Displaying 1 - 20 of 90
You have desired me to state the number of cannon, &c. at Ticonderoga.I have certain information that there are at Ticonderoga eighty pieces of heavy cannon, twenty brass guns, from four to eighteen pounders, and ten to twelve large mortars. At Skenesborough, on the South-Bay, there are three or four brass Cannon. The Fort is in a ruinous condition, and has not more than fifty men at the most...
Date: 30 April 1775
Volume: Volume 1
I wrote you yesterday tliat arriving in the vicinity of this place, I found one hundred and fifty men collected at the instance of some gentlemen from Connecticut (designed on the same errand on which I came) headed by Colonel Ethan Allen, and that I had joined them, not thinking proper to wait the arrival of the Troops I had engaged on the road, but to attempt the Fort by surprise; that we had...
Date: 11 May 1775
Volume: Volume 1
My last was the 11th Inst pr Express; since which, a Party of Men have seized on Crown Point in which they took 11 Prisoners, & found 61 Pieces of Cannon serviceable, and 53 unfit for service ー I ordered a Party to Skeensborough who have made Majr Skeene Prisoner, & seized a small Schooner which is just arrived here ー I intend setting out in her directly, with a Batteau & 50 Men to...
Date: 14 May 1775
Volume: Volume 1
My last was of the 14th Instant by Mr [Bernard] Romans, via New Haven. I then acquainted you of the Occasion of Delay in not carrying your Orders into execution. ー The Afternoon of the same Day, being joined by Captains Brown & Oswald, with 50 Men inlisted on the Road, they having taken Possession of a small Schooner, at Skenesborough, we immediately proceeded on our Way for St Johns, and at...
Date: 19 May 1775
Volume: Volume 1
Colo. [Ethan] Allen & his Party is Just Arived from St. Johns, where they are Attacked the next Morning after I came away, the 19th Inst. by About Two hundred, Regulars, with Six Field Pieces, & were obliged to make a precipitate Retreat with the loss of three Men Missing ー They have returned without Provision, & much Fatigued. Pray Send On all the Provision you have imediately &...
Date: 21 May 1775
Volume: Volume 1
I take the liberty to advise you that on the 13th inst. having proceeded from this place to St. Johns, with a party of my regiment of 35 men, I surprised and took prisoners, a sergeant and his party of 12 men, the King's sloop of 70 tons, and seven men, mounted with two brass six pounders; and in two hours after weighed anchor with the sloop, &c. and proceeded for this place . . . I am now...
Date: 22 May 1775
Volume: Volume 1
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...
Date: 23 May 1775
Volume: Volume 1
My Last was of the 23d Instant. I then Advised you of the Situation of Matters here: Since which, there has been no Material Alteration: Verry few men have Arrived; We have fixed the Sloop with Six Carriage & Twelve Swivel Guns: the Schooner with Four Carriage & Eight Swivels, both Vessels are in good Order & Tolerably well manned, Eight Gentlemen having arriv'd from Hartford, who are...
Date: 26 May 1775
Volume: Volume 1
Your resolution of the 18th. Inst & recommendation of Measures to the City's of New-York and Albany, in Consequence of the taking Possession of Ticonderoga &c. has this moment been deliverd me, as Commanding Officer here, the Purport of which Induces me to believe, the Committee of Safety of the Massachusetts Bay, have not Informed you of my Appointment, or Instructions from them which I...
Date: 29 May 1775
Volume: Volume 1
I was equally surprised and alarmed this day on receiving advice, via Albany, that the Continental Congress has recommended the removing all the cannon, stores, &c. at Ticonderoga to Fort George, and evacuating Ticonderoga entirely which being the only key of this Country, leaves our very extensive Frontiers open to the ravages of the Enemy, and if put into execution, will be the entire ruin...
