The Council & Assembly of the Colony of New Hampshire:
That by reason of their Vicinity to the Town of Boston, the Enemies Ships of Warr often hovering round their Coast & Harbour, They have been for many months past Kept in perpetual Alarms. Have been at a very Great Expence in preparing to Defend themselves, at Least Thirty Thousand Pounds L my in Erecting Batteries, mounting Cannon & supporting Soldiers, having had Fourteen hundred men unqer pay at one time ー Exclusive of Two hundred Matrosses to Guard the Metropolis and Expect the ensuing spring, to be under the Necessity of Raising a much Greater Number; and as you have been pleased to order a Number of Battalions of men to be raised to Guard other Colonies, and as this is by far the Poorest Colony on the Continent, according to the Number of Inhabitants ー
We most humbly pray your Honours would order such a Number of men to be raised and Stationed at Portsmouth, (and in case of any Emergency to assist our Neighbour Colonies) as you in Your Wisdom Shall see fit. 2
Exeter, February 8, 1776
1. Bouton, ed., Documents and Records of New Hampshire, VIII, 67.
2. From the Journal of Congress, Friday, March 1, 1776: "A letter from the committee of safety of New Hampshire with a petition from said colony, and sundry other papers were read: Resolved, That the same be referred to a committee of three." Ford, ed., JCC, IV, 179.
