Letter from the Committee for Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to the President of Congress

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Lancaster, January 3, 1776.

SIR: Captain Livingston, of the Twenty-Sixth Regiment, and Lieutenant Anstruther, of the Seventh Regiment, having come to this town on the evening of the 1st inst˙, under the conduct of Mr˙ Michael Connolly, the Committee of Correspondence of this County appointed three gentlemen of their body to take their parole, according to the directions received from the honourable Continental Congress, and your letter of the 18th December last. We now enclose the same to you.

The Committee are extremely desirous of receiving the orders of Congress, respecting the matters referred to their decision in our letter by Captain Motte. It has been found absolutely impossible to preserve the peace and good order of this Borough, unless some regulations were made for the soldiers who are prisoners here. We have accordingly directed some, a copy of which we now transmit to you. Since that time, we have been under the necessity of appointing a Sergeant and twelve Privates, to mount guard at our publick magazine every evening. They patrole the street every two hours in the night, to prevent disorder, and to carry the Committee regulations into execution. We hope, in this instance, our conduct will meet with the approbation of the Congress.

I am, sir, your very obedient and most humble servant.

By order of the Committee:

J˙ YEATES, Chairman.

To the Honourable John Hancock, Esq.