Sir,
Your letter of saturday last with the resolution of Congress of the same day, and copy of the military Arrangement Inclosed was delivered to me at five this Morning.
Permitt me, Sir, to Observe that the resolution seems to be founded on a supposition that the Inhabitants in the Neighberhood of Ti[c]onderoga are a people distinct from those called Green-Mountain Boys, and that they are numerous, whereas the Fact is that most of the Inhabitants in the northeastern part of the County of Albany and In the County of Charlotte, and who reside on what are commonly called the New Hampshire Grants are distinguished by the appellation of Green mountain boys, and altho they are settled in an Extent of Country upwards of one hundred & thirty miles in length, from nearly as far south as Albany to fourty or fifty miles north of Crown point, Yet so lately has that Country began to be settle that It will be difficult (as Colo [Ethan] Allen observes) to raise five hundred men in It, altho there are more Inhabitants but necessarily occupyed in procuring Subsistence for their Families ー Such of them as assisted in the reduction of Ti[c]onderoga and afterwards Garrisoned It, are Already returned to their Respective habitations ー Hence Sir you will perceive that the troops in that Quarter cannot be reinforced at any rate by more than five hundred men to be procured there, and those still to be levyed.
From what Information I have been able to procure I Suppose that the force under Colo: [Benjamin] Hinman's command does not exceed thirteen hundred men Including those that occupy Fort George, the landing at the north end of Lake George, and the post at the saw mills, and such as are necessarily employed in transporting provisions &c from Albany, which will probably reduce them to Eleven hundred and under, and if of those I leave two hundred to Garrison crown point and Ti[c]onderoga, the remainder will then Exceed General [Guy] Charlton's regular troops by about three hundred men only; a force very Inadequate barely to Attempt destroying his floating batteries, boats & vessels without hazarding the loss not only of the command of the lakes but of the Fortresses in our possession on Its Banks. ー These Observations I have taken the liberty to make that Congress by being now truly possessed of facts may make a probable guess of the Consequences that will follow an Attempt which I concieve myself not at liberty to desist from makeing without orders to the Contrary, ー I shall leave this to day and order Brigadier [Richard] Montgomery to follow me assoon as possible.
Preparations are makeing here to fortify the pass in the Highlands I had proposed that part of General [David] Woosters Corps should have gone on that Service. If Congress Intends that any of them shall be employed in that way, they will please to signify It, as they cannot otherwise, since the last order he moved from New York. I am Sir [&c.]
