[Extract]

I note the last of your letter as to Polliticks  I never like it for fear of my letters Miscarrying. however in hopes that this will go Safe, I will give you some Account now; & perhaps you have heard the most of it Ere this Reaches you. the first Battle at Lexington, in which the Engs troops Made a precipate retrate & Lost 150 Men killed & Wounded. the Contry people lost 40. odd Killed. the Second battle on Hog Isleand Just by Boston, the Country People drove off a Learge Quantity of Stock burned a tender & killed upwards of 100 Soldiers & Sailors however the Governer says there was but 21 killed. the Country had none Killed & but three Wounded. thre is a Report of a third Engagement Agreeable to the paper I now Inclose you, but its believed that thers no foundation for it, from Many Circumstances.

The Congress has Set long time Very privet and its not known when the[y] will brake up. the[y] have Agreed to pay an Army of 15 thousand Men, and have for that purpose orderd two Million of Dollars, to be Made, and the Different provinces are to Sink their proportions. the[y] have also ordered a Regement of Men to be raised in this Province, Virgina & Pensylvania to Carry Riffles & to Contain 800. these Men you may be Assured are to pick the Officers of the Regulars off, and in my opinion the Officers have Much to fear from them, as the[y] Can hit a Man with Certanty from 150 to 200 Yards. Besides the[y] Generally fight from Cover, and the[y] often times Cover them Selvs from sight with the the Most trifling Article the[y] meet with. the Congress has also Appointed Coln [George] Washington of Virginia to be Chieff in Command of all the Country troops on the Continent  he is a Cool Sensible Man, and Great Matters is promised from his Experience & Beahavour, the last Gaining him the Love & Esteem of Every person that knows him, and his Experience Made him be Chose for this Great Undertaking, in Short the Matters's become so Generall that all the provinces are Joined, and so Serious that then no telling where it will End. and Lord Chatham has proved to the World that he knows more than the whole Minystre put together, if there designs are good, but its Generally believed here that the Scotch party wants to Bring about a Revolution in England. Every day Widens the Difference between England & us, as you may be Assured Every Scirmish will Make the Country people Warmer & more Experienced. so you must think it will be the harder to Settle Matters ー there is three Camps at or Near Boston of Country Soldiers, and the people have been so Desireous of Serveing there Country that the[y] have about 15000 Men in those Camps, and all under Strict Desiplinge and officers, and no doubt the[y] will be Every day better Soldiers and the[y] Can so Easey Recruit that the[y] will all ways be a Match for the Soldiers and in the End must be Victorious  Indeed so much is the Country people back Interested that the[y] are all most Wrangling to try to get Inlisted in the Regement of Riflemen which I think promises badly for the Schemes of Government  I did not think I could have Said so much About these Matters ー . . . I Expect Every day to here of a blody Engagement at boston. . . .