Sir

This is to inform your Excellency that on y^e 21^st. Inst. Jason Chester¹ & C^o. belonging to arm’d Whale Boats have taken of[f] Long Island & bro't to this Town Tho^s Fanning & Tho^s Willson, and delivered them to me as Commiss^y of Prisoners (in the absence of my brother²) & by the Advice of the Authority here, I have sent them to the Sheriff at Norwich to hold in Custody untill Committed or discharged by proper Authority, & at the same time desired the State Attorney to look into the matter. Those persons that bro't over Fanning have nothing in particular against him, only the general voice that he is a Tory. Willson they found tending a saw mill & bro't him off knowing him to be one from hence to the enemy; he must be rather a hurt to them then any Service, as he is a poor miserable wretch. As for getting either of them exchanged is very improbable especially the latter. With submission, I think that these kind of expedition on Long Island should be check'd—as they are carried on by men without principle—they have in one instance given out on the Island that they had Orders from Gov^r. Trumbull to Plunder &^c. and as you will see by the inclosed Letter that M^r Shaw incouraged them to bring of[f] Fanning, & at the same time was in Boston. I am intirely unacquainted with this Young & know not what Credet ought to be given to it. I dont mean to have them discouraged from taking our enimes on Long Island in arms or bearing Commission under the English King, if in this they were to be incouraged perhaps it would be well. 

There is one Osborn bro't from Long Island in the same way by Griffing³ which I sent to Norwich to the state Attorney, who promised to write your Excellency for advice &^c.. 

I have nothing new to communicate—only m^r Sheffield of Stonington a prize master of a prize to y^e American Revenue⁴ made his escape from New York & arrived in this Town last Friday He informs that the enemy have four prison ships, on board of which are about Seven hundred Prisoners, half of which are French-men; he was on board only Six days, being ordered on shore to attend the Court of Admiralty, made his escape by the help of a Gentleman there who secreted him &c set him over on Staaten Island. The suffering of the prisoners on board these Ships by his Acco^t. are beyond any description. The hot Season coming on makes it very Sickly, in the short time he was on board three of his people died & five or Six every day he was on board. I purpose to attempt giving a description by this Mans Acco^t. of their Sufferings for the nex[t] weeks N. Lond. Paper.⁵

I so far compassionated those wretches on our prison ship as to write M^r Williams on the expediency of exchanging them, looking upon them as a pawn in our hands of the lives of our bretheren, & whether I might wright to New York and propose the exchange of the whole, and at the same time as I had a Flag going to N Y would have him send me Eight or Ten for a Trial, which he has sent, but fail'd in sending me an answere, which has prevented my writing to N York on this Subject. However have sent the Ten together with three & twenty more that I pick'd up here—hope to have a return soon. I desired M^r Williams to advise with your Excellency on exchanging the whole of the prisoners at Norwich, & I wish that every one might be sought out & sent down to N York, willing or unwilling to go, that the Lives of our Country men might be saved & that from the horridest of all deaths. I am [&c.]

In Confidence, 

Query, By men being bro't of[f] the Island, are they not more fully acquainted who is Friend & who is Foes on the Island, are they not sour'd & imbittered, will they not on their return persecute & distress our Friends? 

Any belonging to New York State ought not they to be sent there? 

But as for Willson if he could be banished without any further expence to the State by tryal &^c. believe it would give great satisfaction—whether he can hurt our friends on the Island is matter of consideration, but believe him to be such a drunken Fellow that he cannot do much hurt 

I beg your Excellencys pardon & am with all Respect &^c. 

T. S——w