Vice Admiral Richard Lord Howe to Governor John Wentworth, June 20, 1776

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Eagle, off the Coast of the Province of
Massachusetts Bay,²
June, the 20th, 1776.

Sir ー

Being appointed Commander in Chief of the Ships and Vessels of his Majesty's Fleet, employed in North America, and having the honor to be by his Majesty constituted one of his Commissioners for restoring Peace to his Colonies, and for granting Pardons to such of his subjects therein as shall be duely solicitous to benefit by that effect of his gracious indulgence; I embrace this Opportunity to inform you of my arrival on the American Coast, where my first object will be an early meeting with General [William] Howe, whom his Majesty hath been pleased to join with me in the said Commission.

In the mean time, I have judged it expedient to issue the inclosed Declaration in order that all Persons may have immediate Information of his Majesty's most gracious Intention: And I desire you will be pleased forthwith to cause the said Declaration to be promulgated, in such manner, and at such Places within the Province of New Hampshire, as will render the same of the most public Notoriety.

Assured of being favored with your Assistance in every measure for thespeedy and effectual Restoration of the public Tranquillity, I am to request you will communicate from time to time, such Information as you may think will facilitate the attainment of that important object in the Province over which you preside. I have the honor to be [&c.]

Howe.

Governor Wentworth, &c.&c. New Hampshire,
or other Chief Magistrate of the Province.

1. Nathaniel Bouton, ea al., eds., Provincial Papers: Documents and Records Relating to the Province of New Hampshire...(Concord, etc., 1867 ー ), VIII, 160. Hereafter cited as Bouton, ed., Documents and Records of New Hampshire. Similar letters to other colonies may be found in Washington Papers and in Personal Papers, Misc., LC.

2. Dated off the coast of Massachusetts, but the Eagle, on June 20, 1776, was approaching the Nova Scotia coast. The letters, with the declaration, however, were not distributed until July 13, when they were sent ashore at Amboy "addressed to the several Governors in North America, notifying of his Arrival and the Objects of his Commission, and inclosing a Declaration to be published by them in their respective Colonies." Tatum, ed., Serle's Journal, 32.

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1776 June 20

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