This Letter will go by the sage, brave, and amiable General Washington,1 to whom I have taken the Liberty of mentioning your Name.

The Congress has at last voted near twenty thousand Men in Massachusetts and New York, and an Emission of a Continental Currency to maintain them.

You will have Lee, as third in Command, Ward being the second, Schuyler of New York the fourth, and Putnam the fifth. Ten Companies of Rifle Men too, are ordered from Pensylvania, Maryland and Virginia.

Nothing has given me more Torment, than the Scuffle We have had in appointing the General officers. We could not obtain a Vote, upon our Seat for L.2 Sam. and John fought for him, however, through all the Weapons. Dismal Bugbears were raised, there were Prejudices enough among the weak and fears enough among the timid as well as other obstacles from the Cunning: but the great Necessity for officers of skill and Experience, prevailed.

I have never formed any Friendship or particular Connection with Lee, but upon the most mature Deliberation I judged him the best qualified for the Service, and the most likely to cement the Colonies, and therefore gave him my Vote, and am willing to abide the Consequences.

I am much obliged to you for yours of June 11. Pray write me a State of the Army, their Numbers, and a List of the officers and the Condition of the poor People of Boston. My Heart bleeds for them.

We have a great Show this Morning here. Our great Generals Washington and Lee review the three Battalions of this City. I believe there never was two Thousand Soldiers created out of nothing so suddenly, as in this City. You would be surprized to behold them, all in Uniforms, and very expert both in the Manual and Maneuvres. They go through the Wheelings and Firings in sub-divisions, grand Divisions, and Platoons, with great Exactness. Our Accounts from all Parts of the Continent are very pleasing. The Spirit of the People is such as you would wish.

I hope to be nearer to you at least, very soon. How does your Government go on? If We have more bad News from England the other Colonies will follow your Example.3 My Love to all Friends, yours,

Since my last I have the pleasure of Several of yours. I am Extreamly obliged to you, and to continue your Attention to me in this way can assure you I dont fail to make use of anything I think will serve the publick from your Letters. I Communicated to both our Generals that Paragraph of your Letter Containing Genll. Lees Opinion of the Generals and character perticularly of Burgoine.1 Yours per Mr. Hall I never received till the day before Yesterday. I have never seen those Gentlemen.2 Shall Observe your recommendation when I do. You will doubtless hear before this reaches you of another Action here on Saturday last which Terminated with less success on our side than any one that has taken place before. However they have nothing to Boast of but the possession of the Ground. You will say that is enough. It is enough to mark with Infamy those who suffered it, but they have paid very dearly for it in the loss of many Men. They Landed about 2000. I cant learn who Commanded them. Were more than once repulsed by the Bravery of our men in the Imperfect Lines hove up the Night before, who had they been supplied with Ammunition, and a Small reinforcement of Fresh men, would thus under every disadvantage have in all probability beat them to peices. Here fell our murdered worthy, and much Lamented Friend Doctr. Warren with as much Glory as Wolf on the plains of Abraham, after performing many feats of Bravery and Exhibiting a Coolness and Judgment Conduct which did Honour to the Judgment of his Country in Appointing him a few days before one of their Major Generals.3 At once Admired and Lamented in such a manner, as to make it difficult to determine whether regret or Envy predominates. Had our Brave men posted on Ground Injudiciously at first taken, had a Lee or a Washington Instead of a General destitute of all Military Ability and Spirit to Command them it is my opinion the day would have terminated 38with as much Glory to America as the 19th of April. This is our great Misfortune and is remediless from any other quarter than yours. We dare not superceed him here.4 It will come well from you and really merits your Attention. That and a necessary article which makes me tremble to Name or think of is all we want.5 Our men were harrassed all the morning by Cannon from 2 Batteries, 2 Ships, and a Bomb Battery, and att the attack by a great Number of Armed Boats, and nevertheless made a Stout resistance. Some fatality always attends my attempts to Write you. I am called away and fear I shant be able to add another paragraph.

I must Beg you would make my acknowledgements to Mr. Cushing, and my good Friend Mr. Adams for their kind favours. I fully designed to have wrote them but this Express goes off so suddenly as not to give me an opportunity. Shall Embrace the next as well as to Enlarge to you. The Hurry of our affairs can hardly be described. We have just received an account by a Man who is said to have swam out of Boston that we killed and wounded 1000 of them among the first of which is a General, Majors Sherrif and Pitcairn and 60 other officers. 70 officers wounded. The whole of the Troops landed at Charlestown were 5000.6 This account is not Improbable to me but I cannot warrant the authenticity of it. I am your Friend. Adieu.