night, and about the same time with Mr. Arnold and the remainder of the Rebels returning from Montreal. The next day the troops landed, and marched by La Prairie towards St. Johns. The advance guard was supported by all the English remaining, after the dispositions already mentioned, under the command of Major-General Phillips, and this division followed by two regiments of the Brunswick troops, and that of Hanau, commanded by Major-General Riedesel. The advance guard arrived the morning of the 19th instant near to St. Johns, when they learned that the head of Lieutenant-General Burgoyne’s column had taken possession of the redoubts the night before. They found all the buildings in flames; all the craft and large boats the Rebels could not drag up the Rapids of Chambly, with some provisions, were also burned. I hear twenty-two pieces of cannon are left behind, hid in the woods. Several other marks appear of great precipitation and fright; on this occasion I think they had no small cause. All his Majesty’s national and foreign troops showed a great zeal and eagerness to overtake the Rebels; and I doubt not but they would have given every proof of fidelity and valour, had the enemy delayed their retreat a little longer. The corps of artillery showed great diligence likewise on the occasion. There were brigades which marched with both columns: Brigadier Frazer’s corps crossed from the north, and fell into the rear of the two columns on the south side; they were also joined by numbers of Canadians, and that on the right by many Indians.

Captain Lemaitre will have the honour to present to your Lordship these despatches; he is an intelligent officer, and well qualified to give any further information of the transactions in this Province; I shall take the liberty to recommend him to your Lordship as an officer of merit.

I am, &c.,

GUY CARLETON.

ORDER IN COUNCIL.

At the Court at St. James’s, the 21st day of June, 1776: Present: The King’s Most Excellent Majesty in Council.

Whereas his Majesty was graciously pleased, by his Royal Proclamation bearing date the 22d day of March last, to promise and declare, that the Bounties of three Pounds for every Able Seaman, and of two Pounds for every Ordinary Seaman fit for his Majesty’s service, should be paid, in the manner thereby directed, to every such Able and Ordinary Seaman not above the age of fifty nor under the age of eighteen years, who should, on or before the 13th day of April then following, enter themselves to serve in his Majesty’s Royal Navy, either with the Captains or Lieutenants of his Majesty’s ships, or the chief officers on board such tenders as should be employed for raising men for the service of the Royal Navy: And whereas the time thereby limited was, by order in Council, prolonged and extended from the said 30th day of April to the 30th day of this instant June: And it being judged expedient for his Majesty’s service that the said Bounties should be continued to be paid for some longer time, his Majesty, with the advice of his Privy Council, doth therefore order, and it is hereby accordingly ordered, that the time limited for payment of the said Bounties be prolonged and extended from the said 30th day of this instant, June, to the 31st day of August next, inclusive. Whereof all persons concerned are to take notice, and govern themselves accordingly.

G. CHETWYND.

LORD GEORGE GERMAINE TO GENERAL HOWE.

Whitehall, June 21, 1776.

SIR: Since my letter to you of the 1lth instant, acknowledging the receipt of your despatches of the 7th and 12th of May, by the Harriott packet, I have received no letter from you; but we are happily relieved from our anxiety lest the troops should suffer from the want of provisions, by the accounts received by private persons of a later date, which mention the arrival of the transports from Antigua, and of the Greyhound, with five victuallers from Cork, and that you had given orders for everything to be in readiness to leave Halifax on the 28th.

What adds greatly to the satisfaction of these accounts, is the intelligence we have received that the transports, with the Highland troops, were within a week’s sail of Boston on the 21st; and Commodore Hotham, who has the first division of the Hessian forces under his convoy, acquaints the Admiralty, in a letter dated the 5th of June, that he had then made half his passage to Rhode-Island. We have little doubt, therefore, that the Highlanders will have joined you before you can have arrived at New-York, and so seasonable a reinforcement must have given fresh spirits and confidence to the troops, and greatly facilitated your taking possession of that place.

The second division of the Hessians are now at Spithead, and everything is in readiness for their proceeding to New-York, under convoy of four of his Majesty’s ships.

The Sixteenth Regiment of light dragoons, and the remount horses for the Seventeenth, together with the draught horses for the baggage and the artillery, and four hundred and two German recruits, go with them, and such part of a body of five hundred British recruits, which is collected at Chatham and Dover, as can get round in time, have orders to join them.

In my letter of the 11th instant, I acquainted you that General Carleton would have orders to send back the Forty-Seventh Regiment, which you had spared him for the relief of Quebeck, or to replace it with some other from the Army under his command; but, upon further consideration, it is thought more expedient to allow the regiments which are already in Canada to remain there, and to replace the Forty-Seventh from hence, by sending you the Prince of Waldeck’s Regiment, which was intended to have gone with the second division of the Brunswick troops to Quebeck, and that regiment is accordingly ordered to sail with the Hessians, and General Carleton is informed of this arrangement, and directed to consider the former orders as recalled in consequence of it.

Enclosed you will receive the embarcation returns of the Hessians and Waldeck Regiment, and also of the four hundred and two German recruits; and I have the pleasure to add, that the several corps are in excellent condition, very well appointed, and express the greatest willingness for the service.

As we are to hope you have now got footing in New-York, and that you will be able to draw some part of the supplies for your Army from that Province, the continuance of so large a number of transports as these embarcations will furnish you with cannot be necessary; and as the expense is very great it is highly proper that so many of them as can be spared should be discharged as soon as possible; and as the direction of the transport service is in the Commander-in-Chief of his Majesty’s ships, you will acquaint him, from time to time, with the number which you find necessary, in order that no more may be continued in pay than the exigencies of the service require.

On all accounts, the foreign ships ought to be the first discharged; and as there is good ground to suspect, from the conduct of the masters, that they have stores of different kinds concealed on board, it will be very proper that their holds be carefully examined so soon as the troops and horses are disembarked, and that when they are discharged, the Admiral should order them to be seen a good distance from the coast by some of his Majesty’s ships, and to acquaint them that if they are afterwards met with nearer shore, they will be made prize of.

I am, &c,

GEORGE GERMAINE.

LORD GEORGE GERMAINE TO GOVERNOUR CARLETON.

Whitehall, June 21, 1776.

SIR: I received on the 10th instant your letter of May 14, together with the copy of a letter which you wrote to General Howe on 12th January.

The impossibility of sending succours to you sooner having occasioned me great and constant anxiety, I could not but derive much pleasure from the perusal of the first paragraph of your letter, wherein you inform me of the arrival of the Surprise frigate, Isis, and sloop Martin, in the basin of Quebeck on the 6th ultimo, as I was confident that even the small reinforcement which those vessels were able to convey to you would be sufficient to raise the siege.

The state of readiness for action in which the succours found your garrison, as well as the ardour and alacrity with which you so directly marched out to attack the Rebels, do you infinite honour. I sincerely congratulate you on the success of the day, and am happy to have it in command