deserving of them than your Excellency. I have kept a few to drink your Excellency’s health.

I am instantly removing my station to Princess-Bay; shall send the whale-boats to cruise in the Narrows. The Tories here begin to hang their heads like bulrushes, and the friends to America have taken great courage and act more vigorous since my arrival; hope soon, by God’s blessing, to be able to bring them to terms, as well as many other of your Excellency’s enemies. I have got a good rattan, and, unless I am forbid by your Excellency, if they insult me as a Continental officer, as some of them have done, rather than trouble your Excellency with such villains, I will pay them off at the small end of my rattan.

As I conceive that as soon as I can complete the number of whale-boats, &c., as was proposed, it will be necessary to send part of the armament to cruise on Long-Island shore; and as I conceive that the vessel which we sent up the Sound after them waits only for a wind to return, that when the wind is fair, should be glad of your Excellency’s approbation to post my vessels in the best manner I can, and return to New-York to man and direct the said boats, &c.

I cannot discover any alteration of the situation of the ships at the Hook.

I am your Excellency’s most obliged and obedienthumble servant,

BENJAMIN TUPPER,
Lieutenant-Colonel 21st Regiment.

To His Excellency General Washington.

Thursday, 10 o’clock A. M.

P. S. As Captain Grige Cregier, of the schooner Putnam, who is gone to York to procure some necessaries, was with the Committee at Brunswick, your Excellency can inquire of him further of the matter.

GENERAL WASHINGTON TO JONATHAN STURGES.

New-York, May 16, 1776.

SIR: Your favour of the 14th, with an account of the apprehending of sundry Tories by order of your Committee, and the taking of others by Captain Harding, is now before me. Your zeal and activity upon this occasion is truly commendable, and with great pleasure I will lend any aid in my power that shall be thought within the line of my department to root out or secure such abominable pests of society; but as you have neither pointed out the names or places of abode of the persons alluded to by your informants on Long-Island, I must beg the favour of a more explicit description from you; and, in the mean while, will set on foot a proper inquiry into this matter of some gentlemen here acquainted with the Island, and concert some plan for defeating the designs which you think are in agitation.

I shall add no more at present, than that I am, sir, your most obedient servant,

GEORGE WASHINGTON.

To Jonathan Sturges, Esq., Chairman of the Committee of Suffolk.

GENERAL WASHINGTON TO MASSACHUSETTS COUNCIL.

New-York, May 16, 1776.

GENTLEMEN:The honourable Continental Congress having come to sundry resolutions respecting the cannon and stores in and about Boston, and the mode to be observed for paying the Militia lately called in for the defence of the lines before Boston, I do myself the honour to transmit you copies thereof, lest they may not have come to hand. I would observe that I think it will be of advantage to you to make your arrangements of the cannon originally belonging to the Colony and those presented it by Congress, and not to count on those brought from Ticonderoga, and which are left, though Congress are willing to lend them; for it is more than probable that they may be wanted elsewhere, and if they should, it will derange your order and lay you under the necessity of providing others and carriages at a time that may be inconvenient, and when they may be made useful.

I am, gentlemen, with great respect and esteem, your most obedient servant,

GEORGE WASHINGTON.

To the Honourable the Council and Representatives of the Colony of Massachusetts-Bay.

GENERAL WASHINGTON TO NEW-HAMPSHIRE COMMITTEE OF SAFETY.

New-York, May 16, 1776.

GENTLEMEN:The honourable Continental Congress having lately come to some resolutions respecting the cannon and other stores in Boston, which interest your Colony, and the mode to be observed for paying the Militia lately called on for the defence of the lines before Boston, I do myself the honour to transmit you copies thereof lest they may not have been otherwise forwarded; and am, gentlemen, with great esteem and regard, your most obedient servant,

GEORGE WASHINGTON.

To the Committee of Safety,New-Hampshire.

ROBERT H. HARRISON TO GENERAL WARD.

New-York, May 16, 1776.

SIR: I am commanded by his Excellency to acknowledge the receipt of your favour of the 9th instant, and to inform you that the report respecting the regiments being kept on Bunker-Hill and Dorchester-Heights was currently and confidently told here; but not with the injurious motives you seem to apprehend, but as arising from a misinterpretation of his orders, which you imagined confined them there. The matter being thus related, he conceived it highly necessary that you should be made acquainted that such was not his design, though his instructions should seem to warrant their being continued there, and exempted from duty.

His Excellency congratulates you on the success of Captain Tucker, and is hopeful more of the vessels employed for the Ministerial Army will be picked up. They will, in some small degree, compensate for the damage done by seizing those belonging to us.

Last night four hundred thousand dollars arrived here, part of which are for the Army at Boston. By the Honourable John Hancock ’s letter accompanying them, he is to write his Excellency by to-morrow’s post of the disposition of them, with orders to the Paymaster.

I am, sir, your most obedient servant,

ROBERT H. HARRISON.

To General Ward, Boston.

NEW-YORK COMMITTEE.

Committee-Chamber, New-York, May 16, 1776.

Whereas the honourable Continental Congress have appointed, and earnestly recommend, “That the 17th instant (being to-morrow) be observed by the United Colonies as a day of Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer; that we may, with united hearts, confess and bewail our manifold sins and transgressions against God, and, by a sincere repentance and amendment of life, as a People, appease his righteous displeasure against us, humbly imploring his assistance to frustrate the cruel purposes of our unnatural enemies, and by inclining their hearts to justice and peace, prevent the further effusion of human blood; but if, continuing deaf to the voice of reason and humanity, and inflexibly bent on desolation and war, they constrain us to repel their hostile invasions by open resistance, that it may please the Lord of Hosts, the God of Armies, to animate our Officers and Soldiers with invincible fortitude, to guard and protect them in the day of battle, and to crown the Continental arms, by sea and land, with victory and success; that he may bless all our Representatives in General Congress, Provincial Congress, Conventions and Committees; preserve and strengthen their union, give wisdom and stability to their councils, and direct the most efficient measures for establishing the rights of America on the most honourable and permanent basis; that he would be graciously pleased to bless all the people in these Colonies with health and plenty, and grant that a spirit of incorruptible patriotism and of pure and undefiled religion may universally prevail, and that this Continent may speedily be restored to the blessings of peace and liberty, and enabled to transmit them inviolate to the latest posterity:” It is therefore expected that all the inhabitants of this City and County do, on the morrow, abstain from all and every kind of servile labour, business, and employment, and attend upon Divine service in publick, which will be performed in all the Churches in this City; that no persons (but such as are in the Continental service, whose business may