on today, which I shall forward to General Arnold, with directions to fix it. I suppose it was intended for the Rapids of Richelieu. Captain Wynkoop and his Company of sailors are at Ticonderoga.

Surrounded with Indians, and under the necessity of giving a variety of directions, as I must return early to-morrow morning to Fort George, I must beg General Gates to dispense with my answering his letters until my arrival there. I am extremely unhappy that I am not in a situation of complying with your Excellency’s orders to make a return of the state of the Army, &c. I have repeatedly applied to General Wooster for it, and for the several other returns which I ought to have had. The only one I ever received was the imperfect one I lately sent you from Fort George; this omission has been the source of much embarrassment to me. I hope soon to comply with your orders on this head, as General Thomas promised to be as regular as possible in these matters.

Mr. Price arrived at Fort George the day before I left it, with a resolution of Congress, the subject-matter of which is contained in the enclosed orders I have given to Mr. Price. Your Excellency will easily perceive that they are very crude; the necessity of sending him immediately into Canada, and the other pressing concerns which then occupied me, did not permit me time to reflect with that attention so important a business required.

I enclose your Excellency a return of the arms in Mr. Rensselaer’s store. A considerable number of General Sullivan’s brigade are still to be furnished; most of Wynkoop’s regiment and the seven hundred unfit for service, are arms that have been exchanged, and very few are capable of being made useful.

I shall do myself the honour to write you from Fort George, where I shall be better able to determine with certainty when the last troops will leave it.

I am, dear sir, with the most respectful sentiments, your Excellency’s most obedient and most humble servant,

PHILIP SCHUYLER.

His Excellency General Washington, &c.

INSTRUCTIONS TO JAMES PRICE.

Fort George, May 7, 1776.

SIR: The honourable Continental Congress having appointed you Deputy Commissary-General in Canada, I do myself the pleasure to congratulate you on it.

That respectable body having resolved that I should take such measures of supplying the Army in Canada with provisions as I may deem expedient, it becomes necessary to give you some instructions for the rule of your conduct both as to the issuing and procuring the necessary provisions.

The Army now in Canada will, when joined by the troops now on their march, I suppose, consist of ten thousand men; the daily consumption of the meat and flour kind, with an allowance for accidents, should, therefore, be estimated at twelve thousand pounds of each, lest the troops should suffer.

I do not suppose you will be able to purchase in Canada anything like a sufficient quantity of beef or pork; I shall therefore order Mr. Livingston, the Deputy Commissary-General, to continue to purchase pork, which will be forwarded on with all expedition, that the difficulties occasioned by the badness of the roads, the scarcity of forage, the interruption that will be given to it by the transportation of the troops, and the very little time I have had to make the necessary arrangement, will admit of. But as it is almost certain that a full supply cannot be sent, at least for the first five weeks, you will, immediately on your arrival in Canada, order all the beef, pork and fish, to be purchased that can possibly be procured; and this you will continue to do during the whole campaign, as all that can be purchased in Canada will save to the publick at least the expense of transportation, which is a very capital object.

The like, or rather greater saving will be made in supplying the Army with Canada flour, an article of which I suppose there is a sufficiency in Canada; and as the Canadians cannot now ship it, they will think hard if it should be sent from hence, and would probably give much umbrage, I shall therefore order none to be sent from hence, until I receive advice from you that it cannot be procured in that country. The other articles allowed the Army you must procure in Canada; peas you may there purchase a sufficient quantity of, if I am well informed. In issuing the provisions, you will give the strictest orders to your Deputies that they make my orders of the 21st of February the invariable rule of their conduct unless General Thomas, or officer commanding in Canada, shall otherwise direct. A copy of these orders you have enclosed.

As you will seldom be able to issue every species allowed by Congress, you are therefore to order your Deputies to specify in the receipts the quantity of such species as they may deliver, thereby to ascertain at some future day what may be due to the troops for any deficiency of their allowance.

As there is a printing press in Montreal, you will furnish each Deputy with printed instructions, drawn consonant to orders enclosed, and to these, and with blank returns and receipts; the former to be filled up and signed by the returning officer, and the latter to be filled up by the Deputy and signed by the person to whom the provision is directed to be delivered.

The scandalous waste of provisions, which has hitherto