The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

CAMBRIDGE May 18.

Extract of a Letter from a Gentleman at Pittsfield, in the County of Berkshire, to an Officer of distinguished Rank in this Town, dated May 4, 1775.

"I have the Pleasure to acquaint you that a Number of Gentlemen from Connecticut, went from this Place last Tuesday Morning, having been joined by Col. Eaton, Captain Dickinson and Mr. Brown, with 50 Soldiers, on an Expedition against Ticonderoga and Crown Point, expecting to be reinforced by a Thousand Men from the Grants above here; a Post having previously taken his Departure to inform Col. Ethan Allen of the Design, and desiring him to hold his Green Mountain Boys in actual Readiness. The Expedition has been carried on with the utmost Secrecy, as they are in Hopes of taking those Forts by Surprize.

We expect they will reach those Forts by Saturday next, or Lord's Day at farthest. The Plan was concerted at Hartford last Saturday: by the Governor and Council ;--Col. Hancock, Mr. Adams, & others from our Province being present. Three Hundred Pounds was drawn immediately out of the Treasury for the aforesaid Purpose, & committed to those Gentlemen that were here. We earnestly pray for Success to this important Expedition, as the taking those Places would afford us a Key to all Canada. Should Success attend this Expedition, we expect a strong Reinforcement will be sent from the Western Part of Connecticut to keep those Forts, and to repair & fortify them well:

"We have had much Work here of late with the Tories: A dark Plot has been discovered of sending Names down to General Gage; in Consequence of which, and the critical Situation of this Town, we have been obliged to act with Vigour, and have sent Mr. Jones and --Graves, to Northampton Goal, where they now lie in close Confinement, and have sent a Hue and Cry after Major Stoddard and Mr. Little, who have fled to New-York for Shelter. We hope it will not be long before they are taken into Custody, & committed to close Confinement. Our Tories are the worst in the Province: All the Effect the late and present Operations have had upon them is, they are mute and pensive, and secretly wish for more prosperous Days to Toryism.

"As to your important Operations, Sir, you have the fervent Prayers of all good Men that Success may attend them. I hope God will inspire you with Wisdom in all your Deliberations, and your Soldiers with Courage and Fortitude, & that Boston will be speedily delivered into your Hands, the General thereof and all the King's Troops, that that Den of Thieves, that Nest of Robbers, that Asylum for Traitors and Murderers, may be broke up, and never another Red Coat from England set Foot on these Shores."

Extract of another Letter from the same Gentleman, dated May 9.

"In my last I wrote to you of the Northern Expedition; before this Week ends, we are in raised Hopes here of hearing that Ticonderoga and Crown-Point are in our Hands.

Solomons, the Indian King at Stockbridge, was lately at Col. Easton's of this Town, and said there, that the Mohawks had not only gave Liberty to the Stockbridge Indians to join us, but had sent them a Belt, denoting that they would hold 200 Men in readiness to join us immediately on the first Notice; and that the said Solomons holds an Indian Post in actual readiness to run with the News as soon as they shall be wanted. Those Indians would be of great Service to you should the King's Troops march out of Boston, as some think they undoubtedly will, upon the Arrival of their Recruits, and give us Battle. Our Militia this Way Sir, are vigorously preparing for actual Readiness, adjacent Towns and this Town are buying Arms & Ammunition; there is a Plenty of Arms to be sold at Albany as yet; but, we hear, by order of the Mayor, &c. no Powder is to be sold at present there, the Spirit of Liberty runs high there, as you have doubtless heard.

I have exerted myself to disseminate the same Spirit in King's District, which has of late taken surprising Effect. The poor Tories at Kinderhook are mortified and grieved, & are wheeling about, & begin to take the Quick-Step. New-York government begins to be alive in the glorious Cause, and to act with great Vigour.

