(Copy)
Sir/

I received your Letter of 5th August with the enclosures by a Flag of Truce, to which I have done due honour.

I pass over the Reflection you were pleased to throw upon His Majestys Servants in America for their ill treatment of Prisoners, conscious that they are groundless.

My Personal knowledge of the two great Officers His Majesty hath been pleased to honour with the supreme Command in America will not admit of the least suspicion of ill treatment to deluded Men their Prisoners. The well established Character of the English Nation for humanity and generosity I doubt not will remain unsullied in this unhappy Contest.

The Prisoners brought into this Province have been treated with great tenderness, several have been permitted to walk about the Town at large, many have been allowed to retire to their places of Abode upon their Parole, several promised, that they would procure one of our People to be ex­changed for them, some of whom have not fulfilled their Engagements.

The Masters, Mariners, and Men in general of Merchant Vessels, who have been brought into this Province have been permitted to be at large, and to go where they chose.

Your threats of using with Cruelty Captain Lofthouse, or any other Person, whose misfortune it may be to fall into your hands, shall never intimidate me to sacrifice my honour, or the public Interest. I hope I shall never retaliate Cruelties upon the deluded Men, who may become Captives to His Majesty, or to punish the innocent for the Errors, or faults of the Guilty.

I mean not to irritate or to insult, I hope however you will excuse me for saying that there is a great difference between Mr Lofthouse the Master of a Merchant Vessel, and Mr Pickering the Commander of a Vessel of War in Arms, and Rebellion against his Majesty. — but suppose them in similar Circumstances, in that respect, why should a Man, who conducts himself with prudence, and discretion be cruelly treated, because another man be­haves with impropriety and insolence. I never heard of Pickering untill I received your Letter, as I am not acquainted with the particular circum­stances of his being taken, I decline being any ways concerned in his Exchange.

There is in this Province Mr Engs Master of the Franklin taken by Lieutenant Ellis of the Hinchinbrook off your Bar, he being the Master of a Merchant Vessel can not be deemed an improper Exchange for Loft­ house.

Mr Engs with some others for particular circumstances have been con­fined in a healthy and airy situation, and directions have been given to supply them regularly with a reasonable allowance of Provisions at the Kings Expence.

Messieurs Freeman and Westcott I gave liberty six months ago to leave this Province, and they have been gone since that time. If you are not satis­fied to grant Messieurs Kennedy and Bethune the same indulgence, rather than they should suffer as Prisoners I will take them in Exchange.

I shall in a few days send Mr Engs and some others of our Prisoners be­longing to your Province with a Flag of Truce.

Mr Warner the Pilot of this Port, arrived here some time ago, I shall send by the Flag Mr Richard Stevens in Exchange for him, he might have broke his Parole, but I might with the same Justice demand that you would return Mr Logan who voluntarily and unasked engaged upon his honour to procure one of our people in your Custody to be sent in his stead.

I shall only observe, that with respect to Mr and Mrs Logan, and Messieurs Perronnean and Bellenger, who arrived in the Betsey and Jenny from London, that I did not consider them Prisoners of war, that with respect to the Logans they had my Passport to go to Georgia or Carolina, that I wished for their departure for their Convenience long before they went, and that I desired it might he understood by the two last, that I neither considered them as Rebels, or Prisoners of War, that they had liberty to go when, and where they pleased except to the Colonies in Re­bellion into which I could not permit them to pass. If they were friends of Government it would expose them to persecution as they were at that time expelling all such from their Provinces, and that if they were not it would be strengthening his Majestys Enemies.

His Majestys Proclamation and my Proclamation forbid all intercourse, correspondence or connection with the Colonies in Rebellion, and I shall never encourage or permit this Province to become the Channel of un­necessary Correspondence with People, who are hostile to, and Opposers of his Majestys Government.

For the satisfaction of the Inhabitants of this Province, I expect you will send as you have offered all the Letters, that came by Lofthouse for this Province under a Cover directed for me. I am Sir [&c.]

[Endorsed] In Govr Tonyn's (No 43) of 18th Septr 1777.