Market, that any internal broil should in the least obstruct the forwarding those things so absolutely necessary for the preservation of all that is dear to us. Probably a neglect of speedily reinforcing our northern Army may occasion the slaughter of our bosom friends and innocent offspring, while we are mingled in the common carnage. The truly forward and patriotick disposition often shown by the inhabitants of New-Market in the common cause convince the Committee that they will not now attend to any particular difficulty, and neglect the main object, while their neighbours are nobly exerting themselves at this important time. Therefore, they desire you will, with all possible speed, call a meeting of all the inhabitants of your town, and proceed to raise the men proportioned to you, in Colonel Gilman's regiment, at which time Colonel Gilman will attend, and lend you all the assistance in his power to accomplish so noble and so necessary a purpose.

To the Selectmen of New-Market.

COMMITTEE OF KITTERY TO COMMITTEE OF PORTSMOUTH, NEW-HAMPSHIRE.

Kittery, July 12, 1776.

GENTLEMEN: The Committee of Correspondence for this town have received a letter from the Committee of Correspondence for Boston of the following import, viz: that they have information and reason sufficient to induce them to believe that a communication has been kept up between the enemy's ships and some of our small boats, and that they have thought it necessary for the common safety to order that no vessel or boats be suffered in future to leave the town without special permission, and that they have confined the fishing-boats within the limits of one league from the shore. We therefore think it expedient to advise you of this measure recommended to us, as without your coming into a similar one it will be of no effect; wherefore we shall be much obliged to you for your opinion hereupon, and what method you propose to take respecting this matter; and are, with respect, your most humble servants.

In the name and in behalf of the Committee:

JOHN J. P. BARTLETT, Chairman.

CAPTAIN WICKES TO THE SECRET COMMITTEE OF CONGRESS.

On board the Reprisal, July 13, 1776.

GENTLEMEN: This will inform of a small addition to our good fortune in the prize way. We this day took Captain Muckelno in the schooner Peter, of Liverpool, from St. Vincent, bound to Liverpool, in Britain, loaded with rum, sugar, coffee, cocoa, and cotton. We also look Captain Mackey, in the ship Friendship, from Granada, bound to London, which I have written you of before, and send a copy of that letter. This schooner is ordered into one or either of the Egg Harbours, if she can get in there; if not, into any other port on the coast. I have given orders to Mr. Jeremiah Holden to send this letter and the proper papers and letters to you by express on his arrival in America. We had very little wind this two or three days past, and are but little farther on our way than when I wrote you last.

From, gentlemen, your most obliged and humble servant,

LAMBERT WICKES.

To the Committee of Secret Correspondence, Philadelphia.

WILLIAM FALCONER TO THE HON. ANTHONY FALCONER.

Camp Long-Island, July 13, 1776.

DEAR BROTHER: With the greatest difficulty I have procured this small piece of paper to inform you of my being very well, notwithstanding the miserable situation we are in. We have been encamped on this Island for this month past, and have lived upon nothing else but salt pork and pease. We sleep upon the sea-shore, nothing to shelter us from the violent rains but our coats and miserable paltry blankets. There is nothing that grows upon this Island, it being a mere sand-bank, and a few bushes which harbour millions of moschitoes—a greater plague than there can be in Hell itself.

By this sloop-of-war you will have an account of an action which happened on the 28th of June, between the ships and the fort on Sullivan's Island. The cannonade continued for about nine hours, and was perhaps one of the briskest known in the annals of war. We had two fifty-gun ships and five frigates, from twenty-four to thirty guns, playing on the fort, I may say without success, for they did the battery no manner of damage, and killed fifteen and wounded betwixt forty and fifty. Our ships are in the most mangled situation you can conceive. The Acteon, a thirty-gun frigate, run aground during the action, and as it was impossible to get her off, we were obliged to burn and blow her up. Our killed and wounded amounts to betwixt two and three hundred. Numbers die daily of their wounds. The Commodore is wounded in two different places. His Captain lost his left arm and right hand, and was wounded in different parts of his body—he lived but two days after the action. Captain Scott, of the Experiment, of fifty guns, died of his wounds, and numbers of the other officers.

If the ships could have silenced the battery, the Army was to have made an attack on the back of the Island, where they had about one thousand men intrenched up to their eyes, besides a small battery of four guns, one eighteen-pounder and three four-pounders, all loaded with grape-shot, so that they would have killed half of us before we could have made our landing good.

We are now expecting to embark for New-York, to join General Howe with the grand Army. My anxiety to inform you of bad news had wellnigh made me forget to mention our passage to Cape-Fear, where we arrived safely the first of May, after a voyage of three months. Though it was long, yet it was not disagreeable after we got out of the bay of Biscay, where we met with the worst weather ever known at sea, and continued in that situation for sixteen days; after that time we had very fine weather all along; sometimes we were becalmed for four or five days together, not going above ten knots a day. Upon our arrival in Cape-Fear we disembarked, and were encamped in the woods until the 27th of May, when we went on board again, and sailed for this infernal place. The oldest of the officers do not remember of ever undergoing such hardships as we have done since our arrival here.

I hope you will be so good as to watch every opportunity to let me hear from you and Mrs. Falconer, and at the same time to inform me how I shall do in case I shall be obliged to purchase my Lieutenancy. I beg you will make my excuse to my dear sister for not writing to her at this time; it is not owing to want of affection, but to the want of proper materials. I am obliged to write on the ground. You will be so good as to let Captain Falconer know the same thing. I shall write again from New-York.

I am, dear sir, your most affectionate brother,

WILLIAM FALCONER.

To the Hon. Anthony Falconer, at Montrose, Scotland.

The foregoing Letter was found on Long-Island, South-Carolina, and forwarded to Congress, and is now made publick by order of Congrese.

JOHN HANCOCK,President.

August 29, 1776.

JOHN PAGE TO MARYLAND COUNCIL OF SAFET.

Williamsburgh, July 13, 1776.

SIR: As the enemy's fleet has been driven from their station, and their forces obliged to abandon Gwin's Island, and we are informed they will endeavour to possess themselves of some place on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, we have thought it prudent to give you the earliest intimation thereof. A battery of two eighteen-pounders played on their ships, and a few rounds forced them to retire. Four nine-pounders silenced their batteries, raked their camp, and threw them into the greatest confusion; on which our men, as soon as boats could be procured, passed over to the Island, which the enemy abandoned with precipitation, carrying with them all their cannon, except one; two of their tenders fell into our hands. The ship Dunmore was so much damaged, that it is said she was burnt the night after the cannonade. They were obliged to destroy two other vessels. We congratulate you on the success of the American arms in South-Carolina. By this express you will be fully informed of Sir Peter Parker's repulse.

I am, sir, your most obedient servant,

JOHN PAGE, Pt. Council.

To the Honourable President of the Council of Safety of Maryland, Annapolis.