Extract of a Letter from the Hon. Enoch Freeman

v2:700

Falmouth, May 24, 1775.

You informed me that the last Provincial Congress did me the honour to choose me one of the Committee of Safety for the Province. You may acquaint that Committee that were my health and capacity equal to my inclination to serve the publick, I should cheerfully attend that service without delay; but at present I cannot possibly go up. Yet if I can be of any service to the common cause in the mean time, in these exposed parts of the Country, my utmost endeavours shall not be wanting, and as soon as I can find myself able, purpose to come up.

It would, perhaps, be convenient for the publick, that some person or persons here should be appointed, whose business it should be to execute the orders of the Congress and Committee of Safety, and to communicate back to them, from time to time, intelligence and occurrences that may affect the publick, without the trouble of getting a quorum of Committee and Selectmen together, who live at a distance, which often causes great delay; and my time is so often taken up in one publick affair and another, that I am obliged to neglect my own business to my great damage.

If the Congress should allow the Regiment raised here in this County to be stationed among us for our defence, it will be necessary that some body should have the care of them, besides their own officers, to employ them in such a manner as shall be most for the safety of the whole.

In this service I think I might be of as much or more service to the publick than if I were to go up to the Committee; and as the gentlemen there are more acquainted with the circumstances of that part of the Province than I am, I should be of the less advantage to them, and I presume I am more acquainted with this part of the Province, and, with their concurrence, may be of more service to the publick here, than there; for here new emergencies may and do often arise, which require immediate attention.

I heard to-day that lately there were a number of Indians up Androscoggin River consulting what side to take, but could not agree among themselves. ' Tis pity but somebody here should be employed to negotiate with them, or any other Indians, as opportunity should offer.

A man from Deer Island, near Penobscot, was here this afternoon, and gives a melancholy account of the distress the people are in that way, for want of bread, owing to the stoppage of trade. He heard that several children had died of hunger. What will become of them God only knows; we are not able to help them or ourselves. I don' t know what can be done for them or us, without some vessel of superiour force to the tenders should be provided to bring bread-kind among us.

I just now heard that Colonel John Cox was taken on his passage to New-York with spars, and carried into Boston.