Copy

Sir Your Letter of the 31st Ulto I received per post, also a Number of Letters for General [Richard] Montgomery all which I opened, no knowing but they might contain something of a public Nature ー The Private Letters I shall enclose with this; You will doubtless send them to his Friends.

I am glad to hear that we may soon expect a pay-Master, we have drained our Friends here of most of their Cash and it is next to impossible to do any Thing without it.

Some of the persons that you sent back, have really behaved very illy, one Sears, especially whom I have now in Confinement, immediately upon coming into the Country circulated a Report that the Colonies had given over the Thoughts of keeping this Province ー That there were no Soldiers at Ticonderoga nor Fort George nor any expected, and so few at St John's that it would be an easy Matter to take it and indeed all the rest ー A Story very illy calculated for us in our present delicate Situation ー some others of the prisoners which were sent back, I hear have made themselves very busy in reporting Stories to our prejudice I shall therefore be obliged to return to you some of them and perhaps some others Ringleaders of the Tories in thie Country with the prisoners who were left here in a few Days.

The four Fuzees taken by Major [James] Lockwood are put up in a Box according to Capitulation and are now at St. John's ready to be sent over the Lakes. ー It was a Mistake of Col. [Edward] Fleming's or the Fuzees would have been taken from all the Officers.

They capitulated upon the same Conditions as the Garrison of St John's: and if You look into that you will see that the Officers were all allowed their Side Arms but their Fire Arms were to be put up in a Box and delivered to them when these unhappy Disputes were ended unless they chose to dispose of them before. I have great Hopes, however arduous and difficult it may be, that our little Army at Quebec will keep up the Bloackade till they can be relieved, provided a Reinforcement is sent on in a short Time ー I have sent them an hundred and twenty Men from this Garrison which was all that could with prudence be spared. Col. [James] Clinton has gone down with Mr [James] Price  I dare say they will take every possible Measure for the Safety of the Army and preserving the Blockade ー I enclose you Copies of two Letters from Col: [Benedict] Arnold with the Translation of one sent by Lonodier Out of Quebec recd since my last.

Just after Mr [Edward] Antill left this Place, I dispatched an Express to Onion River in Order to get a Reinforcement from the Green Mountain Boys. I wrote to Col: [Seth] Warner in the most pressing Manner to bring a Regiment into this Province and remain here under Continental pay, till they can be relieved, a Measure which the present Exigency I think will justify ー Whether they will come or not you know is uncertain.

Quebec is strongly fortified and so well stored with provisions that many thing they will be able to hold out till they can be relived in the Spring. It is a great Chance if they do not make out to get in some provisions should the River there take [sic break] before our army can be augmented.

How then are we to take the place, We have at St John's two 24 Pounders Brass; I understand they have a Number of 32 pounders at New York ー Will it not be well to send for them (if the heavy Cannon are taken from Ticonderoga & Fort George and with such Mortars as you have with proper Ball Shells &c &c Send them forward as quick as possible  I am of the Opinion that heavy Cannon will be necessary in taking that place ー I wrote you in my last that we had but a Trifle of powder ー We have at Quebec a Hoitzer which throws an 8 Inch Shell ー I am informed that one Pelliseir at three Rivers can cast Shells Shot &c of any Size but whether he will be able to do it soon enough I cant yet find out.

All Kinds of Liquors and West India Goods are so extravagantly dear here, that I am confident they may be brought over the Lakes to great Advantage.

In Order therefore in some Measure to remedy the great difficulty in procuring hard Cash, suppose Rum & Sugar should be encouraged to come over with every Kind of Article wanted in the Army, for which we are obliged to pay hard Money here at the most extravagant Rates ー The sutlers would be able to sell them to us full as low as many Things much lower and take in pay Continental Money. The people in the Country seeing the Money pass freely among us perhaps will be induced to give it a Currency.

By the inclosed Letters especially the one which was wrote in French to General Montgomery while he was at Quebec and before the unhappy Defeat, since when, our Enemies are more bold in thir Measures against us, You will see the great Necessity of sending many of their Leaders out of the province and of forwarding a Reinforcement immediately not only for continuing the Blockade of Quebec but, for preserving the Country I am Sir [&c.]