Gentlemen
My last was of the 19th Inst by Captain Jonathan Brown, I then Advised you of my taking Possession of the Kings Sloop, &c. & that on the 18th Inst on my return from St Johns Coln [Ethan] Allen with about 80 or 100 Men passed me with Intention of making a Stand at St Johns & not being able to disuade him from so rash a purpose, I supplied them with provisions &c, Yesterday he arrived at Ticonderoga with his party & Says that on the evening of the 18th Inst he arrived with his party at St Johns & hearing of a Detachment of Men on the Road from Montreal Layd an Ambush for them, but his People being so much fatigued (when the party where about one mile distant) thought proper to retreat & Crossed the Lake at St Johns where they Continued the Night, at dawn the next Day they where (when assleep) saluted with a discharge of Grape shot from six Field pieces & a discharg of Small Arms from about 200 Regulars; they made a precipitate retreat, & left behind three men ー Immediately on this Advise I proceeded here with the Sloop, & Schooner, well Armed as passable under our Curcumstances & 80 Men which with the party here before makes near 150 Men with whome I am determined to make a Stand here to secure the Cannon, it being impossible to remove them at present, I am in hourly expectation of Two or three hundred men more, most of those here are Inlisted Col Allens Men are in gennerall gone homeー
As the Regulars have good information of our Strength and movements, I am apprehensive of their paying us a Vissit Provided they Can get Battoes from Montreal to St Johns ー I Shall make every possible preparation to give them a warm reception ー I have Commissioned Captn John Sloan in the Sloop & Captn Isaac Mathues in the Schooner & I have wrote to New York for a number of Gunners & Seamen to man the two Vessells being in Great want of them, at present obliged to Stay on board one of them my selfー
As soon as a sufficient number of men arrives I shall lose no time in Carring your orders into execution in regard to the Cannon &c ー this morning very luckely a Escort of Provissions (5 Bars of Pork 30 Bars of flour) arrived here as a present from Albany under the care of Captn Elisha Phelps, the last Barrell of our Pork being a Breach, I have ordered 50 Barrs Pork & 100 of flour from Albany which I expect soon prior to which I bought 15 Oxen & 30 Bars flour which is all the provissions purchassed as Yet. the People who have inlisted are promised the same Bounty as is given in the Masetusetes Bay. ー a Sum of Money will be requisete to carry matters into execution ー I have that found in the Sloop but as it was the Captns property do not chuse to make use of it at present. I have sent to Albany repeatedly for powder and can get none, have only 150 lb here which I brought from Concord & beg You will order a Quantity to be forwarded here immediately. I have wrote to Connecticut but can have no dependence from that Quarter as it is very scarse thereー
I hope some Gentleman will soon be appointd In my Room here who is better able to serve the Public than I am ー Interim I am [&c.] Benedt Arnold P S Since writing the Above One of Colo Allens Party who was taken prisoner at St Johns has made his escape & says that On the 19[th] Inst there was 400 Regulars at St Johns who expected to be Joined by more men, & were making all posable [prepar]ation to Cross the lake & retake Crown Point, & Ticonderoga, I have sent expresses to Fort George & Skensborough, to rally the Country You may Depend Gentlemen, these Places will Not be given up unless we are overpowered by Numbers, or Deserted, by Providence, which has hitherto supported us
I am yours &c
