[Extract]

Sir  In the last letter which I had the honor to Address You I took the liberty to recommend to Congress to send three thousand men to this [P]lace, that they might seize the first oppertunity of marching into Canada  such a measure then appeared to me to be prudent, unfortunately for us it seems now to be indispensibly necessary as the inclosed letters from General Montgomery and Colo Arnold will Evince, For we ought not to depend too much on the Canadians, should [Cong]ress be in sentiment with me on this Matter I could wish for the most early advice whether I am to issue as many more warrants for raising men as to complete a Regiment [w]ith the four Companies now levying and which were intended for the Garrisons of Fort George and Tyonderoga; If so as Colo: [Goose] V[an] Schaick, Lt Colo [Peter] Yates and Major [Peter] Gansevoort wish to remain in the service whether I may give them Assurances that they will be continued

The Barracks in this place are out of repair I propose to employ Carpenters to mend them and have requested the opinion of the Gentlemen of the Committee on this intention which they approve of as they also do of appointing a Barrack Master and Conductor of the Artille[ry] both of which will save thrice their pay in Six months ー

Lt [Jeremiah] Halsey of the troops raised in Connecticut and of whom General Montgomery complains has been excessively trouble some during the whole Campaign and deserved to have been dismissed the Service soon after my coming to the Command, the time for which he engag[ed] to serve is expired, he can therefore only be punished by Stoping h[is] pay unless he will Submit to be tryed by a Court Martial ー

Of upwards of one hundred Batteaus which we built, I am Confident 25 or 30 wil be lost, as they have been left by the Lake side altheway between Onion River and Skeensborough, by Soldiers that took that rout homewards ー

Colo Knox is now at Tyonderoga, I have arranged Matters in such a manner as that I hope all the Artillery he wants will be at Fort George in a very few Days, from whence it will be carryed to Boston as soon as the roads will permit ー