Sir

It gives me great Concern to learn by your Excellency's Letter of the 15th the necessity you have been under to retire from Portsmouth to Castle William and Mary. The People are guilty of such frequent and violent Excesses of Behaviour it is in my opinion highly dangerous for your Excellency to trust yourself any longer among them. Nothing appears plainer than the People of New Hampshire are determined implicitly to obey the General Congress, and, as far as the Condition of their Country will allow them, to follow the Steps of this Province, which is exerting its utmost Strength to destroy all the Kings Forces, and totally to abolish his Majesty's Authority within the Government.

I thank your Excellency for the four Pounders, these Guns and all others that can be got off are certainly much better in the hands of Government than in the of the Rebels.

From the necessity of cutting off Provisions from the Rebels and of supplying the Kings Troops in Boston, your Excellency and his Majesty's Officers and good Subjects will I fear unavoidably suffer some Inconveniencies, but Captain [Andrew] Barkley will continue his good Offices.

I really Sir had not Ships enough to spare another at Piscataqua. The Scarborough I hope will prove equal to all the Purposes of Government in that River at present, but I will add a Schooner as soon as possible. I am &c.