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general officers, blow up the magazine, spike the cannon, &c. It
was to be put in execution as soon as the enemy fleet appeared,
if no proper time offered before; but thank God, they are discov-
ered, and many of them in close custody; where, I hope, they will
receive the punishment due such infamous wretches.

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June 22-By express from Canada we have the disagreeable
intelligence, that on the morning of the inst., General Thomp-
son, at the head of 1,500 men, attacked the enemy at Trois-Rivers, e/
supposing them to be abent 500. But, unluckily for us, the even-
ing before, the enemy received reinforcements to the number of
about 4,000 men, with General Burgoyne at their head; by which
means General Thompson was defeated and obliged to retreat.
On his retreat he, with five officers, fell into the hands of the
Canadian militia, and were carried prisoners to General Burgoyne's
camp. This unfortunate affair, we fear, will oblige our little army
to leave Canada. When the express came away, General Sullivan,
with the remaining part of our army, abart 2,500 men, was forti-
fying himself at the Sorrell. We wish to hear of their safety.

June 23.-The detachment under Color Jacobs jg to go on
fatigue near King's Bridge. About one o'clock, this evening, a
detachment of about 250, under Majors
and Livingston,
marched to rout a number of tories in the swamps on Long Island,
and to pick up such men as are notoriously inimical to the liber-
ties of America. Success attend them. 10

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June 24.-The guard, at the City Hall, has in charge those traitors to their country, who were concerned in the late horrible plot.

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June 28.—This evening we hear that our cruisers off the back of Long or Nassau Island, have retaken four prizes which the Greyhound man-of-war had a few days before, taken.The sailors inform, that General Howe was on board the Greyhound and had arrived at Sandy Hook; that 130 sails of transports, &c., were to sail from Halfax for this place the 9th inst. If this be true, we may hourly look for their arrival.

Agreeable to yesterday's orders, Thomas Hickey (one of the conspirators to take the life of our Chief), was hanged in presence of most of the army besides great numbers of other spectators He seemed much more penitent than he was at first.

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June 29,-This morning, at nine o'clock, we discovered our

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signals hoisted on Staten Island, signifying the appearance of a
Heet. At two o'clock P. M., an express arrived, informing that a
fleet of more than 200 square rigged vessels, had arrived and an-
chored in the Hook-This is the fleet which we forced to evacuate
Boston; and which went to Halifax last March where they have
been waiting for reinforcements, and have now arrived here with a
view of putting their cursed plans into execution. But, however,
we hope and trust te frustrate their cruel designs. warm and e.
bloody campaign, is the least we can expect; may God grant us
Victory and
success over them, is our most fervent prayer. Ex-
presses how this day gone to Connecticut, the Jerseys, &c., to
hurry on the militia.

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July 1-By express from Long Island, we are informed, that the whole fleet weigh'd anchor and came from Sandy Hook,over un- from the Shou. der the Long Island shore, and anchored abeat half a mile off, which leads us to think they mean a defcent upon the Island this night.ive hundred men were sent over at nine o'clock this evening, to reinforce the troops on Long-Island under General GreeneWe have also, received intelligence that our cruisers on the back of Long-Island, have taken and carried in one of the enemy's flect laden with intrenching tools. 9

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July 2.Atnine o'clock this morning, the whole army was
under arms at their several alarm posts, occasioned by five large le.
men-of-war coming up thro: the Xarrows We supposed them
Coming on to attack our forts Never did I see men more chegr-
ful; they seem to wish the enemy approach-They came up to the
watering place, about five miles above the arrows, and came too
Their tenders took three or four of our small craft plying between
this and the Jersey shore Att o'clock P. M., about fifty of the
fleet followed and anchored with the others Orders that the whole
army
lie on their arms and be at their alarm posts before the dawn-
ing of the day. A warm campaign, in all probability, will soon
ensue, Kelying on the justice of our cause, and putting our confi-
dence in the Supreme Being, at the same time exerting our every
nerve,- -we trust the designs of our enemies will be frustrated.

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July 3.-This day arrived in camp, Brigadier-General Mercer, from Virginia, being appointed and ordered here by the Hon able Continental Congress; likewise General Hall, with the militia from New Jersey, by order of His Excellency General Washing

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July 4-Last night or rather at daylight this morning we attacked a sloop of the enemys mounting eight carriage guns She lay up a small river, which divides Staten Island from the main called the Kills. We placed two nine-pounders on Bergen Point, and soon forced the crew to quit her.-By the shrieks, some of them must have been killed or wounded-The sloop quite disabled.

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July 7. By several desertions from the fleet and army on Staten Island, we learn, that the number of the enemy is abent 10,000; that they hourly look for Lord Howe from England with a fleet, on board of which is 15,000 or 20,000 men; that they propose only to rest on the defensive'till the arrival of this fleet, when they mean to open a warm and bloody campaign, and expect to carry all before them. We trust they will be disappointed.

