colony has no command of said posts, now in the possession of people of several colonies, it is impracticable for said officers & soldiers to return to said posts, and the dictates of humanity require that said officers and soldiers with their families, should be provided for, and supported while they remain in this colony it is therefore Resolved by this assembly that Col: Erastus Wollcott &c. &c. be and they are hereby appointed a committee, and they are order'd and instructed at the expence of this colony to take care of and provide for said officers and soldiers with their families at present, and see that they be treated with humanity kindness & respect according to their rank & station, and encourage assist & advise said soldiers in procuring such profitable labour, and business as they may be capable of wherever said soldiers can find persons willing to entertain and give them employment, untill by advice of the continental congress (or otherwise) this assembly shall take further order concerning them, and that the commander in chief make a proper return under his hand to said committee of the Corps under his command. GEORGE WYLLYS Sec Letter from the Earl of Dartmouth to Gov. Franklin, referring to the Congress in Philadelphia, and to the Skirmish near Boston. [From P. R. O. America and West Indies, Vol. 177 (195).] WHITEHALL 7th June 1775 Sir Governor Franklin I have received and laid before the King your despatches of the 18th of Feb: 7th of March and 34 of April No 19, 20, & 21. You may with Confidence rely on the Assurance I have already given you that whatever you may transmit of the nature you mention in N: 21, shall be communicated only to the King's Confidential Servants. The present State of North America makes every Intelligence of that sort, more and more Important; and your continuing to transmit it to me is considered as a mark of your Duty and Attachment to the King. It is evident now that the appointment of Delegates to the new Congress at Philadelphia could not have been prevented by any measures in your power to pursue, had it been otherways The King is persuaded you would not have failed to have shewn your Zeal on that Occasion. We have received an Account through the Channel of a private Ship sent on purpose, as we conceive, by the Provincial Congress assembled in Massachusetts Bay of a Skirmish between a Detachment of the King's Troops and some Rebel provincials in the neighbourhood of Boston, this Account as you will readily believe is made up with a view to create alarm here and answer the ends of faction; but as we have not yet any Intelligence from General Gage I can only say with great Satisfaction that it has failed of its Object and has had no other Effect than to excite that just Indignation that every honest Man feels at the Measures adopted in North America for supporting by Acts of open Rebellion, a resistance to the Laws and Authority of this Kingdom.. I am &ca DARTMOUTH. ས ན Letter from Gov. Franklin to the Earl of Dartmouth, giving intelligence of the movement of troops in New Jersey and Philadelphia. [From P. R. O. America & West Indies, Vol. 177 (195).] PERTH AMBOY, July 4, 1775 The Right Honble the Earl of Dartmouth &c &c My Lord, I am honoured with your Lordship's Circular Dispatch of the 15th of April, and shall not fail to pay due Attention and Obedience to His Majesty's Pleasure therein signified. The State of Affairs in this Province continues much the same as mentioned in my Dispatch (N° 23) sent by the last Packet. It is reported that a Thousand of the New Jersey Militia are ordered to march to the City of New York, to join the Connecticut People now there under the Command of one Wooster; but as this Report has prevailed for some Days, and I can't learn that any of our Militia appear to be in Motion, or are making preparations for a March, I suspect it to be premature. I am just informed that 300 Rifle-Men are to march this Day from Philadelphia to join the New England Army at Cambridge; and that they are soon to be followed by 500 more. In short, ever since the Lexington Affair, as your Lordship will see by the public papers, Hostile Measures seem to engross the Attention of the whole Continent. I know nothing of the Proceedings of the Congress except what are published. But a Gentleman who was lately at Philadelphia writes to me, "I cannot hear of any Steps taken, or likely to be 66 66 taken, towards an Accommodation of the Dispute "between the two Countries, in an amicable Way. Every thing gives us a Prospect of the direct reverse." I send herewith the Minutes of the Privy Council, and Journals of the Legislative Council of this Province, together with the Acts passed at the last Session. I have the Honour to be, with the greatest Respect and Regard, My Lord, Your Lordship's most obedient & W FRANKLIN Letter from the Earl of Dartmouth to Gov. Franklin, announcing the King's determination to crush the rebellion, and that Gen. Gage and Admiral Graves had received orders to exert the most vigorous efforts to this end. Sir, [From P. R. O. America and West Indies, Vol. 177 (195).] WHITEHALL 5th July 1775. Gov! of New Jersey. Your Ideas of the Situation of the King's Affairs in No America, and of the fatal effects of General Gage's Attempt at Concord, are perfectly just, and I really believe that if that unfortunate event had not happened, just at the time that my letter of the 3 of March was received by the Governors of the several Colonies, each of those Colonies separately, or upon some plan of communication, less dangerous than a general Congress, would have been committed in such a Consideration of the Resolution of the House of Commons of the 20th of Febry,' as would have led to some plan of Accommodation That happy moment of Advantage is lost, and instead of Reconciliation all No America, except Quebec, Nova Scotia, Georgia, & the Floridas, is in Arms against Great Britain, & committed in Rebellion, that menaces to overthrow the Constitution. In this Situation therefore it is the King's firm Resolution that the most vigorous Efforts should be made both by Sea and Land, to reduce His rebellious Subjects to Obedience, & the proper measures are now pursuing not only for augmenting the Army under General Gage, but also for making such Addition to Our Naval Strength in N° America, as may enable Admiral Graves to make such a Disposition of his Fleet, as that, besides the Squadron necessary for the New England Station, there may be separate Squadrons at New York, within the Bay of Delaware, in Chesapeak Bay, & upon the Coast of Carolina. After what has passed there can be no doubt what ought to be the Plan of Operations for the Squadron upon the New England Station, & I think it necessary to acquaint you, for your own Information, that Admiral Graves will be instructed to exert the most vigorous efforts for suppressing the Rebellion now openly avowed and supported in that Country, & to seize & 1 The Resolution adopted February 20, 1775, by the House of Commons, and so often referred to in the foregoing correspondence, was as follows: "Resolved, That when the Governor, Council and Assembly, or General Court of any of his Majesty's Provinces or Colonies in America, shall make provision according to the Condition, Circumstances, and Situation of such Province or Colony, for contributing their Proportion to the common Defence, (such Proportion to be raised under the Authority of the General Court, or General Assembly of such Province or Colony, and disposable by Parliament,) and shall engage to make provision also, for the support of the Civil Government, and the Administration of Justice in such Province or Colony, it will be proper, if such Proposal shall be approved by his Majesty and the Houses of Parliament, and for as long as such Provision shall be made accordingly, to forbear, in respect of such Province or Colony, to levy any Duty, Tax, or Assessment, except only such Duties as it may be expedient to continue to levy, or to impose for the Regulation of Commerce, the Nett Produce of the Duties last mentioned to be carried to the Account of such Province or Colony respectively." -Penn. Col. Records, X., 250. |