Your letter of the Seventeenth Instant with the In closed resolve of the Provincial Congress of Massachusetts Bay, was delivered to me by Colo [James] Easton, and communicated to the General Assembly, who have desired me to return their Congratulations on the Reduction of Ticonderoga, a Fortress truly Important, and to assure you they entertain a proper Sense of the Merit of those Officers and Soldiers by whose bravery and good Conduct it was achieved. As this Advantage was gained by the united Counsels and Enterprize of a number of private Gentlemen in your province ー New Hampshire, New York, and this Colony, Prompted only by a zeal for the Liberty of their Country without Public Authority, to our Knowledge, and is of Great and general Importance to the united Colonies, it was thought best to take the Advice of the Continental Congress upon the Manner of treating it in future, both by the General Assembly of this Colony & the Committee of New York, as well as by you ー Dispatches were accordingly sent to Philadelphia and the Sentiments of the Continental Congress thereon hath been receiv'd this day, by Express, with a Letter from the Committee of New York, Copies of which, enclosed, are herewith sent you

By them you will see, the present Custody of that Fortress is committed to the Province of New York, with the Assistance of the New England Colonies, if needed The General Assembly of this Colony beheld your Situation with Concern and a fixed Resolution to Contribute every thing in their power to Your Defence and preservation, and as far as apertains to them, are willing & desirous you should have the benefit of such Artillery as may be spared from the Fortresses of Crown point and Ticonderoga; but, as they do not consider themselves as in titled to the Command of those places, they cannot take upon themselves to give Orders for the removal of the heavy Cannon that may be spared, without the Concurrence of the other Colonies Interested in them

The Necessity of Securing and maintaining the Posts on the Lakes for the Defence of the Frontiers becomes daily more evident from the reiterated Intelligence we receive of the Plan formed by Our Enemies to distress us by Inroads of Canadians and Savages from the Province of Quebec upon the Adjacent Settlements, the enclosed Copy of a Letter from Our Delegates Attending at New York to communicate measures with the Provincial Congress in that City throws an Additional Light on this Subject and is thought worthy to be communicated to you. Whilst the Designs of our Enemies Against us, fill us with Concern, we cannot omit to observe the smiles of Providence upon us, in revealing their wicked Plans, and hitherto prospering the Attempts of the Colonies to frustrate them. With a humble reliance on the Continuance of Divine Favour and Protection to the Cause, of the Justice of which a Doubt cannot be entertained, The General Assembly of this Colony are ready to cooperate with the other Colonies in every Exertion for their Common Defence, and to contribute their Proportion of Men & other Necessarys for maintaining the Posts on the Frontiers or Defending or repelling Invasions in any other Quarter, agreably to the Advice of the Continental Congress.

I am Gentn [&c.]

Hartford May 25 1775