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July 9 Agreeable to this day's orders, the Declaration of Independence was read at the head of each Brigade; and was received by three huzza's from the troops Every one seemed highly pleased that we were separated from a king who has endeavoring to enslave his once loyal subjects. God grant us success in this our new character.

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July 10 Last night the statue of George H. was tumbled
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down and beheaded- The troops, having long had an inclination
so to do, thought the time of publishing a declaration of independ-
ence, to be a favorable opportunity for which they received the
check in this day's orders. 2

July 12. At twelve o'clock, this day, we discovered two of

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with the tide at flood and a very strong breeze of wind in their
favor. As soon as abreast of Red-Hook, our battery from the at
opened upon them, and all our batteries for three miles on end till
they got entirely past. They ket a warm fire the whole of the
time on us, though with no effect number of our shot hulled
them. In this affair, we lost six men by our guns being carelessly
handled. When abreast of Mount Washington, twelve miles above /2
the town, General Mifflin gave them a warm reception; but did
them no great damage. Their view, probably, is to cut off our
communication with Albany and the northern army-I hope we
may frustrate their designs. The same day arrived Admiral, Lord
Howe, in the Eagle man-of-war, and joined the fleet at Staten

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Island. The ships that went up the river this day, are the Pha-
nix, of forty guns, commanded by Parker, and the Rose, of

guns, by Wallace.

twenty A flag of truce from the fleet, appeared, on which

July 14.

Colored Reed and myself, went down to meet it, About half way
between Governors and Staten Islands Lieutenant Brown, of the
Eagle, offered a letter from Lord Howe, directed George Washing-
ton, Esq.,** which, on account of its direction, we refused to receive,
and parted with the usual compliments.It is to be noticed, that
the frequent repetitions in general orders, is occasioned by new
regiments and companies daily arriving in camp, and quite unac-
quainted with garrison or camp duty Time alone, can remedy
this inconvenience.

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July 15th. The court of enquiry ordered the 14th, to sit on Colonel Rodolphus Rityema, report, that after the strictest enquiry and maturest deliberation, they are of the opinion, that Colonel Rityema is innocent of the crimes alleged against him, save the last, respecting Led Sterling Lord Sterling thinks proper to pardon that He is, therefore, acquitted with hongr.

July 16.-A flag this day, to send to General Howe some printed resolves of Congress, respecting the cruelty and barbarity of the King's troops and savages to the northward, and acquainting him, that retaliation shall immediately take place, unless a final stop is put to such inhuman and barbarous conduct. The same day forwarded a copy of said resolves to the northern army, to be sent General Burgoyne in Canada.

A. July 17-A flag from the enemy, with an answer from General
Howe, about the resolves sent yesterday directed George Washing-
ton, Esq., &c., &c., &c., which we refused.

July 19.-A flag appeared this morning; when Colon Reed
and myself went down, where an Aid-de-Camp to General Howe
met us and said, as there appeared an insurmountable obstacle be-
tween the two generals, by way of corresponding, General Howe
desired his Adjutant-General might be admitted to an interview
with His Excellency General Washington. On which Colon
Reed, in the name of General Washington, consented; and pledgød
his honor for his being safely returned. The Aid-de-Camp said
the Adjutant-Geneal would meet us tomorrow forenoon.

July 20-At twelve o'clock we met the flag, took the Lieu

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tenant-Colon of regiment into our barge and escorted him le.
safely to town to Colon Knox's quarters; where His Excellency
General Washington, attended with his suite and Life Guards, re-
ceived and had an interview of about an hour with him. We then
escorted him back in safety to his own barge In going and come/
ing, we passed in front of the Grand Battery but did not blind-
fold him: sociable and chatty all the way.
The same evening arrived an express from Charleston, S, Carolina
Lee having defeated the ene-

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with the agreeable news of Gene
my's fleet, after a warm engagement of twelve hours. During the 12/2/
cannonade on the fort, General Clinton and Lord Cornwallis, made
several attempts to land with the army; but were beaten off by
Colonel Moultrie, with 300 men. It is to be hoped every attempt
of our cruel invaders, may meet with the same fate.

This day ten large ships arrived with Scotch troops on board,
to reinforce the troops at Staten Island By the best accounts we
can get from deserters, they contain about 10,000 men.

July 23. By intelligence this day, it appears that the pirates
up the North River, have made several attempts to land, and have
as often, been repulsed,-having left, at different times, fifteen
dead behind them who were killed by our people after getting to
The shore.
1776

July 26
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July 25.This day five ships arrived, supposed to come from
England. Whether store-ships or men-of-war, can not say is
Arrived eight ships joined the enemy fleet.
Arrived to the evening three ships and one sloop.
This day and last evening, about twenty large ships
These with the others which have come in during for
several days past, have troops on board and are supposed to be part
of Lord Howe's fleet, with the foreigners.

NOTE.-The foregoing settles, very conclusively, the question as to who it was, that rejected General Howe's letter to Washington;-the superscription on which was intended to be an insult to our Commander-in-Chief. It appears, too, that Washington's two youthful Aids, assumed the responsibility of refusing the letter without waiting for instructions from their Chief.

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