Dear General

This Evening I have been favored with Yours by Colonel [James] Clinton, Every Reinforcement is welcome, but I expected more Men in 14 Batteaus, I find My Numbers but little encreased as I seldom see any of those Return I send to Tionderoga ー The two Barrels of Sugar turn out two Barrels of Flour ー We now have here and at the Isle au Noix 300 Barrels of Pork and 328 Barrels of Flour, so that I think You may venture to send more Men than Provisions ー The Season advances fast & we shall have a heavy Piece of Work to get our Cannon to the Westward, where we must have a strong Post, as it is at a Distance from Support & near the Enemy. ー

Our Conference with St Luke [la Corne] has ended in Smoke ー He made the Indian deliver my Letter to Carleton who had it burnt without reading It. ー the Indian told the Governor very honestly that he was sent to me by St Luke & Others ー The Indians of Caghanawaga attended at La Prairie according to Appointment & are much displeased at the Trick put upon them by those Gentlemen ー they seem to think St Luke was discovered in his Plan & dared not venture to carry it thro; ー I hope We shall have more Powder!

The Enemy are exceedingly uneasy at the Post on the East Side & have made two ineffectual & indeed feeble Efforts to dislodge the Canadians. ー The Battery there is not finished, they don't love work. ー

I have been obliged to send them Assistance.

The very high Prices which Officers must pay here for every Thing brought from Tionderoga, are far above what their Scanty Pittance of Pay will allow of ー I must request You will represent the peculiar Hardship of their Situation, which displaces them entirely from the Footing of the Troops, employed among their Friends in the Midst of a Plentiful Country ー if their Pay can't be augmented a Gratuity may be made to them adequate to the Difficulties they labour under. It might extend to Subalterns and Captains ー perhaps it may not be so absolutely necessary to go any higher up ー & Indeed the Detachment in the Country & on the North Side live very well & by what I can find, Cheap. ー & I am afraid I shall have a disagreeable Reckoning with some of them, concerning the Public Money. ー

I send a considerable Corps of sick; Little Mischief since my last, one or two wounded.

Your Residence at Tionderoga has probably enabled us to keep our Ground, How much do the Public owe You for Your Attention & Activity! I am &c