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(N° 4) My Lord.

Colonel Guy Johnson to Lord George Germain.

[ Plantation. General (8. P. O.) CCLXIII. ]

New York 7 April 1777

Last month I was honor'd with Your Lordships dispatch N° 1. previous to the receipt of which I had propos'd to prevent farther disappointment or least this communication should not be opened in good time, to go to Canada, & with permission of the General there, to assemble my own Indians and march them as the service shou'd require; but after considering the situation of things here, Sr Wm Howe thinks this rout most expedient, & I have sent messages across the country to prepare the Indians to meet our army on their first movement to the Northward, and they may then be directed East or West as there shall be occasion.

I cannot help considering the possession of Hudson's River as an object of the greatest importance; as it will seperate the Eastern from the Southern Colonies, open a door to a large body of distressed but truly loyal subjects, and enable this army to have the assistance of the Indians in all their future operations; and I am encouraged to hope as well from Your Lordship's letter as from the destination of the Indian presents that this rout will be among the first objects, when from the attention of my officers in the different parts of the Country, the zeal of the Indians, and the measures I am taking, such a junction will be formed, as will facilitate the ends of government; and I am now forming some good woodsmen (with the General's approbation) out of sundry persons who have found means to escape to me from the back country, and who will be particularly usefull to accompany Indian parties, as has been the practise in this Department. I beg to assure Your Lordship that I shall act to the best of my judgment and the utmost of my power for His Majesty's service, and I have the honor to be, with the greatest respect

My Lord

Your Lordships most obedient

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I thank you for the favour of your letter of the 14"" of January, which gave me much satisfaction, in the assurance, that my sentiments respecting the present Rebellion correspond with those of my superiors. I am exactly of opinion with Colonel La [Corne] S* Luc, who says; II faut lacher les sauvages contre les miserables Rebels, pour imposer de terreur sur les frontiers; II dit de plus, (mais un peu trop pour moi) "qu'il faut brutalizer les affaires," assurement, il est bien enragee de la mauvais traitement, qu'il a re$u de les avengles peuples— but not to blunder longer on in a language I know imperfectly, I shall express his other

sentiments in the English dialect. He assured me that upon the opening of the first assembly with the Savages in Canada, his feelings would be to poignant at their first interview, as would impose a perfect silence upon him, while tears would run down his cheeks; & that when he should be able to expatiate on the indignities and injuries he had experienced, they would instantly take up the hatchet, and resent his affronts. So reciprocal is the affection between the Father and his Children, for such they style each other respectively, and by whom he is as much cherished, as was Sir W Johnson by the Indians of the Six Nations. These anecdotes you may esteem worthy to communicate.

His Excell'* Gen1 Sr Wm Howe, has been pleased to appoint me to command the Provincial Corps within this Province with the Rank of Major Gen1 of the Provincial Forces. This place me behind all the Majors General in this army, though I am an older Colonel than any of them. However, at this crisis a passe droit, does not weigh so much with me, as an opportunity given me to lend a hand to beat down this Republican Revolt. The inclosed letter, I beg you will lay before Lord George Germain with my respectful regards, as I have not troubled his Lord with a Dispatch this Packet, having nothing material to communicate in the Civil line. The Judge is a truly honest faithful servant to the Crown, but through age very infirm, and as he has lost his wife, his carriage and two horses will not keep him long alive.

I shall be silent on Military prospects, you must have them from the fountain head.

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enclosed in Govr

Knox of 21. Aprl 1777.

Your Excelly well remembers, what circumstances you found me in, on your Tryon's letter to Mr arrival to this Governm'; that I was then Chief Justice of the Province, and had been so for eight or ten years (as my memory serves me) and had no other allowance on the assembly for the support of the dignity of that office, than the miserable pittance of three hundred pounds a year this currency, and the fees of the office, trifling and insignificant, but upon your Excelles recommendation home, his Maj" was pleased to allow me Five hundred pounds sterling a year, which I was to receive half yearly on the Commiss" of Trade at Boston, which I did to the time of their removal to Halifax, since which, has incurred one year and a half the beginning of this month; but I am much at a loss how to apply for it, but as the Commiss's are now in London, I have wrote to them for information.

When the dutys arisen by Trade fell, the Commiss" had directions from the Lords of Treasury to give drafts upon them for the salarys of the Officers of Government, of which I have had two, the salary being payable half yearly.

Your Excell0* well remembers, that three or four years ago (I think) the King's special Commission was sent over by Lord Dartmouth, then Secretary of State, empowering the persons therein named, (of which I was one) to enquire into the affair of the destruction of

His Maj' schooner Gaspee at Rhode Island. Your Excellcy knew the State of health I was in at the time I embarked for Newport, much enfeebled by the Rheumatism, the time of year, in December, when it is generally expected the River is full of ice. Myself unable to walk without help, and at a time of life drawing near to fourscore; but as Lord Dartmouth's directions, was to proceed immediately to that place, in order to execute that Commission, I did not hesitate to undertake it, but was obliged to take with me my Wife, carriage and two horses, without which, I could have been of no use. After passing several weeks there, and doing little to the purpose, the Commiss" found it necessary to adjourn over to the next year, which occasioned a second voyage under the like circumstances and at length the Commiss" were obliged to close the Commission having not been able to make any discovery to answer the intent of the Commission; upon which occasion I expended upwards of two hundred pounds of my ownmoney, which remains out of pocket this day, and hitherto my trouble for nothing. Upon the proceedings of the CommissTM being sent home, Lord Dartmouth directed the Commiss" to send home their accounts of the expenses they had been at. It was imagined with a view to compell Rhode Island Govern' to discharge them, but if that was the intent, the alterations of the circumstances of that Govern' in these times of Confusion, that expectation is at an end, and in the anarchy and distraction, which now surround us, and the great difficulty in getting money amongst us which is our due, Your Excellc* knows how needful it is to be solicitous for it, where it is due in other quarters. I must humbly entreat Your Excell to represent my case to Lord George Germain, hoping, from his clemency and goodness to have a method pointed out, by which I may have satisfaction made in the foregoing particulars.

