MASSACHUSETTS COUNCIL.

In Council, July 23, 1776.

Whereas Edward Mitchell, Theophilus Cushing, and William Drew, Esqs., were appointed a Committee to provide fifteen hundred Canteens, and two hundred and fifty Camp-Kettles, and Camp Equipage, for the last fifteen hundred men to be raised agreeable to a late Resolve of the Continental Congress, and were directed by a Resolve of the General Court, of the 12th of this instant, to send them forward to the several places and in like proportions with those by a Resolve of the said Court ordered for the other forces destined to the same place, which, if complied with, will be very inconvenient, and retard the business: Therefore,

Resolved, That the said Committee be, and they hereby are, directed to provide and send forward the aforesaid articles forthwith to Charlestown, in the Government of New-Hampshire, to the care of Samuel Hunt and Church, Esqs., or either of them, by them to be delivered, one-half to Colonel Samuel Brewer, or his order, and the other half to Colonel Aaron Willard, or his order, for the use of their regiments; and this order to be printed in the several Newspapers in this State without delay.

A true copy.

Attest:

JOHN AVERY, Dep. Sec.

PETITION OF THE COMMITTEE OF BROOKFIELD.

To the Honourable the Council of the MASSACHUSETTS-BAY, in NEW-ENGLAND:

Most humbly shew, the subscribers, the major part of the Committee of Inspection for the Town of Brookfield, that the inhabitants of this town have always been ready, and have freely exerted themselves in the common cause of America; that they have near one-third their men in the service at New-York and in the Northern Department, including their proportion of what are now to march for Boston; that it is a large and ancient town, and suffered, perhaps, as much as any town in this State by former wars; that there is but one Field-Officer now belonging to the same in the publick service; that Captain King, a gentleman of reputation among us, would be glad of an appointment as Field-Officer at Boston station, if it would be agreeable to the honourable Board.

Wherefore, we earnestly recommend him to your Honours, and pray that he may be appointed accordingly, and your petitioners will pray, &c.

Brookfield, July 23, 1776.

I, the subscriber, who have the honour to command the Fourth Regiment, in the County of Worcester, do also join in the prayer of the foregoing Petition.

JAMES CONVERSE.

Brookfield, July 23, 1776.

JOSEPH CUSHING TO JOHN TAYLOR.

Hanover, July 23, 1776.

HONOURED SIR: I have lately received the orders of Council for mustering the Militia and raising men to supply the places of the Continental regiment ordered to New-York and Canada. We have, through difficulty, raised our men for New-York, and some for Canada. I hope by the middle of next week to complete the number required. I have not given out orders, as yet, for mustering the Militia and raising the men to supply the places of the Continental regiment, lest it might totally defeat getting the men for the Canada department, thinking it best to see the orders for men to reinforce the Army for Canada first complied with and executed. I imagine we shall soon get the men to supply the places of the Continental troops.

I am informed the Field-Officers are not appointed for the Militia regiments that are to supply the places of the Continental regiment. Would, therefore, beg leave to recommend my friend, Jeremiah Hall, who now is a Lieutenant-Colonel of the Second Regiment of Militia, in the County of Plymouth, as a suitable man for a Colonel of one of these regiments, as he now is an officer in the Militia, and has been out several campaigns heretofore, and known to be firmly attached to the cause of his country, and known by the people of this quarter. I should take it as a favour if you would use your influence with the members of the honourable Board for his appointment; and I am, with respect, your friend and servant,

JOS. CUSHING.

To the Hon. John Taylor, Esq., at Watertown.

P. S. I purpose to be inoculated, if the weather is cooler. I hope my non-attendance will be excused on account of small-pox. Great danger is apprehended in the natural way.

MAJOR HAWLEY TO COUNCIL OF SAFETY.

Northampton, July 23, 1776.

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR HONOURS: The Councils favour of the 15th instant, I received by Mr. Cranson, enclosing an order to Brigadier Fellows, directing him to march his brigade by the way of No. 4 to Lake Champlain; which order I make bold to enclose and remit, concluding, (as the lawyers say,) improvide emanavit. I judge so, because I know that Mr. Fellows's brigade was originally destined to New-York; and although his command might be since varied, yet I find it expressed in the same letter, which enclosed the said order, that Brigadier Briskett commands the reinforcement destined to Crown-Point; which Mr. Cranson also confirms by word of mouth.

Your Honours have been pleased to send me orders for inlisting Hampshire's quota of fifteen hundred further recruits; but as your Honours have not been pleased to send any money to me, or to any other of the Committee for that purpose, we are at some loss how to proceed without further instructions.

The levies for the Hampshire battalion, in the northern part of the County, have succeeded beyond expectation. Two companies proposed to march this day, and another company of ninety-eight men, effective and well equipped, are to march on the morrow. I believe several of the companies from this County, without any express license from the Committee, will presume to march by Bennington, and not by No. 4, because they are informed by Mr. Farnsworth, that he is scarce able to provide rations at No. 4 for the troops of this Government, exclusive of Hampshire County men, and that he has great plenty of stores at Bennington. I saw the orders of the General Court to the Captains, but say nothing to divert them from their purpose; for I believe there is no provision to pay the men their mileage at No. 4, and very scanty provision for their rations. I fear there will be great complaints in that quarter. Besides, there is a great plenty of small-pox there at No. 4, and none the other way, and all the accounts now are that the Bennington route is much the most feasible. The men will run the risk of going with but little ammunition, rather than run the risk of the smallpox and submit to the other inconveniences there is a prospect of in the No. 4 route. The Field-Officers of this battalion being in the small-pox, the whole business is devolved on the Committee.

I am your Honours' respectful, and most obedient servant,

JOSEPH HAWLEY.

To the Honourable Council.

Salem, July 23, 1776.

Friday last arrived here Captain Fisk, in the privateer sloop called the Tyrannicide, in the service of this State, mounting fourteen carriage-guns and two swivels, having been out about twelve days on a cruise. He, on the 12th instant, in latitude 40° 23' fell in with the armed schooner Despatch, one Gutteridge commander, mounting eight carriage-guns and ten swivels, having thirty-two men, in the service of the King of England; when a warm, obstinate, and well-disputed engagement ensued, and which lasted upwards of an hour, when the schooner struck to Captain Fisk, which he safely brought in with him, having in the engagement lost her Captain and one man killed, the Master and four of her sailors wounded, and a Midshipman, who was passenger on board, bound in this schooner lo New-York. Captain Fisk had one man killed and three wounded, one of whom is since dead of his wounds, the other two likely to recover. The six wounded men belonging to the schooner are likely to recover. The schooner has on board, besides her guns and provisions, seventeen half-barrels of powder.