General Gates having read this and General Schuyler’s letter to his Excellency General Washington, agreed that the matter was fairly and fully stated, and therefore declined writing.

Isle-aux-Noix, June 24, 1776.

DEAR GENERAL: Before this comes to hand you will have received mine by General Arnold, acquainting you with our retreat to this place. Your favour of the 17th instant enclosing his Excellency’s letter, came to hand this evening.

I am much obliged for the power you have been pleased to delegate to me, of which I shall make a proper use against the persons you mention, provided their crimes turn out as I apprehend. They are now under trial, and I trust the result will be known to-morrow. This cowardly affair, together with the want of discipline, and that infernal disorder the small-pox, has ruined our Army. Believe me, dear General, that when I ordered the sick people from hence to Crown Point, many regiments were obliged to apply for men to be drafted from other regiments to row them away, they not having well men enough for that purpose. Those that remain here, owing to their fatigue and want of fresh provisions, are daily dropping off like the Israelites before the destroying angel. The officers to a man are daily bawling aloud to go on to Crown Point, to fortify there and recruit the Army. I am, for my own part, now convinced that this step must be taken, or the Army will be lost, not by the enemy, but by sickness. I have this day viewed Windmill Point and Point-au-Fer, and think that garrisons at either place, or both, would be useless, the former being a low sunken piece of ground and the river so wide that cannon cannot command it; the latter is three miles from this point, and there the river is still wider; so that if garrisons were at these places the enemy might pass, either by water or land, without regarding them. I had four boats in company with me on my return, two of which crossed astern and the people went on shore. I heard a firing about two or three miles astern, but could not guess what it was. I have since learned that the people were attacked by the Indians and the batteaus taken. I cannot give full credence to this at present, as I think the firing must have been further off; however, as the batteaus have not yet arrived, I have sent a party after them, and shall soon know the truth of this report. This afternoon before my return, a party of officers and men, who had carelessly ventured to a French house about half a mile below this Island without their arms, were attacked by a party of Indians and two Canadians, who killed and took seven officers and four or five privates. We find these fellows have lined our shores to watch our batteaus. I shall take care to guard them well, and am now sending off a strong party of Riflemen to scourge the rascals for their insolence. Colonel Wayne, with a party, followed those who attacked and killed the officers, but could not overtake them; he recovered the batteaus and five dead bodies, scalped and mangled in a shocking manner. I shall give you the particulars as soon as it can be done with certainty.

Dear General, believe me to be, with much respect and esteem, your most obedient servant,

JOHN SULLIVAN.

To General Schuyler.

GENERAL ORDERS.

Head-Quarters, New-York, July 1, 1776.

The General Court-Martial, whereof Colonel Parsons is President, is dissolved. A General Court-Martial of the line, consisting of one Colonel, one Lieutenant-Colonel, one Major, and ten Captains, to sit to-morrow morning, at ten o’clock, to try all such prisoners as shall be brought before them. All witnesses and other persons concerned to attend the Court. Field-Officers for the above General Court-Martial: Colonel Reed, President, Lieutenant-Colonel Clarke, and Major Sprout.

John Lynch, of Captain Benezet’s Company, and Colonel Magaw’s Regiment, convicted by a General Court-Martial of “striking and wounding an Officer of Colonel Shea’s Battalion,” and Richard Neal and James Higgins, of Captain Stephenson’s Independent Company of Riflemen, being convicted by the same Court-Martial, whereof Colonel Parsons was President, of “striking and abusing several Officers of the Twentieth Regiment,” were sentenced by the Court to receive thirty-nine lashes each.

The General approves the sentences, and orders them to be put in execution at such time and place as the Commanding Officer of their respective Corps shall direct.

A working party of nine hundred men, from Generals Heath’s, Spencer’s, and Lord Stirling’s Brigades, and the same proportion from General Scott’s, to turn out at five o’clock, A. M.; Huntington’s, Ward’s, Nixon’s, and Webb’s Regiments to work at the Redoubts on Jews-Hill Plain and Bayard’s Hill, to be allowed one hour for breakfast, three for dinner, and to work till sunset; Parsons’s Regiment to work on the well, under Captain Chapman’s directions; Learned’s, Wylly’s, and Bailey’s Regiments to go to Governour’s Island; Learned’s to take axes from the Laboratory; Prescott’s Regiment to work as Huntington’s, and turn out the whole off duty, the picket not excepted; Prescott’s Regiment is required to be more attentive to duty, not having furnished their complement at the works for two weeks till yesterday; Baldwin’s Regiment to work at Red-Hook, and take tools from the Laboratory; General Scott’s Brigade, McDougall’s, Ritzema’s, and Reed’s Regiments, to receive orders at the Laboratory in the morning. All working parties to work till sunset, and those Regiments not otherwise directed to parade by six o’clock, A. M.

The Troops in rotation to be allowed to fire two Cartridges per man, in such a manner and at such time as the respective Brigadiers may direct. The Brigadiers to give notice to the General of their several determinations on this head.

William Hurly, of Captain Parke’s Company, and of the Regiment late Learned’s, tried by the above Court-Martial for firing on and wounding, without cause, one Peter Child, a citizen, was acquitted. The General approves thereof, and orders him to be discharged.

After Orders—The whole Army to be under arms tomorrow morning, at daylight, on their Regimental parades, with their full Ammunition ready for action. The Militia of the City will parade at their usual places, and take their orders from the Brigadier-General commanding in that quarter. The Artificers, and such Militia and other Troops as are arrived in town, and have no other destination, are to parade on the Common in front of the Park of Artillery, and take their orders from Brigadier-General Lord Stirling. Colonel Nixon, with his Regiment, is to proceed, as soon as possible in the morning, to Governour’s Island, and take the command there.

Head-Quarters, New-York, July 2, 1776.

General Mifflin is to repair to the post near King’s Bridge, and to use his utmost endeavours to forward the works there; General Scott in the mean time to perform the duty required of General Mifflin in the Orders of the 29th June.

No Sentries are to stop or molest the country people coming to market or going from it, but to be very vigilant in preventing soldiers leaving the Army.

Colonel Cortlandt, of the New-Jersey Brigade, is to send over five hundred of the Militia under his command, to reinforce General Greene’s Brigade; these troops are to be distinguished from the old Militia in future by being called New Levies. The Quartermaster-General to furnish them with Tents. The detachment from General Spencer’s Brigade to return when these get over. The Militia not under the immediate command of General Heard, are to be under that of General Mercer until the arrival of their own General Officer.

The time is now near at hand which must probably determine whether Americans are to be freemen or slaves; whether they are to have any property they can call their own; whether their houses and farms are to be pillaged and destroyed, and they consigned to a state of wretchedness, from which no human efforts will probably deliver them. The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and conduct of this Army. Our cruel and unrelenting enemy leaves us no choice but a brave resistance or the most abject submission. This is all we can expect. We have, therefore, to resolve to conquor or die. Our country’s honour calls upon us for a vigorous and manly exertion, and if we now shamefully fail, we shall become infamous to the whole

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