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The bearer, Mr Laight, is a good and faithful subject, which testimony he desired, I would give your Lord. The success of the Enterprize in Connecticut under my command, I must leave to General Sr Wm Moore1 to particularize, I shall only observe, that my obligations to Sir Wm Erskine are beyond the measure of praise on the occasion; without him I should have been much embarrassed if nothing worse, and with his aid I met with no difficulties, but what the spirit and activity of both Officers and Soldiers honorably surmounted—Submitting myself to your Lord's patronage I am very respectfully Your Lordp's obed' humble serv'

'Sic. Moor. -ED.

W TRYON.

N° 11.

Lord George Germain to Governor Tryon.

[New-Tort Papers (8. P. O.) CLXIX.]

Whitehall 19 May 1777

Sir.

His Maju' ship Bristol being under orders to return to North America, I avail myself of the opportunity to acquaint you that I have received your Dispatches numbered 31, 35, 36 and 37. together with three private letters of the 9th of April by the New York Packet, which arrived the day after the last mail was sent from hence.

The reasons you suggest for the appointment of a Lieut1 Gov' of the Province would incline me to submit to the King the expediency of making that appointm' immediately, if I knew a proper person to recommend to His Maju for the Office. You must be sensible that there being no Salary annexed to it, and the chance of any emoluments arising from the execution of it in the present circumstances so small, no fit person here could be expected to accept it, and I am not sufficiently informed of the real characters of those in New York, who might desire to be appointed, to vouch for their fittness. I wish therefore to receive some further information, before I take any steps in this business, and I must desire the favour of you to acquaint me with the names and characters of such Gentlemen as Sir Wm Howe and yourself shall judge best qualified, for this important Station.

In the mean time as Civil Govern' is not restored, I do not apprehend any material inconvenience can happen from the Senior Counsellor being intrusted with the exercise of the small share of authority which devolves to him upon your departure from the capital.

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I beg you will be assured that I should find a particular pleasure in forwarding any proposition of your's of a tendency to promote your happiness or advantage; but I am so sensible of the important services you have done to the public, and of the great benefit the Kings affairs must receive from your continuing in the Govern' of New York, until peace restored, & the Constitution has resumed its legal form and authority, that I cannot, consistent with my duty to the King, or regard for the public, recommend to His Maj" a compliance with the request you make in one of your private letters, and therefore I have not judged it proper to mention it to His Majesty.

The rapid success in raising a Corps of Provincial Loyalists, which has followed your appointment to the Command of it, is a striking proof of your influence over the Inhabitants, and of the zealous endeavours you have exerted for bringing them back to their duty.

The King commands me to express to you His Royal approbation of your unceasing attention to His service; and I have the satisfaction to add that His Maj" has the greatest reliance on the spirit and loyalty of His faithful American subjects under your command, and entertains very high expectations, that the most important consequences will attend their vigorous efforts under a Command they are so much attached to, and whose fortitude and ability afford the fairest hopes of success in all his undertakings.

I am ettc.

GEO. GERMAIN.

No 39.

Governor Tryon to Lord George Germain.

[Kor-York Fapers (S. P. 0. ) CLXIX. ]

My Lord.

New York. 8 June 1777.

I have been honored with your Lordf's dispatches up to N° 9. inclusive; His Majty' approbation of the Conduct of the Militia of King's County in raising a sum of money for the encouragement of Colonel Fanning's Battalion, (which is nearly compleat) encouraged me to forward that Spirit among the districts of the Province within the limits of the Army. Accordingly I published an extract of your Lordp's letter, recommending the measure, and appointed certain Gentlemen to receive the subscriptions, who are now engaged in that service. I received information last night, that the Inhabitants of Staten Island, have raised five hundred pounds for the comfort and encouragement of the Provincial Forces raised in this Province; queen's and Suffolk Counties are now forming their contributions & this City has already contributed, (tho' the subscription was opened but last week) upwards of two thousand pounds.

These testimonials of Loyal liberality, I have the pleasure to assure myself will be pleasing to His Majesty.

The Court of Admiralty has not yet been opened, waiting for an act of Parliament to give it, its full competency, for the want of which the captors of prizes have been great sufferers by the waste & damage to both vessels and cargoes, tho' I am informed, many perishable articles have been sold, which Acts I presume will require the sanction of Parliament.

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In my letter of April last (N° 4) I mentioned briefly the state of matters at that time; a few days after a person whom I employed to carry messages to the Indians an obtain an account of the state of the rebel garrisons returned, with a full state of the strength and circumstances of the Forts from Tienderoga to Albany, which he obtained thro' his address under an assumed character, & likewise gave a particular account of a large magazine of military stores and provisions collected at Danbury in Connecticut: which I communicated to Sr W Howe, who soon after sent a body of troops there, that effectually destroyed the whole, as he has doubtless acquainted your Lordship.

The last of April a person had the good fortune to arrive from Canada, who brought me letters from my Officers, with an acco' of the Six Nations having called in and assembled all

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