Gentlemen

By order of our Provincial Congress wch is now sitting we inclose you a Copy of a letter from General [Thomas] Gage to the Governor of your Colony.² It was transmitted to this Town to be sent from hence to Mr [Josiah] Martin which gave us an Opportunity of Interceptg it  We trust you will use it with discretion and not make it public without you shall Deem it absolutely necessary as it may prevent any more from falling into our Hands by causing them to be more cautious in future, there can be no Doubt of its Authenticity  it is sealed with the General's Arms and several Persons who are well acquainted with his Hand writing have attested the signature to be his  your Knowledge of this Letter and of the Designs of General Gage and your Governor may enable you to counteract their Machinations, Altho' the General might have no Arms to spare at the Time he wrote this letter which appears by the Date to be before the Defeat & flight of a large detachment of his Arniy from Concord to Boston you may have since seen from the public Prints that a number of the Inhabitants of Boston were obliged to surrender their Arms (we are told five Thousand stand) before they were suffered to leave that City  these he may send to Mr Martin & if he should We hope they will fall into your Hands. We have wrote to New York to stop the Powder if it is not too late  if it should have been sent from thence we hope you will secure itー

We think it proper to inform you that we have Received advices that a Mr Colson a Mr Dunn and a Mr Booth are endeavouring to foment disturbances among the back Inhabitants of your Colony ー It is with the highest Satisfaction we perused the Patriotic & Elegant Answer of your Assembly to your Governor. We have no Doubt but that they & you will hold a proper Conduct towards a Man who is secretly preparing to plunge a Dagger in your Persons  The Assurances we have received from the Committee of Wilmington convince us that your Colony will spurn the insidious Offers of Administration and remain firm in the glorious struggk for the Rights of Humanity. Our Provincial Congress are taking into Consideration matters of the highest Importance for the safety of this Colony, They have already agreed to an Association Copy of which we herewith Enclose you, it has been signed by all the Members of the Congress and the Inhabitants are now subscribing it with Rapidity  We this Day came to a Resolution of raising two Regiments of Foot of seven hundred & fifty privates each and a Regiment of Rangers of four Hundred and fifty  it is not improbable that we may be under the necessity in order to Dispatch our Levies of applying to you for Permission to raise a part of our force in yr Colony in which we Doubt not of obtaining your Countenance & Assistance. You may be assured of our utmost exertions in Defence of American Liberty and that no consideration can induce us to swerve from the great cause in which we are Engaged ー . We have the Honour to be Gentlemen [&c.]

P.S. Our secret Committee have this Day Intercepted a letter from Capt Francis Parry a certified Copy of which we herewith enclose you³

W^m H^y Drayton