station at the mouth of the river to receive the Governour, and that we think it prudent that they delay coming down till the man-of-war departs.

We are, &c.

To Mr. Joseph Middleton.

GENERAL WASHINGTON TO PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
[Read June 25, 1776.]

New-York, June 23, 1776.

SIR: I herewith transmit you an extract of a letter from General Ward, which came to hand by last night’s post, containing the agreeable intelligence of their having obliged the King’s ships to leave Nantasket Road, and of two more transports being taken by our armed vessels, with two hundred and ten Highland troops on board. I sincerely wish the like success had attended our arms in another quarter, but it has not. In Canada the situation of our affairs is truly alarming.

The enclosed copies of Generals Schuyler, Sullivan, and Arnold’s letters will inform you that General Thompson has met with a repulse at Three Rivers, and is now a prisoner in the hands of General Burgoyne, who, these accounts say, is arrived with a considerable army; nor do they seem to promise an end of our misfortunes here. It is greatly to be feared that the next advices from thence will be that our scattered, divided, and broken Army, as you will see by the return, have been obliged to abandon the country and retreat, to avoid a greater calamity than that of being cut off or becoming prisoners. I will be done upon the subject, and leave you to draw such conclusions as you conceive, from the state of facts, are most likely to result, only adding my apprehensions that one of the latter events—either that they are cut off or become prisoners—has already happened, if they did not retreat while they had an opportunity. General Schuyler and General Arnold seem to think it extremely probable; and if it has taken place, it will not be easy to describe all the fatal consequences that may flow from it; at least our utmost exertions will be necessary to prevent the advantages they have gained to be turned to our greater misfortunes. General Gates will certainly set out to-morrow, and would have been gone before now had he not expected to receive some particular instructions from Congress, and which Colonel Barton said he imagined would be given and transmitted here.

Enclosed is a copy of a letter from General Arnold respecting some of the Indian tribes to General Schuyler, and of a talk had at Albany with thirteen of the Oneidas. They seemed there to entertain a friendly disposition towards us, which I wish may not be changed by the misfortunes we have sustained in Canada.

I have the honour to be, with sentiments of the highest esteem, sir, your most obedient servant,

GEORGE WASHINGTON.

To the Hon. John Hancock, Esq.

SIR: The 13th instant, at evening, I ordered five hundred men, with proper officers, a detachment of the train, with a thirteen-inch mortar, two eighteen-pounders, and some small cannon, under the command of Colonel Whitcomb, to take post on Long-Island, to annoy the enemy’s ships. The necessary works were thrown up in the night, and the next morning our cannon and mortar began to play upon the pirates, which soon drove them all out of the harbour. The fleet consisted of about thirteen in number—the Renown, of fifty guns, several smaller ships of war, and some transports with Highlanders on board. As near as we could judge, there were about eight hundred troops on board the transports. They blew up the Light-House as they went off, and then put to sea with their fleet. I think it probable they will leave some frigates to cruise in the bay.

A number of the Colony troops and Militia were to have thrown up some works the same night on Pettick’s Island and Nantasket Head, but by some unfortunate obstructions, they did not get their cannon ready in time; however, they gave the enemy a number of shot as the ships passed through the channel. Our shot cut away some of their yards and rigging, and several went into the ships’ sides, but the shells from the mortar terrified them most. They returned a few shot from the Commodore’s ship without any effect, and got under sail with all expedition.

P. S. June 17th. —I have just received information that the Continental privateers have taken and brought into Nantasket, in this harbour, a ship and a brig from Glasgow, with two hundred and ten Highlanders on board, with their baggage. The ship mounted six carriage-guns, and fought the privateers some time before she struck. We had four men wounded; the enemy had three privates killed, and a Major and eight or ten men wounded. The prisoners are coming up to town, among whom is a Colonel. Any further particulars that may be of importance I shall forward as soon as I can learn them.

Sorel, June 8, 1776.

DEAR GENERAL: At three quarters after eleven o’clock this forenoon, I received a letter from General Thompson, of which the enclosed is a copy. I find that he has proceeded in the manner proposed, and made his attack on the troops at Three Rivers at daylight; for at that time a very heavy cannonading began, which lasted, with some intervals, to twelve o’clock. It is now near one, P. M., the firing has ceased, except some irregular firing with cannon, at a considerable distance of time one from the other. At eight o’clock, a very heavy firing of small-arms was heard even here, at the distance of forty-five miles; the distance might have rendered it doubtful, had not the boats down the bay, which have since arrived, confirmed it, and declared that they distinctly heard the small-arms for a long time. I am almost certain that victory has declared in our favour, as the irregular firing of the cannon for such a length of time after the small-arms ceased, shows that our men are in possession of the ground. I should immediately set off to join General Thompson, with Colonel De Haas’s detachment; but by some strange kind of conduct in General Arnold, directly contrary to repeated orders, he has kept that detachment dancing between this and Montreal ever since my arrival. Some of the officers this moment arrived inform me that he let them come within eighteen miles of this place, and ordered them back again. He has now permitted them to pass to Chambly, and I expect them here this evening, when I shall immediately set off with them to join General Thompson. I am now informed by Mr. McCarty that General Arnold has abandoned Montreal, and gone to Chambly with all the troops. I hope this report is not just, as the step must in every light be imprudent and injudicious; it leaves that quarter entirely without a check, and gives cur enemies liberty to assemble and form any mischievous designs they please, without interruption. I hear that the report at Montreal yesterday was, that the enemy had passed us at Sorel, and were passing up the river. This gave them the alarm, and caused them to abandon the city. I wish it may not prove true; but as it is so much of apiece with former conduct, I cannot help giving some degree of credit. Notwithstanding the weakness of this post, occasioned by the strange delay of Colonel De Haas, I have sent Colonel Winds with his regiment to reinforce General Thompson. This I did this morning at eight o’clock. They have joined him before now, I trust. I hope soon to follow, with more force, to maintain the ground which, I dare say, our troops have won. We hear no firing now, except a few cannon at a great distance of time between, sometimes half an hour’s space at least. This, with many other circumstances, induces me to believe our troops are victorious. I am anxious to know the event, which God grant may be fortunate. However, if our party have been, or should be defeated, I am determined not to leave Canada, but to make vigilance and industry supply the want of numbers. I am determined to fortify and secure the most important posts, and hold them as long as one stone is left upon another.

It is a serious truth that our Army is extremely weak. Colonel Greaton is with me, without a single man, all under inoculation; Colonel Bond, with all his regiment, in the same situation; Colonel Patterson has six only; Colonel Stark about forty; Colonel Reed’s and Colonel Poor’s nearly in the same situation. Poor is at St. Johns, Reed at Chambly. Colonel Burrel’s return I sent in my last, and the other regiments are most of them in the same situation; for this Colony, it seems, has of late been considered the general hospital of America. The party with General