Sir ー

As this perhaps may be the last opportunity we may have to write to you before you go to sea, we thought it necessary to give you every intelligence that is come to our knowledge ー We shall first give you the disagreable intelligence brought hither by an Express from Quebec of an unsuccessful attack that was made to storm that city on the 31st of December in the morning in which General [Richard] Montgomery, his Aid de Camp Capt [John] Macpherson, and Capt [Jacob] Cheesman, both by his side were all shott instantly dead by the Grapeshott of one Cannon ー upon which his party rather deserted their duty ー Coll Arnold who conducted a different attack proceeded awhile successfully but upon his receiving a wound and falling after he had entered the city ー altho the Party were afterward commanded and behaved with great bravery, by the other attack failing were overpowered and surrounded by numbers and after a most gallant defence of four hours were obliged to surrender themselves prisoners of war, and we hear are very kindly used by General Charlton ー This is the substance of what we have heard from thence ー we have just received a report from New York, that three Men of War and eighteen transports had sailed from Boston, to what place not known, but supposed to be for New Port, New York or Virginia ー Thus much of the report is certain, that the Asia and Phoenix are laying in the East river in New York and that the Viper is laying at Sandy hook ー ²

From Virginia we have heard nothing material but what you are well acquainted with ー From the Carolinas, we are informed that Lord William Campbell with the Tamar Sloop and Cherokee Cutter had departed from Charles Town road ー That Govr [Josiah] Martin in the Scorpion Sloop of war had also departed from Cape Fear ー It is supposed that both these are gone to savanna in Georgia, in order to seduce that Province, if it is in their power, from the Union of the Colonies, and to get provisions if they can, to subsist on ー Should it be your fate to go Southward as far as Savanna it is very probable you may have three Governors to dine with you on board your own ship ー and increase your Naval Strength by the Tamar, Scorpion & Cherokee

The Congress have determined to erect a splendid Monument to the Memory of the Gallant Montgomery and to every other commanding officer bravely fighting and falling in his countrys cause ー We wish you a successful Cruize and are [&c].