Gentlemen:

Your situation is very unhappy, being dishonoured by the most infamous service, and under the command of the most vile and miserable wretches that ever disgraced the name of Briton. General [Thomas] Gage, to his eternal infamy, has commenced a thief, robber, murderer, and common butcher of his fellowmen; he has violated the most solemn compacts, and become an apostate to every thing that is honourable or virtuous . . . Admiral [Samuel] Graves has added to the crimes of a common pirate, that of forcing Americans, whom he hath impressed, to act against their own countrymen. Turks and Indians would scorn such rascally conduct, and surely every British soldier and seamen must detest such an odious scoundrel. Gentlemen, the Americans will entertain a respect for you, consider you as their brethren, and wish to live in harmony with you, and to make you free citizens of America. May you soon be freed from the service of tyrants, become the glorious defenders of freedom, and join the victorious Americans.