request being complied with, your most humble servants,

To the Honourable the Council of Safety.

P. S. As an additional reason for the above application, it is to be considered that the magazine is in the very heart of the battalion; and the cartouch-boxes may be lodged in the magazine, subject to the order of the Colonel or Lieutenant-Colonel in case of an alarm.

J. HALL.

SNOW-HILL (MARYLAND) COMMITTEE.

In Committee, Snow-Hill, May 31, 1776.

Were present: Benton Harris, Esq., Chairman; Messrs. Peter Chaille, John Purnell, James Martin. Outten Stur-gis, Henry Johnson, John Done, and John Selby.

Whereas special permission was heretofore granted to Mr. Benjamin Dennis to raise a Company of Militia in Worcester County; and, in pursuance of the resolves of the Convention of Maryland, it appears that he hath enrolled a Company, consisting of eight non-commissioned officers and fifty-six privates; likewise, that he was duly elected as Captain, John Townsend as First Lieutenant, Thomas Outten as Second Lieutenant, and Angelo Atkinson as Ensign, for said Company.

Per order of the Committee:

R. DENNIS, Clerck.

To the Honourable the Council of Safety of Maryland.

GENERAL WASHINGTON TO JOHN A. WASHINGTON.

Philadelphia, May 31, 1776.

DEAR BROTHER: Since my arrival at this place, where I came, at the request of Congress, to settle some matters relative to the ensuing campaign, I have received your letter of the 18th, from Williamsburgh, and I think I stand indebted to you for another, which came to hand some time ago, in New-York. I am very glad to find that the Virginia Convention have passed so noble a vote, and with so much unanimity. Things have come to such a pass now as to convince us that we have nothing more to expect from the justice of Great Britain; also, that she is capable of the most delusive arts; for I am satisfied that no Commissioners ever were designed, except Hessians and other foreigners; and that the idea was only to deceive and throw us off our guard. The first has been too effectually accomplished, as many members of Congress, in short, the representation of whole Provinces, are still feeding themselves upon the dainty food of reconciliation; and though they will not allow that the expectation of it has any influence upon their judgments with respect to their preparations for defence, it is but too obvious that it has an operation upon every part of their conduct, and is a clog to their proceedings. It is not in the nature of things to be otherwise; for no man that entertains a hope of seeing this dispute speedily and equitably adjusted by Commissioners, will go to the same expense, and run the same hazards, to prepare for the worst event as he who believes that he must conquer or submit to unconditional terms, and the concomitants, such as confiscation, hanging, and the like.

To form a new Government requires infinite care and unbounded attention; for if the foundation is badly laid, the superstructure must be bad. Too much time, therefore, cannot be bestowed in weighing and digesting matters well. We have, no doubt, some good parts in our present Constitution; many bad ones we know we have. Wherefore, no time can be misspent in separating the wheat from the tares. My fear is, that you will all get tired and homesick; the consequence of which will be, that you will patch up some kind of a Constitution as defective as the present. This should be avoided. Every man should consider that he is lending his aid to frame a Constitution which is to render millions happy or miserable, and that a matter of such moment cannot be the work of a day.

I am in hopes to hear some good accounts from North-Carolina. If Clinton has only part of his force there, and not strongly intrenched, I should think that General Lee will be able to give a very good account of those at Cape-Fear. Surely Administration must intend more than five thousand men for the Southern District, otherwise they must have a very contemptible opinion of those Colonies, or have great expectations from the Indians, slaves, and Tories. We expect a very bloody summer at New-York and Canada, as it is there, I presume, the grand efforts of the enemy will be aimed; and I am sorry to say that we are not, either in men or arms, prepared for it. However, it is to be hoped that, if our cause is just, as I do most religiously believe it, to be, the same Providence which has in many instances appeared for us, will still go on to afford its aid. Your Convention are acting very wisely in removing the disaffected, and stores, from the Counties of Princess Anne and Norfolk; and are much to be commended for their attention to the manufacture of salt, saltpetre, and powder. No time nor expense should be spared to accomplish these things.

Mrs. Washington is now under inoculation in this city, and will, I expect, have the small-pox favourably. This is the thirteenth day, and she has very few pustules. She would have written to my sister, but thought it prudent not to do so, notwithstanding there could be but little danger of conveying the infection in this manner. She joins me in love to you and all the little ones.

I am, with every sentiment of regard, dear sir, your most affectionate brother,

GEORGE WASHINGTON.

To John Augustine Washington.

JOHN MACPHERSON TO PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

[Read June 4, 1776. Referred to Mr. Read and Mr. McKcan.]

Philadelphia, May 31, 1776.

HONOURABLE GENTLEMEN: Be pleased to spare me one quarter-cask of powder, to prove four howitzers and four sets of organs, which I have prepared for a vessel that I do not doubt will be of service to this country. Be pleased, also, to order my salary paid from the 17th of October last, as First Naval Commander in the American service, which station I obtained by the consent and agreement of the honourable gentlemen who were appointed to treat with me. I have received since in the service only four hundred and twenty dollars. The great expense I am now running to for the benefit of my country is the reason of my application at present.

I am, honourable gentlemen, your most obedient, most humble servant,

JOHN MACPHERSON.

To the Honourable Continental Congress.

The Committee to whom the within Letter was referred, beg leave to report: That they have examined the subscriber thereof respecting the contents, who alleged that he had a promise of being appointed Commander-in-Chief of the American Navy by Messrs. Randolph, Hopkins, and Rutledge, (a Committee of Congress,) to whom he communicated an important secret, but he produced no evidence in support of such allegation; and your Committee having inquired of Governour Hopkins about this promise, in the presence of Mr. Macpherson, he declared ho recollected nothing of the kind:

Therefore, Resolved, That the application is unreasonable.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER DATED NEW-YORK, MAY 31, 1776.

General Putnam has just shown me a letter from a gentleman in Salem, which very much concerns your place. The writer informs the General that Captain Chapman is arrived there (Salem) from St. Croix, who says that on the 10th instant, in latitude fifty-four degrees, longitude sixty-seven degrees twenty-four minutes, he fell in with a brig, the Captain of which told him that he sailed in company with a fleet of seventy transports, under convoy of two fifty-four and four forty-gun ships and two bomb-ketches, from which he parted the 5th in a hard gale of wind. The fleet had on board a large number of Hessians, Brunswick-ers, and English troops, all bound to Philadelphia, in order to disperse (as the Captain expresses himself) that hornets’ nest, the Congress; after which they were certain the continent would become a very easy prey. God grant that you may be prepared to receive this armament! General Putnam thinks that some troops will immediately march from hence to your assistance.