Date: 29 May 1775
Volume: Volume 1
As commanding Officer here, I think it my duty to acquaint you, that having lately sent one Mr Hoit, an Indian Interpreter to Montreal, & Caughnawaga, to consult with some Gentlemen of my Acquaintance in the former Place, and with the Indians in the latter, to know their Intentions in the present dispute ー he has returned with the agreeable Intelligence that the Indians are determined not to...
Date: 13 June 1775
Volume: Volume 1
Your instructions of the 14th instant from the Provincial Congress of the Massachusetts-Bay, in regard to my conduct here, being now before me, I will answer in course.
In the first place, I observe you are appointed to examine my conduct, and in what manner I have executed my commission. I look on this instruction at this juncture as unprecedented, and a very plain intimation that the Congress...
Date: 24 June 1775
Volume: Volume 1
General [Philip] Schuyler has desired me to acquaint you of the state and situation of the Army in the Northern Department. Six days since, when I left Crown Point, &here were at that post near three hundred men, without employ, having received no orders to fortify; at Ticonderoga about six hundred in the same state; at Fort George, upwards of three hundred men; some few employed in building...
Date: 11 July 1775
Volume: Volume 1
...Mr [John] Bonfield a Gentleman of Character arrived here Yesterday, he left Sully on Thursday last Decham: on Saturday Morning ー where General [John] Thomas was with only nine hundred Men Colonel [William] Maxwell was at Jacques Cartier, but the Number of Men with him Mr Bonfield could not tell ー Mr Bonfield saw a Number of the regular Officers and Inhabitants of Quebec before he left Sully,...
Date: 15 May 1776
Volume: Volume 5
It is thought most adviseable to send all the Troops at Montreal here, who have had the Small Pox, & to send Five or Six hundred Men from this to Montreal, who will be at no expence of getting up, as they can row themselves....
As soon as Genl. Thomas arrives I expect a council of War will be immediately held, I shall be for keeping Deschambault by all Means. if it can be done without too...
Date: 17 May 1776
Volume: Volume 5
Gentlemen One of our Men this Moment came in, who was taken at the Cedars. He made his escape this morning & says we have lost only ten Privates & [no officers] killed. the rest are Prisoners at St Anns & the Cedars. the enemy lost double that number. they were last Night within three Miles of us with 300 savages 50 Regulars & 250 Canadians with our two pieces of Cannon. but on...
Date: 25 May 1776
Volume: Volume 5
...Our Enemies are daily encreasing & our Friend[s] deserting us; Under these Discouragements & Obstacles with a Powerful Army against Us, well disciplined & Wanting in no one Article to carry on their Operati[ons] it will be a Miracle If we keep the Country; My only Expectation is to secure our Retreat to St Johns or the Isle aux Noix, Where It will doubtless be thoug[ht] Necessary...
Date: 6 June 1776
Volume: Volume 5
Dear General: I went to St. Johns yesterday, where I found everything in the greatest confusion ー not one stroke done to fortify the camp ー the Engineer a perfect sot ー at that and this near three thousand sick. I have given orders that the sick draw only half rations in future. I have ordered Colonel [Edward] Antill to St. Johns, and an abattis and lines to be immediately begun, to enclose the...
Date: 10 June 1776
Volume: Volume 5
Near one half of our Army are sick, mostly with the small pox If the Enemy have a Force of six or eight and some say ten thousand Men, we shall not be able to oppose them, sick divided, ragged undisciplined, & unofficered as we are ー If we are not soon reinforced I tremble for the Event ー a Loss of our heavy Cannon which is all ordered to Sorrel must ensue, if not our Army, as our Retreat is...
Date: 13 June 1776
Volume: Volume 5
...I make no Doubt the Enemy will pass Sorrel and as soon as in possession of Montreal march immediately for St. John's and endeavor to cut off our Retreat In which Case if we save our Army the Cannon and heavy Baggage must fall into the Hands of the Enemy
All the craft on your Side of the Lake in my opinion ought immediately be sent to St John's and a Number of Gundaloes built as soon as...
Date: 13 June 1776
Volume: Volume 5