any gentleman would not gratify to break his land, to explore mines for the publick service. With the greatest submission I beg the favour of you to let me know if I may depend on the mining employment, or if I must look for business where Providence may provide me. I expect your good morals and acquaintance with the disappointment I met with by the request of Colland Chandler, in this County, (which rendered me under all the disadvantages of a stranger,) will excuse my freedom in giving this trouble.

And, with the greatest submission and good wishes to your undertakings, I am your most obedient, humble servant,

JOHN MC DONALD, Miner.

To the Honourable Provincial Congress for the Colony of New-York.

DUNCAN CAMPBELL TO GENERAL WASHINGTON.

Fredericksburgh, Dutchess County, May 23, 1776.

SIR: Having leave from General Schuyler last March to come down and settle some property I had at this place, he directed me to the County Committee for further leave; but not finding my affairs as I expected, I waited on the Committee and applied to them for a pass to go to the Jerseys or Pennsylvania, where most of the gentlemen that were taken prisoners in Canada were already sent. Their answer was, that they could not take it on themselves to send me anywhere but back again to Albany, without General Schuyler’s directions.

I have written General Schuyler twice, acquainting him of their ordering me back again, and begging that he would be pleased to let me know where I was to go; but received no answer, though I wrote a month ago. As this is ray situation, I will take it as a particular favour to have your Excellency’s directions, and an order for carriages for myself and baggage, as none will otherwise be provided for me.

I would be glad to have the indulgence of going to the Jerseys, as I am well known in that place; likewise, as I have a large family of a wife and six children, which could be sent the most of the way by water-carriage.

I am, sir, your Excellency’s most obedient and most humble servant,

DUNCAN CAMPBELL,
Ensign and Q. M. to Twenty-Sixth Regiment,
and prisoner of war.

To His Excellency General Washington, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental forces.

CAPTAIN VARICK TO GENERAL WASHINGTON.

Albany, May 23, 1776.

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY: Agreeable to General Schuyler’s directions to me, I send down (under charge of Lieutenant Van Waggenen) Lieutenant Schalch and Dr. Gill, of the Royal Artillery, made prisoners at St. Johns, to be disposed of as your Excellency shall be pleased to direct. They are on their parole.

I also send down Mr. John MacDonell, one of the Scotch gentlemen made prisoners at Johnstown, Tryon County, in January last. He has the General’s permit to go to Reading, in Pennsylvania, and join the other gentlemen made prisoners with him. The conduct of the two former gentlemen during a short stay at Schenectady has proved unexceptionable.

By the General’s order I also enclose an account of moneys paid by him or by his order to Mr. Elijah Bennett, Post-rider. General Schuyler requests that Bennett may be charged with the amount.

I am your Excellency’s most obedient and most humble servant,

RICHARD VARICK.

To His Excellency General Washington.

ADMIRAL HOPKINS TO NATHANIEL SHAW.

Providence, May 23, 1776.

SIR: Please to send me, by Captain Saltonstall, as good an account of the guns and stores left in your hands as you can get; and likewise, should be glad you will send me an account of your schooner’s cargo, which Captain Biddle retook, as the officers blame me for delivering her until she was tried. Should be glad to satisfy them that they will receive no injury by that step.

I congratulate you on being appointed by the Congress agent for the fleet, and all prizes sent into your Government, which I have received an account of; expect you will act as such, whether you have received the order or not, and get the three prizes libelled and condemned as soon as possible. And as to your schooner, I make no doubt but you will satisfy the officers and people without a trial.

I now have the gentlemen here from the Committee of Safety of Philadelphia, but I expect they will not be able to get more cannon here than they did or I expected they would at New-London. What will be the event of their not succeeding, I cannot at present tell. I am well convinced their sending them away will be of very ill consequences to the continent, and their not going will have no other bad effect but on me, who had better suffer than the community.

I am, with great respect, your friend and humble servant,

ESEK HOPKINS.

To Mr. Nathaniel Shaw, Jun., Merchant at New-London.

ADMIRAL HOPKINS TO CAPTAIN SALTONSTALL.

Providence, May 23, 1776.

SIR: Please to get an exact account of the number and weight of the cannon, mortars, shells, shot, and stores, left at New-London; and also get an account of Mr. Spooner, of all the provisions and stores delivered out of the several prizes to the fleet, and the particular vessels they were delivered to; and also an account of him of the schooner’s cargo delivered to Mr. Shaw, and also Mr. Shaw’s account of what they sold for, and an account also of the balance of what powder Mr. Shaw now has in his hands that was landed out of the fleet; and also take some care of the men belonging to the fleet, and send such here as are capable of duty.

Yours, &c.,

ESEK HOPKINS.

To Dudley Saltonstall, Esquire.

BILLERICA (MIDDLESEX COUNTY) MASSACHUSETTS.

At a legal Town-meeting of the Freeholders and other inhabitants of Billerica, upon an adjournment, May 23d, 1776, Doctor Timothy Danforth Moderator:

The question was put, Whether said town will, in conformity to a resolve of the honourable House of Representatives of this Colony, advise our Representatives that if the honourable Congress shall, for the safety of the Colonies, declare them independent of Great Britain, they, the inhabitants, will engage with their lives and fortunes to support them in the measure?

It passed unanimously in the affirmative.

INSTRUCTIONS OF THE TOWN OF BOSTON TO THEIR REPRESENTATIVES.

On Thursday, May 23d, 1776, the Freeholders and other inhabitants of the town of Boston, qualified as the law directs, met at the old brick Meeting-House, in order to choose their Representatives for the ensuing General Assembly, when they made choice of the following gentlemen, viz: William Phillips, John Pitts, John Brown, William Cooper, Benjamin Austin, Oliver Wendell, Nathaniel Appleton, David Jeffries, Joseph Gardner, and Arnold Welles, Esquires, Mr. Caleb Davis, and Mr. William Powell.

Mr. Welles and Mr. Powell having declined the service, Mr. Samuel Allyne Otis and Mr. Henry Hill, chosen in their room.

The Town then gave their Representatives the following Instructions, viz:

GENTLEMEN: At a time when, in all probability, the whole United Colonies of America are upon the verge of a glorious Revolution, and when, consequently, the most important questions that were ever agitated before the Representative body of this Colony, touching its internal police, will demand your attention, your constituents think it necessary to instruct you in several matters what part to act, that the path of your duty may be plain before you.