"I fervently pray, Sir, that our Council of War may be inspired with Wisdom from above, to direct the warlike Enterprize with Prudence Discretion & Vigour, O may your Councils and deliberations be under the Guidance and Blessing of Heaven! Since I began to write, an intelligent Person, who left Ticonderoga Saturday before last, informs me,
that having went through there and Crown-Point about three Weeks ago, all were secure; but on his Return, he found they were alarmed with our Expedition, & would not admit him into the Fort: That there were 12 Soldiers at Crown-Point, and he judged near 200 at Ticonderoga; that those Forts were out of Repair, and much in Ruins: That it was his Opinion, our Men would undoubtedly be able to take them; and that he met our Men last Thursday, who were well furnished with Cattle and Waggons, laden with Provisions, and in good Spirits, who he supposed would arrive there last Sabbath-Day, and he doubted not but this Week they would be in possession of those Forts. He informed them where they might obtain a plenty of Ball; and there are Cannon enough at Crown-Point, which they cannot secure from us: that he saw the old Sow, brought from Cape-Breton, and a Number of good Brass Cannon at Ticonderoga. Should this Expedition succeed, & should the Council of War send up their Orders for the People this Way to transport by Land 20 or 30 of the best of the Cannon to Head- Quarters, I doubt not but the People in this Country would do it with all Expedition: We could easily collect a Thousand Yoke of Cattle for the Business."

YESTERDAY Col. Eaton arrived here from Ticonderoga,-- and brings the glorious News of the taking that Place by the American Forces, without the loss of a Man: Of which interesting Event we have collected the following Particulars, viz. Last Tuesday fortnight about 240 Men from Connecticut & this Province, under Col. Allen and Col. Easton, arrived at the Lake near Ticonderoga, 80 of them crossed it. and came to the Fort about the Dawn of Day. The Sentry was much surprised at seeing such a Body of Men, and snapped his Piece at them! Four Men however immediately rushed forward, seized and confined the Sentry. 60 rushed thro the covered Way, and all got safe upon the Parade, while the Garrison were sleeping in their Beds.-- They immediately formed a hollow Square, and gave three Huzzas. which brought out the Garrison; an inconsiderable Skirmish, with Cutlasses or Bayonets. ensued, in which a small Number of the Enemy received some Wounds. The commanding Officer soon came forth: Col. Easton clapped him upon the Shoulder. told him he was his Prisoner. & demanded, IN THE NAME OF AMERICA, an instant Surrender of the Fort, with all its Contents, to the American Forces. The Officer was in great Confusion. and expressed himself to this Effect—"Damn you, what . what-- does all this mean?" Col. Easton again told him, that he and his Garrison were Prisoners: The Officer said. that he hoped he should be treated with Honour: Col. Eaton replied, he should be treated with much more Honour than our People had met with from the British Troops. The Officer then said he was all Submission. and immediately ordered his Soldiers to deliver up all the Arms, in Number about a Hundred Stands. As they gave up their Arms the Prisoners were secured in the hollow Square. The American Forces having thus got possession. of this important Fortress found in it upwards of One Hundred Pieces of Cannon, several Mortars, and a considerable Quantity of Shot, Stores, and some Powder. After this Acquisition, a Detach- ment of our Troops was dispatched to take Possession of Crown-Point. where there is a considerable Number of Cannon. Another Detachment: was sent to Skenesborough, where they took Major Skene and his Family, with a Number of Soldiers and several small Pieces of Cannon. Col. Easton met several Hundred Men from the Western Parts of this Province, on their Way to Ticonderoga. They were on the same Expedition, not knowing the Fort was taken till they met Col. Easton. Part of them pur- sued their March, in order to secure and Gar- rison the Fort. The Prisoners to the Number of about 100, including Negroes, &c. were brought off by John Brown, Esq; Col. Allen was left Com- mander of the Fort. The Officers and Soldiers in this important Expedition behaved with the utmost intrepidity & good Conduct, and therefore merit the highest Applauses of their grateful Country.