Gentlemen:

I would congratulate you on the surrender of the Garrison of Ticonderoga to the American Forces. The affair was planned and conducted after the following manner. A number of the principal gentlemen of the Assembly at Hartford, on Friday, the twenty-eighth of April, conversing on the distressed condition of the people of Boston, and the means necessary to relieve them, fell on the scheme to take that Fortress, that we might have the advantage of the Cannon that were there, to relieve the people of Boston. I told the gentlemen that in my opinion it might be taken by surprise with a few men if properly conducted. On which they desired me, if I was willing to serve my Country in that way, to joint Captain Noah Phelps of Simsbury, and Mr. Bernard Romans, on that design, and furnished us with three hundred Pounds in cash, from the Treasury, and desired us to go forward to the upper Towns, and search into the situation of said Garrison, and, if I thought proper, to proceed to take possession of the same. On which we collected to the number of sixteen men in Connecticut, and proceeded forward till we came to Colonel [James] Easton's, at Pittsfield, and ther consulted with Colonel Easton and John Brown, Esq., who, after they heard our plan of operation agreed to join us; and, after informing them that we intended raising our men on the [New Hampshire] Grants for the aforesaid purpose, as it would be difficult to raise and march a number of men through the country any distance, without our plans being discovered, Colonel Easton and Mr. Brown told us that the people on the Grants were poor, and at this time of year it would be difficult to raise a sufficient number of men there to take and hold said Garrison, whereupon Colonel Easton offered to raise men in his own Regiment for the aforesaid purpose, to join with the Green Mountain Boys.² On which I set out with him for the Town of Jericho, where Colonel Easton raised between forty and fifty men, and proceeded to Bennington, at which place the men arrived the next day. At which place a Council of War was called, Colonel Easton being Chairman, it was voted that Colonel [Ethan] Allen should send forward parties to secure the roads to the northward to prevent all intelligence from arriving before us. On Sunday evening, the seventh of this instant, we arrived at Castleton, where, the next day, was held a Council of War by a Committee chosen for that purpose, of which Committee I have the honour to be Chairman. After debating and consulting on different methods of procedure in order to accomplish our designs, it was concluded and voted that we would proceed in the following manner, viz: That a party of thirty men, under the command of Captain Herrick, should, on the next day, in the afternoon, proceed to Skenesborough, and take into custody Major [Philip] Skene and his party, and take possession of all the boats that they should find there, and in the night proceed up the Lake to Shoreham, with the remainder of our men, which was about one hundred and forty, who were under the command of Colonel Ethan Allen, and Colonel James Easton was his second, and Captain [Seth] Warner the third in command; as these three men were the persons who raised the men, they were chosen to command, and to rank according to the number of men that each one raised. We also sent off Captain [Asa] Douglass, of Jericho, to proceed directly to Panton, and there consult his brother-in-law who lived there, and send down some boats to Shoreham, if possible, to help our people over to the Fort. All this was concluded should be done, or attempted and voted universally. After this affair was all settled, and the men pitched on to go in each party, all were preparing for their march, being then within about nine miles of Skenesborough, and about twenty-five miles, the way we went, from Ticonderoga.

Colonel [Benedict] Arnold arrived to us from you with his orders. We were extremely rejoiced to see that you fully agreed with us as to the expediency and importance of taking possession of those garrisons, but were shockingly surprised when Colonel Arnold presumed to contend for the command of those forces that we had raised, who we had assured should go under the command of their own officers, and be paid and maintained by the Colony of Connecticut. But Mr. Arnold, after we had generously told him our whole plan, strenuously contended and insisted that he had a right to command them and all their officers, which bred such a mutiny among the soldiers which had nearly frustrated our whole design, as our men were for clubbing their fire-locks and marching home, but were prevented by Colonel Allen and Colonel Easton, who told them that he should not take the command of them, and if he had, their pay would be the same as though they were under their command; but they would damn the pay, and say they would not be commanded by any others but those they engaged with; and after the Garrison was surrendered, Mr. Arnold again assumed the command of the Garrison, although he had not one man there, and demanded it of Colonel Allen, on which we gave Colonel Allen his orders in writing, as follows, viz.

To Colonel Ethan Allen,

Sir,  Whereas agreeable to the power and authority to us given by the Colony of Connecticut, we have appointed you to take the command of a party of men, and reduce and take possession of the Garrison at Ticonderoga, and the dependencies thereto belonging, and as you are now in actual pos session of the same, you are hereby required to keep the command and posses sion of the same, for the use of the American Colonies, until you have further orders from the Colony of Connecticut, or the Continental Congress.

Signed by order of the Committee of War,

Edward Mott, Chairman.

Colonel James Easton was of great service both in council and action, and in raising men for the above expedition, and appeared to be well qualified to be not only a Colonel of the Militia at home, but to command in the field. And also John Brown, Esq., of Pittsfield, we recommend as an able counsellor, and full of spirit and resolution, as well as good conduct; wish they may both be employed in the service of their' Country equal to their merit.

I have the pleasure to add, that on Wednesday morning last, the tenth of this instant about the break of day, our men entered the gate, till when they were undiscovered, and in the most courageous and intrepid manner darted like lightning upon the guards, so that but two had time to snap their fire-locks at us, and in a few minutes the Fortress, with its dependencies were delivered into our hands. There are about forty soldiers taken prisoners of war, including Officers, and excluding those taken at Skenesborough. Not one life lost in these noble acquisitions.

I am, Gentlemen, in haste [&c.]

Per favour of Colonel James Easton