Gentn

In Answer to your Letter by Mr Morrison we have first to inform you we have among other Regulations that are expensive, kept Expresses going between us & our Army ever since the first Alarm ー we have no Assistance from any Towns to the Southward of us, & can't think you expect any from us between here & your place ー We shall be always ready to give you every Information in our power worth communicating, & if any Alarms come of Danger approaching us or you we will endeavour to give it immediately by Expresses of our own ー when we know the Regulation of your Carrier, we will if not interrupted by Business still more important have all Dispatches of Intelligence ready for him ー We are informed Hampton has proposed joining you in the Expenceー

With Respect to our Army we have many Accounts of their number & state ー but as the Advices to us from their Leaders do not touch upon these matters, we can refer you to none more to be depended upon than Colo Timo Pickering's Letter Capt Burnham of Hampton Falls carried along & your Printer Mr Fowle intended to take with him to Portsmo ー With Respect to Marblehead we were informed last Eveng by Mr [Elbridge] Gerry (one of their Selectmen) who left it about Noon ー that Capt [Thomas] Bishop of the Frigate² there sent for the Selectmen of the Town to confer with them upon it's Safety in consequence of Orders he had received ー Mr Gerry added, the Report [w]as, he mentioned it with Tears in his Eyes ー Mr G[erry] did not choose to trust himself on board & came here ー the other Selectmen he told us determined to go on board ー we are informed To day not by Express but by a Person who left Salem at 4 oClock yesterday PM that it was there reported that the Town of Marblehead had submitted & upon the following Terms ー To send no Men nor Provisions to our Army nor give them any Assistance & not to be seen with any Arms ー whether their Port is to be kept open or not, we are not told ー The town of Salem have appointed a Committee to meet Tomorrow morng with Committees they proposed shou'd join them from the other Trading Towns in this County ー this Town has appointed a Committee also ー I am Gentn p[er] order and in Behalf of the Committee [&c.]

PS At present we keep Expresses for every 24 Hours