now all retreated safely to St. John's, and the enemy at Montreal and Chambly. We then sent the sick and some of the stores to the Isle-aux-Noix, the Isle-au-Motte, and Point-au-Fer, not having boats to carry the whole Army and stores at once; and as soon as the boats came back, the whole Army embarked and went to the Isle-aux-Noix. Here, what boats could be spared were sent to Crown-Point with sick and stores, as a great part of the Army were sick, many with the small-pox, and many of those who had had it were sick with the flux. Here we were obliged to wait for boats eight days, where we could get nothing but pork and flour. The island being small, not more than one mile in length, and a quarter of a mile in width, the land low, the days hot, and at night great dews, and such a number of men on so small a spot, and many of them sick—the place stunk enough to breed an infection.

At length the boats returned from Crown-Point. We were ordered to strike our tents, and put all our baggage on board, and the invalids who were not able to march by land. Those of our regiment who were well, and about a thousand more, were set over to the west side, to go by land to Point-au-Fer, about twenty-six miles. During our stay at the Me-aux-Noix, there went a number of officers about a mile below to a house to drink spruce beer; but unfortunately were beset by a party of Indians, who killed and scalped one ensign, one captain, and two privates, and took several prisoners. We heard the guns, and saw the fire. A party was immediately sent to their assistance; but the enemy were gone, and had left the dead stripped all to their shirts. They were brought to the Isle-ma-Noix, and decently buried. They all belonged to the rifle regiment. The Indians attacked several boats on the lake, that went above after some flour, killed two or three men, and wounded six more; the others escaped. About noon, we marched for Point-au-Fer, and soon came where there was only an Indian path, and a wet swamp, which was for a great distance almost up to our knees in mud and water. Besides this, it rained very hard all the afternoon. At dark, we came out against a bay in the lake, within about six miles of Point-au-Fer. We had now nothing but the ground to lie on, and the heavens to cover us; and what with the rain, sweat, and mud, we had but little about us that was dry. We soon built fires, and dried ourselves as well as we could, and then lay down to rest with our feet to the fire. I slept very well, and got up in the morning refreshed. The weather cleared off pleasant; we got some breakfast; and about nine o'clock, there came boats enough to take us all off. The remainder of the Army came in batteaus from the Isle-aux-Noix, and all arrived at the Isle-au-Motte that night. We soon had boats enough to carry the whole Army to Crown-Point, and, I think, nothing remarkable happened till we arrived there.

I am afraid that the retreat from Canada will make a threat noise in the country, and many reflections be thrown out by inconsiderate and ill-minded persons; but I am sure that any person of sense, when he comes to know the truth, must be satisfied. Some scandalous reflections have been thrown out upon General Thomas for his proceedings; but I am sorry the character of so worthy a gentleman as he was should suffer by men who are striving for places they are not worthy of. There is one thing I have omitted, which is this: that a great part of the Army at Quebeck inlisted for no longer than the 1st of April, and, as soon as their time was out, would stay no longer. I am very sure that the state of the Army in Canada has never been rightly represented. They have been shamefully neglected and imposed upon through the means of some persons who were appointed to provide for them. You will find, in the New-England Chronicle of the 27th of June, a passage in a letter from General S——r, where he says that the Army in Canada has been well provided for, that the inhabitants were very kind to them, and sup-plied them with everything necessary, &c.; the whole of which is false; for we had never yet drawn any allowance but pork and flour or bread, except once a few peas at Sorel, and what I have before mentioned; and had we the money for what the vegetables and other things allowed us by the resolve of Congress have fallen short, it would now amount to more than two thousand dollars in our regiment. It is not the money I mind, but it is what we have suffered for want of those necessaries.

I will now endeavour to give you some description of the country. It is full of navigable rivers. The land is very good on them, but the buildings are but mean. The land a little back of the rivers is unsettled, and appears to he very poor. The river St. Lawrence is sufficient for a large fleet of ships to come up to Montreal, one hundred and eighty miles from Quebeck. The river Sorel is navigable up to Chambly; besides many others which empty into the St. Lawrence. Till we have a fleet sufficient to come into the mouth of the river, it will be impossible for us to do anything in Canada. Had we taken Quebeck, we could not have kept it, as the enemy could come in with their fleet, and cut off all communication; and nothing has hurt our cause so much as coming to Canada, where, in my opinion, we had nothing to promise ourselves. Our Army have very much imposed upon the inhabitants, and promised them, what they could never perform, which will set them against us; whereas, if we had never concerned ourselves with them, they would at least have remained neuter; and if, instead of spending our time, lives, and health, in Canada, we had been fortifying our own frontiers, we should now have been able to repel any force they could send.

We have lost a vast number of men with the small-pox, it being very mortal to those who took it the natural way; but our regiment has been remarkably preserved, and my company in particular. We have lost ten or eleven in the regiment, and those took the disease in the natural way. I led a company of seventy-six men into Canada, and brought them all out, seventy-four of whom had the small-pox while we remained there. One lad, belonging to the Cape, who thought he had had it before, took it the natural way, and died here at Crown-Point.

July 10. We have now been at Crown-Point eight days, and the sick considerably longer; and since their arrival, we have buried great numbers—some days not less than fifteen or twenty; but few have died, except with the small-pox. Some regiments which did not inoculate have lost many; and Colonel Read, in particular, says that, by the time it has gone through his regiment, he shall lose one-third of them. When we first came to this place, our men were very feeble. Besides all their fatigue, they were followed with severe fluxes. But they recruit very fast, having good ground to encamp upon, and good water to drink, and some fresh provisions; but have not yet had any vegetables of any kind. Here are likewise sutlers who have spirits of all kinds—wines, sugar, chocolate, &c:, to sell, though at a very dear rate—sugar three shillings, lawful money, per pound, Sc.

These are only the outlines; to relate every particular, would fill a volume; but I fear I have tired your petience already.

Your sincere friend and brother,

CHAS. CUSHING.

P. S. Please to give my regards to Colonel Lincoln, Mr. Andrews, Mr. Norton, and all friends, and let as many of them see this letter as have a mind to; for I have nothing against any one seeing it but the irregularity with which it is put together.

Hartford, July 8, 1776.

Last Wednesday passed through this place Governour Franklin, of New-Jersey, on his way to Governour Trumbull, at Lebanon; and last Saturday he returned from Lebanon to Wallingford, where he is stationed.

Friday last, a pack of Tory prisoners, forty-nine in number, taken some time since at Johnstown, were brought to this town, under a guard, from Albany, and delivered to the Committee for the disposition of prisoners in this Colony. We hear a number more of the same clan are on their way to this place.

Several regiments of Foot, ordered to be raised in this Colony, together with three regiments of the troop of Light-horse, have marched for New-York, to assist in the defence of the capital of that invaded Province.

Last week, twenty-two prisoners, taken from on board a barge belonging to the British fleet, as they were sounding the channel below New-York, arrived safe at Farmington.

ELISHA CORNISH TO GOVERNOUR TRUMBULL.

Symsbury, July 8, 1776.

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR HONOUR: The Committee of Inspection of this town, in conjunction with sundry of the