[Extract]

Dear General I wrote you the 21st from Ticonderoga and by Direction of General Gates forwarded you some Indian Goods. ー last night I arrived here and found Four Gondalos were compleated & gone to Ticonderoga, Two others will be finished in five days, & four more in Ten days, each of which will mount three, or four, heavy pieces of Cannon, & Fourteen Swivels. ー Thirty Carpenters are arived from Connecticut, & are Cuting Timber for a Row Gally, to mount six pieces heavy Cannon, & Twenty Swivels, One hundred other Carpenters from Pensilvania, & the Massachusetts Bay will be here this evening, who will take in hand three other Gallies, the whole I expect will be compleated In three weeks ー & will require a much greater Number of Seamen to Navigate them, than can be furnished From the Northern Army. Only Seventy Seamen have been returned from the whole Army, we shall want at least three hundred more to man the Gondalos, Gallies & Vessells on the Lake, exclusive of those that It may be necessary to build, of which we cannot Judge Untill we know the Naval preparations the Enemy Are makeing at St Johns, which expect to have advice of on return of our reconoitering Parties. Three or Four experienced Commanders are wanted for the Row Gallies & four or five for the Gundalos, the Seamen are of so much Consequence, I had thoughts of sending, directly to Connecticut for them, but Doubt If they can be engaged on the same Terms, as alowed by Congress for those in the Navy. (Vizt Forty eight Shillings Lawfull Money pr Month) as there is no prospect of makeing reprisals on the Lake, but rather Fatigue & Danger, I am told they cannot be engaged For less than the Common Premium & Ten Dollars pr Month wages, which I could not engage as I have had no particular Instructions, on that head, perhaps they can be furnished from the Army at New York At any rate we must have them our Navigation without will be useless, ー Soldiers, or Landsmen will by no means answear without a number of Seamen In each Vessell. hope no time will be lost in engageing and forwarding them to this place. If you think proper to Send to Connecticut, I beg leave to recommend Capts Samuel Chew & Francis Brown of New Haven, Capt Amos Green of Stamford, Capt [Azariah] Whitelsey of Saybrook & Capt Seth Warner of Haddam, who are Men of Spirit and if not engaged, I make no doubt will undertake & Engage a number of Seamen ー Inclosed is a List of a Number of Articles which are wanted for the Vessells (exclusive of those wrote for before) in particular the Sail Cloth & Cordage, the former may be had of Thos Mumford of New London, the Latter of Mr. Mortimer at Middletown If none can be procured nearer. ー All the Powder we have on hand, (which is about Eight Tons) will hardly make Thirty rounds for each Gun, so that as much more ought to be sent us emediately, I expect to return to Ticonderoga tomorrow, & will forward you a Return of our Artillery, Ammunition & Ordinance Stores, many of the articles in my List, tho' trifles Are absolutely necessary, & cannot be procured here. We are at a loss for Gunners, very few can be spared From the Artillery Companies, & no others are to be had here. I could wish Ten or Twelve, with their mates could be sent, us, & that they may have Directions to bring such Articles, as will be wanted And are not Included in my memorandum...

PS. The Vessells cannot be Compleated untill the Blocks & Cordage Arives B A²