Letter to Lord Stirling Respecting Arms

v4:1079

In Committee of Safety, New-York, January 25, 1776.

My LORD: Since the last communication between your Lordship and us, concerning the arms we undertook to supply you with for the troops under your command, we have orders from Congress to raise four new battalions, besides one which we before that time were under orders to raise. We are, also, informed that there are still thirty stand of publick arms in the town of Newark, which are not appropriated to the use of your troops, and there may be others in the same situation in other parts of your Colony; and we conceive it a hardship to be obliged to forward a department of service out of our Colony, by supplying those arms which we intended for you, which, with many more, will be wanted for equipping our own battalions. We can assure you, my Lord, with the greatest truth, that we are totally at a loss how to supply our new levies with arms, without taking them from our Militia, which nothing but the most urgent necessity will justify, as by that means the defence of this important post will be weakened.

We, therefore, earnestly request you to release us from our former engagements to you, and are, my Lord, most respectfully, your Lordship' s obedient, humble servants.

By order of the Committee.

To the Right Honourable the Earl of Stirling.