are, if we are not soon reinforced, I tremble for the event; a loss of our heavy cannon, which is all ordered to Sorel, must ensue, if not our Army, as our retreat is far from being secured. Not one stroke has been struck to secure our encampment here; I have ordered men out to-morrow morning to enclose our encampment and the two old forts with an abettis and breastwork. Dr. Stringer is in a disagree able situation.—three thousand men are sick here and at Chambly, and no room or conveniency for them. I should advise his going to the Isle-aux-Noix, was there any conveniency for the sick, or boards to make any. I have written General Sullivan on the occasion. I have ordered the frames of the vessels here taken in pieces and sent to Crown Point; the timbers are all numbered and easily put together again.

If any more men are ordered for this country, let me en treat you to hurry them on and all the water-craft.

I am, dear General, your affectionate, obedient, humble servant,

B. ARNOLD.

Chambly, June 13, 1776, 10 o’clock P. M.

DEAR GENERAL : Since writing the foregoing, I arrived here, and met Dr. Center, who left Sorel at twelve o’clock this day; he informs me that General Thompson, Colonel Irwin, Doctors McKenney and McCaulcy, Lieutenants Bird and Curry, are prisoners, and about forty men missing. Ge neral Thompson has written for his baggage, which has been sent to him. Burgoyne is with the enemy. Seventy transports, and, by the best accounts, ten thousand troops, are arrived in Quebeck. The whole force we can collect does not exceed four thousand effectives, when they are all collected; and I have written General Sullivan my opinion very freely, which is, to collect our whole force at St. Johns immediately, and secure our retreat. I am told his intention is to remain at Sorel until attacked by the enemy. I believe there will be little danger of it. I make no doubt the ene my will pass Sorel, and as soon as in possession of Montreal, march immediately for St. Johns, and endeavour to cut off our retreat, in which case, if we save our Army, the cannon and heavy baggage must fall into the hands of the enemy. All the craft on your side of the Lake, in my opinion, ought immediately to be sent to St. Johns, and a number of gondolas built as soon as possible to guard the Lake. You may expect soon to hear of our evacuating Canada, or being prisoners. I go to Montreal in the morning, where I shall remain until I have orders to quit it, or am attacked, when it will be too late.

I am, respectfully, dear General, yours, &c.,

B. ARNOLD.

To General Schuyler.

GENERAL WASHINGTON TO COMMITTEE OF ESSEX COUNTY,
NEW-JERSEY.

New-York, June 23, 1776.

GENTLEMEN : The absolute necessity of preventing all correspondence between the inhabitants of this country and our enemies, obliges me to procure every degree of intelligence that leads to the channel of such intercourse. Dr. William Burnet, of Newark, can inform you of certain insinuations and charges against part of the Army under my command, as if they were liable to bribery and corruption in permit ting persons to go from Staten-Island to the men-of-war at or near Sandy-Hook; and as the person from whom he has received his intelligence resides at Newark, within the district of your Committee, I must request it as a matter of great importance that your Committee will, as soon as pos sible, call on David Ogden, Esq., to declare who the person was who informed him that he had engaged the guard of the Riflemen at Staten-Island to carry him on board the men-of-war, with all the circumstances within his know ledge; and also that you do call on the person whom he points out to be his informant, to declare every circumstance within his knowledge relative to the matter.

To William Burnet, Esq., Chairman, &c.

GENERAL WASHINGTON TO COLONEL JAMES CLINTON.

Head-Quarters, New-York, June 23, 1776.

SIR : Yours of the 20th and 22d instant are both safe to hand. The person you were to seize by warrant, you are immediately to send, with the papers, to this place, in charge of an officer you can confide in; in this no time is to be lost. It is out of my power to assist you in procuring arms; must, therefore, urge you to make application to the Convention, Committees, &c, who, I hope, will supply you. Your letter of the 20th I shall answer the first opportunity. Am in haste, sir, your most humble servant,

GEORGE WASHINGTON.

To Colonel James Clinton, at Fort Constitution.

GENERAL WASHINGTON TO GENERAL WARD.

New-York, June 23, 1776.

SIR: By last night’s post I was favoured with yours of the 16th instant, containing the interesting intelligence of your having obliged the King’s ships to quit their station, and of the further capture of two vessels from Glasgow with Highland troops on board. These events are extremely pleasing, and I flatter myself the former will be attended with salutary consequences. It will give our little squadron a better opportunity of safely bringing in such prizes as they may have the fortune to take, and be the means of more transports and other of their vessels falling in our hands, in all probability. The scheme of a decoy-ship may answer many good purposes, and if we get a few more of the thirty two transports, in addition to those we have already, the Highland corps will be pretty well broken and disconcerted.

In respect to a Paymaster and payment of the troops, Congress have informed me, in a letter of the 14th inst., that they have appointed Ebenezer Hancock, Esq., to that office, and that the day after money would be sent him for paying the troops in the Eastern Department. I hope it will arrive in a few days, that their claims may be discharged, and the grounds of their dissatisfaction removed.

The invalids you mention may be turned over to other regiments, till further orders, taking notice of the time and a list of their names, and transmitting them to the Colonels or commanding officers of the respective regiments to which they belonged, that they may not be included in their abstracts after that time and double pay be drawn for them.

I have enclosed you copies of sundry resolves of Congress, which I request you to communicate to the persons they respect, that they may govern themselves accordingly. That about vessels taken which sailed from Boston with effects while the King’s troops possessed it, you will transmit to the different agents for the Continental armed vessels, and that respecting ordnance stores to Commodore Manly. I have sent the original invoice of them, and do appoint  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  to act in behalf of the Continent, in. con junction with such person as the Commodore shall choose, for ascertaining their value; this you will please to notify him of. They must be qualified as the resolve directs, and pursue the mode pointed out by it. When the valuation is made, they will annex the report under their hands to the invoice, and deliver them to you in order to their being far warded to me. The report may mention that they were sworn, and by whom. I am, &c.,

GEORGE WASHINGTON.

GENERAL GATES TO DR. FRANKLIN.
[Read June 28, 1776, before the Board of War.]

New-York, June 23, 1776.

DEAR SIR : This will be presented you by the Chevalier de Kermovan, who left Old France on the 6th of April, and arrived about fourteen days ago at Stonington, by the way of Cape Francois. He desires me to acquaint you that his views are truly patriotick, and that he neither seeks reward or honour but as he shall merit. He has letters for you and Doctor Rush; they probably will speak more for him than I can presume to do. He professes being an engineer, and to have served all the last war with the Turks in that line.

I set out to-morrow afternoon or Tuesday morning for Albany, but have not yet received either instructions or the resolves from Congress.

I am, dear sir, your affectionate humble servant,

HORATIO GATES.

To the Honourable Doctor Benjamin Franklin, Member of the Continental Congress, at Philadelphia.