M^r. B—Compliments to Col¹ Laurens & informs him that he would willingly consent to the enlargement & Exchange of all the Sea Prisoners under his Care, did not the Cruel & unprecedented Sufferings of the American Prisoners (of the same Class) on board the prison Ships in New York loudly contradict it, by calling for ample retaliation on those in our Power—¹ On M^r. B's arrival at New York he found the Treatment of the Prisoners belonging to the land Service greatly altered from what was heard to have been the Case formerly, and most of them were in a comfortable Situation, but it was reported to him that the Sufferings of the Sea Prisoners were severe inhuman & intolerable—That altho' M^r. Boudinot in the fall, had provided both Provisions & Cloaths for them, yet the Commodore would not allow either to be sent on Board to them, alledging that no Provisions should be allowed, but what were sent to his Commissary, and that the Cloaths being purchased in New York (tho' with Gen^l. Howes leave) they could not be admitted on Board, without an order from the Admiral, who was at Philadelphia—² To prevent Misinformation, M^r Boudinot waited on the Commodore, who expressly confirmed the report as to the Provisions & Cloaths in its fullest Extent, altho' as a great Obligation and with difficulty, he finally consented to admit the Provisions—M^r B. solicited the admitting the Officers to their Parole, but was answered, that it could not be done to sea Prisoners—In a number of Letters he has rec^d. from those unhappy Men, their Sufferings are painted in such a Manner, as to shock humanity and move the most patient to indignation—The Prisoner Officers & men are confined to the Hold of the Ship, particularly after the Evening Gun, which in the warm weather, makes the air so pestilential, that they are dying at the rate of three or four of a day—Their Provision allowed them by the King is both scanty & bad, and many of them are naked for want of Cloathing—There Letters speak for themselves, and when you see them, you will conclude with me, that the so much famed british humanity & generosity, have been Vox & proteose virtue³

From this State Col^l Laurens will see the propriety of retaliation, when perhaps the Complaints of the Sufferer may be more powerfull than either the laws of Justice or humanity.

Camp [Valley Forge, Pa.] June 10 1778