Sir,

A Flagg of Truce arrived from Lord Howe in this Harbour this Day — The inclosed Copy will inform your Honor of the Business he is charged with —² it seems he is confined to those in the Naval Department we have not many of those in that Department in this State, but we suppose there is likely many in the state of Rhode-Island — but since our Arrival in this Town we have been informed that a considerable Number of those who have been brought into your State in the prizes are petitioning for a permit to depart, & it is thought they will obtain it — if this should happen perhaps it may be a means of detaining the same number of our Friends in Captivity — As we happened to be here on Business & being of the Govrs Council of safety we judge it' our Duty to give immediate notice to our Governor ³ of the Arrival of this Flagg & have forwarded the same Copies to him as to your Honor, but as our Governor is at Hartford we think it necessary to give the earliest Inteligence to your Honor that such steps may be taken in your state as may be necessary for the relief of our distressed Friends — This Mr Wm Howland informs us that he sailed from Dartmouth the begining of Novr for surinam, was taken in a day or two after he went out & carried into N. York that there were on board the Ship he was confined in about 140 prisoners some taken from our privateers — some from Merchantmen — that black & white, Officers & Sailors are crouded down below Decks — kept at short Allowance — are sickly & dieing — that there are a great number of sd people prisoners — they are badly cloathed & sickly — we are not acquainted with this Howland nor his Character ⁴ — we have a report here that Fort Washington is taken This same Howland says it is true — that he left New York last Monday [November 18] — and that our Garrison surrendered on saturday about eleven of the Clock in the forenoon — that 3700 of our Men fell into their hands — We this minute heard a Letter read from Colonel Woolcot [Oliver Wolcott] speaker of our lower House of Assembly now sitting at Hartford, in which he says it is reported there that Fort Washington is taken but not fully Credited — but it appears most likely to us to be true — We are — with Esteem [&c.]