Worthy Gentn

An Abstract of the minutes of Council from the Continental Congress, signed Pr Mr Charles Thomson Secretary has just come to hand and tho' it approves of the taking the Fortresses on Lake Champlain and the Artillery &c. I am nevertheless much surprised that your Honours should recommend it to us to remove the Artillery to the South End of Lake George and there to make a stand, the Consequence of which must ruin the Frontier settlements, which are Extended at least one hundred miles to the Northward from that place, probably your Honours were not informed of those settlements wch Consist of several thousand families who are seated on that Tract of Country Called the New Hampshire Grants. the Misfortune and real In jury to those Inhabitants by making the South End of Lake George the Northermost front of Protection will more fully appear from the following Consideration. Namely it was at the special request and solicitation of the Governments of the Province of the Massachusetts-Bay, & Connecticut, that those very Inhabitants put their Life into the hand of them Governments and made those valuable Acquisitions for the Colonies by doing it they have Incens'd Governor [Guy] Carlton and all the Ministerial Party in eanada against them, and provided they should after all their good Service in behalf of their Country, be neglected and left expos'd they will be of all men the most Consumately miserable. The South Promontary of Lake Champlain and Lake George as to a Southern Direction are near the same and if we should give up the Sov'reignty of Lake Champlain we may as well give up the whole, if the Kings Troops should be again in Possession of Ticonderoga and Crown Point, and Command the Lake, the Indians and Canadians will be much more Inclin'd to Join with them, and make Incursions into the Heart of our Country, but as the Colonies are now in the possession and Actual Command of the Lake having taken the Armed Sloop from George the Third which was Cruising in the Lake, and also Seiz'd a Schooner belonging to Major Skeene at South-Bay and have armed and mann'd them both for the protection of our Country and the Constitution and Civil Priviledges and Liberties thereof. By a Council of War held on board the Sloop the 27th Inst it was agreed to advance to Point au fore with the Sloop and Schooner and a number of Armed Boats well mann'd, and there make a Stand, and act on the defensive, and by all means Command the Lake, and defend the frontiers, and wait for the special directions of the Honble Continental Congress, and govern ourselves accordingly, we are now almost ready to sail to that station which is about six miles this side, Latitude forty-five Degrees North, a small force with the Armed Vessells will at present Command the Lake and Secure the frontiers, the Canadians (all Except the Nobless) and also the Indians appear at present to be very friendly to us, and it is my humble opinion that the more vigorous the Colonies push the war against the Kings Troops in Canada, the more friends we shall find in that Country. Provided I had but five hundred men with me at St John's when we took the Kings Sloop, I would have advanced to montreal. Nothing strengthens our friends in Canada equal to our Prosperity in taking the Sovereignty of Lake Champlain, and should the Colonies forthwith send an Army of two or three thousand Men and Attack Montreal, we should have but little to fear from the Canadians or Indians and would easily make a Conquest of that Place and set up the Standard of American Liberty in the Extensive Province of Quebec whose limits was Enlarg'd purely to subvert the Liberties of America, striking such a Blow would intimidate the Tory party in Canada, the same as the Commencement of the war at Boston intimidated the Tories in the Colonies, they are a set of Gentlemen that will not be Converted by Reason but are easily wrought upon by fear, Advancing an Army into Canada will be agreeable to our friends, and it is bad policy to fear the Resentment of an Enemy, if we lie easy & in a Supine State, and Governor Carlton exerts himself against us vigorously, as we know he will, and who by a Legal Constitution can oblige our Friends to assist him he will by slow Degrees Discourage our friends and Encourage our Enemies and form those that are at present Indifferent, into Combination against us, therefore the possible way to Circumvent him and the Scheme of the ministry is to Nervously push an Army into Canada, but if the Wisdom of the Continent in Congress should view the propos'd Invasion of the Kings Troops in Canada as premature or Impolitick nevertheless I Humbly Conceive when your Honours come to the Knowledge of the before mention'd facts, You will at least Establish some advantageous Situation towards the Northerly part of Lake Champlain as a Frontier, instead of the South Promontory of Lake George, there are many advantages in forming the frontier, near the Country of the Enemy, as first, it will be in our power to ravage and make Inroads into the Heart of the Enemies Country, the same as they might easily do, were they in Possession and Command of Lake Champlain, this Advantage will be of the utmost Consequence, be it in the hands of which Party it will, tho' it is now in our hands, to give it up to them would be fatal, the Interest of the Colonies but more particularly to those who were instrumental in the Atchievement of the supremacy of that Lake but secondly, Commanding the Northerly part of the Lake, puts it in our power to work our Policy with the Canadians & Indians, we have made Considerable proficiency this way already, sundry Indians have been to visit us, and have returned to their Tribes to use their Influence in our favr, we have sent Capt Abraham Nimham a Stockbridge Indian as our Embassador of Peace to the several Tribes of Indians in Canada, he was accompanied by Mr Winthrop Hoit, who has been a Prisoner with the Indians and Understands their Tongue, I do not imagine provided we Command Lake Champlain there will be any need of a War with the Canadians or Indians, pray pardon me on Account of my lmpertinency or Inaccuracy in this Composition as it is but a rough Draught wrote in great Haste from

Your Honours every faithful [&c.]