appointed and sent to this Congress; but as you have, I presume, by that Declaration, closed the door of reconciliation, I must beg leave to resign my seat as a Delegate from New-York, and that I may be favoured with an answer and my dismission.

I have the honour to be, &c.

JOHN ALSOP.

In Provincial Congress of New-Jersey,

Trenton, July 16, 1776.

Ordered, That the several Township Committees throughout this Colony do immediately exert themselves in procuring Lead for the use of the Army now engaged in our defence, as the demand for that article is very great and pressing; that, to this end, they do forthwith collect all the Leaden Weights from Windows and Clocks, and all the Leaden Weights of Shops, Stores, and Mills, of one pound weight and upwards; also all other Lead in and about Houses and other places; and that they forward all the Lead which shall by them be so collected to the hands of Alexander Chambers, Abraham Hunt, David Pinkerton, and William Tucker, of Trenton; Hendrick Fisher, of Somerset County; Azariah Dunham, of New-Brunswick; John Ross, of Woodbridge; Isaac Woodruff, of Elizabethtown; and Dr. William Burnet, of Newark, or any of them, Commissioners appointed for purchasing arms, &c. And the said Commissioners are directed to pay for all such Lead at the rate of six pence, Proclamation money, the pound weight, together with the reasonable expenses in forwarding the same.

July 17th.—Whereas the honourable the Continental Congress have declared the United Colonies free and independent States: We, the Deputies of New-Jersey, in Provincial Congress assembled,

Do Resolve and Declare, That we will support the freedom and independence of the said States with our lives and fortunes, and with the whole force of New-Jersey.

Extract from the Minutes:

WILLIAM PATERSON, Secretary.

GENERAL MERCEE TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

Elizabithtown, New-Jersey, July 16, 1776.

SIR: I just now received the honour of your letter of the 14th instant, containing the instructions of Congress relative to the troops which are intended to compose the Flying-Camp.

Two battalions of Pennsylvania Riflemen have arrived at Amboy, where it is proposed to form the encampment, as most convenient for the protection of this part of the New-Jerseys, or for marching towards Philadelphia or New-York, should the operations of the enemy point either way.

The British troops remain cantoned along the shores of Staten-Island, by all our intelligence, to the number of eight or nine thousand. Three days ago, Lord Howe sent Lieutenant Reeve, of the Eagle man-of-war, in a flag, to Amboy, with letters to the late Governours from hence to Georgia, which were immediately conveyed to Head-Quarters in New-York. His Lordship left England before the fleet; had nine weeks passage to Sandy-Hook; he touched at Halifax. I shall not fail to communicate every remarkable occurrence.

I have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,

HUGH MERCER.

To the Hon. John Hancock, Esq., President of Congress.

GENERAL MERCER TO GENERAL WASHINGTON.

Elizabethtown, July 16, 1776.

SIR: In consequence of Colonel Reed's letter, and the plan shown me by Major Knowlton, I have reconnoitred the enemy's posts, and last night had the assistance of Captain John Mercereau to bring some intelligence from Staten-Island. He undertook the service very cheerfully; told me he could go very secretly to his brother-in-law's house, who, it seems, resides back in the woods, remote from the parties along shore. The Captain informs that he got to the house, where his brother and wife were alone; that he told him there were soldiers in every house near the shore—the numbers rather uncertain; but on the Neck, where we propose an attack, I cannot collect, from his account and all observation, that there are more than six or seven hundred. Two creeks enclose this Neck all to a point of woods three or four hundred yards wide. The principal posts of the enemy are three; the Blazing-Star is the lowest, where there appear to be from one hundred to two hundred men. The two other houses, about a mile or more asunder, do not appear to contain so many men. Some scattering nouses on the Neck also have soldiers quartered, but, being more inconvenient and small buildings, cannot be supposed to contain many men. Every morning and evening a patrol of one hundred men passes into the Neck, from house to house, where guards are kept, and returns to some other post. This is the state of the enemy.

The plan of the attack which I propose, is as follows: To ferry over, between the hours of eleven and two o'clock to-morrow night, from Thompson's Creek to the woods, where the marsh is most practicable, fourteen hundred men—Colonel Brodhead, with four hundred Pennsylvania Riflemen, to pass over first and take possession of the ground, where the creeks form the Neck of smallest width, and there to lie in ambush from creek to creek; Major Knowlton to march next, with two hundred and fifty of his regiment, fifty Pennsylvania Riflemen, and fifty Militia, towards the Blazing-Star; Colonel Piper, with one hundred Riflemen and one hundred and fifty Militia, to take the road to the middle house in our view from this shore; and another Field-Officer, with a like number, to make towards the upper house. One hundred Riflemen and fifty Militia will remain for a reserve, to scour the Neck, and attack any scattering houses we may discover there. The orders to these parties will be, to proceed, if possible, under cover, and to remain near the enemy till daybreak, and then to make a vigorous attack; those at the upper houses to wait till firing is heard at the Blazing-Star, the most distant point. If the enemy attempts to pass into the Neck to the relief of their guards, Colonel Brodhead will have orders to place his men so as to form an ambuscade that may give him a great advantage; his men are, I think, to be depended on for such service. We propose, if successful, to retire by the Blazing-Star. For this purpose, not only the craft we cross over in from Thompson's Creek, but all others that can be collected along the shores, will be collected there by the parties stationed at our different posts near that place.

The clamour of the Militia to get to their harvest, has obliged me to discharge many. However, we have at Amboy seven hundred and fifty Riflemen; we expect two hundred and fifty from Paulus-Hook; and depend on four hundred of the Pennsylvania Light-Infantry, or Militia, to be at Woodbridge to-morrow; but should their march be so slow as to disappoint us, I shall have that number of Militia prepared in this quarter, without weakening too much the several posts we occupy on the Jersey shore. I shall endeavour to procure guides for the several parties. Your instructions for the improvement of the above plan will give great pleasure, and may ensure its success.

I have the honour to be, sir, your Excellency's most obedient servant,

HUGH MERCER.

To His Excellency General Washington.

P. S. The parties sent to attack the posts will have orders to send on a few men, if possible, to seize the sentinels and guards before they can give an alarm, which, if executed properly, may save our men. There are two field-pieces at our post, opposite the Blazing-Star, which may be employed to favour our retreat, if necessary.

All the troops for this service will assemble by to-morrow evening at Woodbridge, excepting those from Paulus-Hook, which I shall look for here by that time if your Excellency approves of going on with the enterprise.

The common talk on the Island is, that they will wait for the fleet from England, and then attack New-York. No encampment, but the men scattered all over the Island—no considerable encampment.

From some difficulties that occur with regard to the craft necessary for the enterprise, I begin to think it will be Thursday night before it can be entered upon.

Since writing the above, I am informed that a guard of one hundred men takes post every night on a point of woods nearly opposite to the mouth of Thompson's Creek, but not so near but we may possibly pass from hence along the Sound, and land lower down than was first intended; only we shall have a greater body of marsh to cross (said to be a mile) before we reach the woods; our craft is also to be taken round from Elizabethtown Creek into Thompson's Creek.