COMMITTEE ON PRISONERS TO JOHANNES SLEGHT.

New-York, June 29, 1776.

SIR: The Provincial Congress having appointed us a Committee to superintend the prisoners of the Continental Congress in this Colony and of the Congress of this Colony, and that we be authorized to employ proper persons to furnish the said prisoners with rations, agreeable to certain resolves of the Continental Congress of the 21st of May last, and generally to take care that the said prisoners be properly secured and disposed of, and treated with justice and humanity, —we beg leave to inform you that, by this conveyance, we send to your care, the following officers, taken on board a transport from Scotland, bound to Boston, who are prisoners on parole, a copy of which we enclose you, viz: Captain John Smith and Lieutenant Robert Franklin, of the Forty-Second Regiment, or Royal Highlanders, (Lord John Murray, Colonel;) Captain Norman McLeod, his lady, and maid; Lieutenant Rodorick McLeod; Ensign Colin Campbell and his lady; Robert Boyd, Surgeon’s Mate; and John McAlister, master of the Crawford transport.

By the resolutions of the Continental Congress of the 21st May last, all officers, as prisoners, are to supply themselves, and are allowed to draw bills to pay for their subsistence and clothing; and if officers cannot draw or sell their bills, the Congress (Continental) will allow for each of them two dollars a week for board and lodgings, to be repaid by said officers before they are released from their captivity. No tavern-keepers are to supply any officers who are prisoners on the credit of the continent.

Having informed you of the resolutions of the Continental Congress relative to officers, we doubt not those who are sent to your care will conduct themselves strictly agreeable to the engagements they have entered into on parole. Notwithstanding this confidence, we request that you will be particularly careful that they do not in the least violate them. You will be pleased to procure for them, at their own expense, good and sufficient board and lodgings, and see that they be treated with humanity. By the parole, the officers are not at liberty to correspond directly or indirectly with, or give any intelligence whatsoever to, the enemies of the United Colonies; therefore, all letters which they may be disposed to write must be delivered to you open, to be forwarded to us.

We are, sir, your most humble servants,

J. BROOME,
ROBERT VAN RENSSELAER.

Johannes Sleght, Esq., Chairman Committee, Kingston.

P. S. There are with the officers the following persons, their servants: Daniel McCollan, James McDonald., Donald Martin and Norman Shaw, servants of Captain McLeod, and Elizabeth Tullow.

Hartford, June 29, 1776.

Colony of CONNECTICUT, ss.

In Committee for superintending Prisoners stationed in this Colony:

Resolved, That no Prisoner stationed in this Colony, under the care of this Committee, whether officer, soldier, or others, may be absent from their respective lodgings or homes after it is dark in the evening, on pain of imprisonment. That all the prisoners of war who are now boarded or billeted out in the several towns in this Colony (commission officers excepted) be permitted to go to labour at their respective trades, &c., and to receive wages therefor, and likewise the billeting allowed by the Continental Congress; and that all such as are able and shall not choose labour as aforesaid, shall be reduced to the proper state of prisoners, by being confined and subsisted upon the billeting allowed by Congress. And that every person who shall contravene or endeavour to prevent: the execution of the above resolves, shall be dealt with and punished by imprisonment or otherwise, according to the demerit of his offence.

The above Resolves were passed, and are published by order of the Committee:

JESSE ROOT, Chairman.

DANIEL TILLINGHAST TO GENERAL WASHINGTON.

Providence, June 29, 1776.

SIR: By Captain Lippit, of this town, who is just arrived at Boston from Halifax, we have certain accounts that General Howe, with his troops and fleet, sailed from Halifax the 10th instant. No person was allowed to leave the town till four days after. He says the fleet consists of about one hundred and fifty sail, and that they left near twelve hundred sick at Halifax.

As there is a boat just about to push off from here for New-York, I thought it would not be improper to inform your Excellency of the above, as possibly this may reach you before you have any other accounts.

I am, with the greatest respect, your Excellency’s most obedient and very humble servant,

DANIEL TILLINGHAST, Agent.

To His Excellency General Washington.

BOSTON (MASSACHUSETTS) COMMITTEE.

Whereas the keeping up a correspondence with our inveterate enemies (particularly the Fleet and Army now employed against the United Colonies, or those open and avowed opposers of our rights, who have forfeited all title to our confidence and protection by seeking refuge under the power which has been long engaged in the destruction of this country) is in direct violation of the laws of this Colony, and may be attended with the most fatal consequences to the publick safety:

All persons, therefore, who may arrive in this town from Halifax, or any port or place in possession of, or infested by our said enemies, are hereby directed to leave their names, with all the letters they may bring with them, and a memorandum of their places of abode, with some member of this Committee, or at the office of Nathaniel Barber, Esq., as soon as may be after their arrival here. A non-compliance with this requisition will be deemed evidence of an unfriendly design in such person or persons against the interest of the United Colonies, and they will be proceeded against accordingly.

By order of the Committee:

JOHN BROWN, Chairman.

MESHECH WEARE TO JAMES WARREN.

Exeter, June 29, 1776.

SIR: By order of the Council and Assembly of this Colony, I am directed to make application to your General Court for the loan of a few cannon and thirty or forty barrels of gunpowder, and set forth our distressing circumstances for want of those articles.

The late alarming accounts from Canada have so threatening an aspect, that our settlers on the western frontiers (extending one hundred and fifty miles on Connecticut River) have, in many places, packed up their most valuable articles of furniture, Sic, ready to leave their settlements, and perhaps some have actually removed. Many expresses have arrived, and are now waiting for gunpowder, but we are not able to supply them, having lent the greatest part we were possessed of last summer to the Continental Army; and unless we can speedily supply them, that fertile country will be evacuated by the settlers, and your and our lower towns left open to the ravages of Canadians and Indians. In pursuance of a resolve of the Continental Congress we sent our Quartermaster to Boston and the environs, to look after the cannon, amounting to fifty heavy pieces, carried from us by the Ministerial troops; but, by his report, none could be found that he could challenge. Our fortifications are extensive and esteemed strong on the sea-coast and harbour, but have not cannon anywise sufficient to defend them against a considerable force.

When our powder-mill, which we hope will be completed in a short time, can furnish us, we will repay the powder, as we have considerable saltpetre on hand. Wherefore I desire you to lay this before your General Court, and most earnestly request their assistance in the premises.

Mr. Richard Champney, the bearer hereof, who goes express on this occasion, will wait the result of your Assembly thereon.

I am, very respectfully, sir, your most obedient servant.

MESHECH WEARE, Pres’t of Council.

To the Hon. James Warren, Esq., Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Massachusetts Colony.