mentioned, and that you were not to fail in paying obedience thereto, under pain of military execu tion. Whatever, my countrymen, may be the ostensible reasons for such meeting, it is evidently intended by the enemy, then to prevail on you by threats and promises to forsake the cause of your injured country; to assist them in forcing slavery on the United States of America, and under the specious pretext of affording you protection, to bring on you that misery, which their promises of protection, drew on such of the deluded inhabitants of NewJersey who were weak enough to confide in them, but who soon experienced their fallacy, by being treated indiscriminately with those virtuous citizens, who came forth in defence of their country, with the most wanton barbarity, and such as hitherto hath not even disgraced Barbarians. They cruelly butchered without distinction to age or sex; ravished children from ten to women of eighty years of age; they burnt, pillaged, and destroyed whatever came into their power; nor did those edifices dedicated to the worship of Almighty God, escape their sacrilegious fury. Such were the deeds, such they were incontestibly proved to be, which have marked the British arms with the most indelible stains. But they, having by the blessing of Divine Providence on our arms, been obliged totally to abandon that State, they left those that were weak or wicked enough to take protection under them, to bemoan their credulity, and to cast themselves on the mercy of their injured countrymen. Such will be your fate, if you lend a willing ear to their promises, which I trust, none of you will do. But lest any of you should so far forget the duty you owe to your country, as to join with, or, in any manner of way assist or give comfort to, or hold correspondence with, ortake protection from the enemy; be it known to each and ev of ery you, the inhabitants of said townships, or any other the inhabitants of the United States, that you will be considered and dealt with as traitors to said States, and that the laws therof will be put in execution, against every person so offending, with the utmost rigor. And I do hereby strictly enjoin and command all officers, civil and military, to apprehend or cause to be apprehended all such offenders. And I do further strictly enjoin and command such of the Militia of said townships, as have not yet marched, to do so without delay, to join the army under my command or some detachment thereof. Given under my hand at Head-Quarters,Fort Edward, July 13th, 1777. PH. SCHUYLER. By the General's command. WASHINGTON'S LETTERS. Cambridge, 23d Dec'r. 1775. SIR,-Notwithstanding the great pains taken by the Quarter-Master General to procure blankets for the army, he finds it impossible to provide a number sufficient; he has tried the southern provinces without success; as what were there are engaged to supply the wants of the troops in each place. Our soldiers are in great distress, and I know of no way to remedy the evil, than applying to you. Cannot some be got from the different towns? Most houses could spare one, some of them many. If your honorable Convention will please to take this affair under their immediate consideration and by some means procure as many as can be spoared from the housekeepers, you will do an infinite ser: vice to the Army, and very much oblige Sir, your most obedient servant, G. WASHINGTON. President of the New-Hampshire Convention. Cambridge, Jan. 16th, 1776. SIR,-The alarming and almost defenceless state of our lines, occasioned by the slow progress in raising recruits for the new Army, and the departure of a great number of the militia, which had been called in for their support till the 15th instant, rendered it necessary for me to summon the general officers in council, to determine on proper measures to be adopted for their preservation.For this purpose they met at Head Quarters yesterday and to-day, and finding that it was with the utmost difficulty and persuasion, that such of the latter as are now here, have been prevailed on to continue till the last of the month, after which there is not the remotest probability of their staying a moment, they have judged it expedient and absolutely necessary, that thirteen regiments should be forthwith raised, equal to those of the new establishment, to be officered according to the usual mode of their respective governments; which are to repair to this Camp by the last instant if possible, to be in readiness to act in such manner, till the 1st of April, as circumstances may require.Of this number they apprehend, the Massachusetts should furnish seven, Connecticut four, and your government two, being agreeable to the proportion settled by Congress. In order that each regiment may consist of a proper number of officers and men, I have inclosed you a list for their regulation, and of the Continental pay. I must earnestly solicit your attention and re gard, to arms, ammunition, blankets, kettles, and clothing, that they may come as well provided with these necessaries as possible, particularly the first; as from the amazing deficiency here I shall not have it in my power to supply them. The situation and exigency of our affairs calling for this assistance, I have the most pleasing assurance, that your honorable body will exert themselves for complying with this requisition witu all possible dispatch. I am sir, with much esteem and regard, Hon. Matthew Thornton. Camp above Trenton falls, Dec. 22d, 1776. GENTLEMEN,-The accounts received from NewYork respecting the distresses of our prisoners, in duce me to recommend to your honorable body, that measures should be taken to effect an exchange as soon as possible, or as far as circumstances will admit of. Ever since the cartel has been settled between Gen. Howe and myself, I have been endeavouring to accomplish it, but my attempts have been attended with but little succes. For the prisoners belonging to the British army and who have been sent from Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, Gen. Howe, or rather his commissary has undertaken of his mere motion, and contrary to my express requisition, to return a number belonging to us, who were not called for, and whose releasement should have been postponed till after that of others. I have wrote to Gen. Howe on the subject, and presume in future that none will be sent out but those who are named by me. That this business may not remain an object of further delay, I would advise, that all the prisoners in your state he immediately sent to the commanding officer of the British troops on the island of Rhode-Island, taking two exact lists of the names, corps, and ranks of the officers, and the number of privates, signed by the officer of the highest rank; one to be sent with him accompanied by a line to Gen. Howe, that the particular prisoners belonging to us, and to be received in exchange, will be required by me, to which end I must request that the other list be immediately transmitted to me, that the requisition may be made. I have the honor to be with great respect, Your most obedient servant, G. WASHINGTON. Committee of New-Hampshire. Head Quarters, Morristown, January 23, 1777. The situation to which I am reduced for want of a regular body of troops on whom I can depend for a length of time, makes it indispensably necessary for me to call upon you and intreat you to exert yourselves in levying and equipping the number of battalions allotted to your State by the resolution of Congress in September last. You must be fully sensible of the hardships imposed upon individuals, and how detrimental it must be to the public, to have her Farmers and Tradesmen frequently called into the field as Militia-men, whereby a total stop is put to the arts and agriculture, without which we cannot possibly long subsist. But great as this inconvenience is, we must put up with it, or submit to a greater, the total loss of our liberties, until our regular Continental Army can be brought into the field. |