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Hartford, May 25, 1775.
GENTLEMEN: Your letter of the 17th instant, with the enclosed Resolve of the Provincial Congress of Massachusetts-Bay, was delivered to me by Colonel Easton, and communicated to the General Assembly, who have desired me to return their congratulations on the reduction of Ticonderoga, a fortress truly important, and to assure
The General Assembly of this Colony behold your situation with concern, and a fixed resolution to contribute every thing in their power to your defence and preservation, and, as far as pertains to them, are willing and desirous you should have the benefit of such artillery as may be spared from the fortresses of Crown Point and Ticonderoga; but as they do not consider themselves as entitled to the command of those places, they cannot take upon themselves to give orders for the removal of the heavy cannon that may be spared without the concurrence of the other Colonies, in them.
The necessity of securing and maintaining the posts on the lakes for defence of the frontiers, becomes daily more evident from the iterated intelligence we receive of the plan formed by our enemies to distress us by inroads of Canadians and savages, from the Province of Quebeck, upon the adjacent settlements. The enclosed copy of a letter from our Delegates attending at New-York, to communicate measures with the Provincial Congress in that City, throws an additional light on this subject, and is thought worthy to be communicated to you; and whilst the designs of our enemies against us fill us with concern, we cannot omit to observe the smiles of Providence upon us in revealing their wicked plans, and hitherto prospering the attempts of the Colonies to frustrate them. With a humble reliance on the continuance of Divine favour and protection in a cause of the justice of which a doubt cannot be enter:tained the General Assembly of this Colony are ready to co-operate with the other Colonies in every exertion for their common defence, and to contribute their proportion of men and other necessaries for maintaining the posts on the frontiers, or defending or repelling invasions in any other quarter, agreeable to the advice of the Continental Congress. I am, gentlemen, in behalf of the General Assembly of this Colony, your most obedient humble servant,
JONATHAN TRUMBULL.
The Honourable Provincial Congress of Massachusetts.
Governour Trumbull to the Massachusetts Congress
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you they entertain a proper sense of the merit of those officers and soldiers by whose bravery and good conduct it was achieved. As this advantage was gained by the united counsels and enterprise of a number of private gentlemen in your Province, New-Hampshire, New-York, and this Colony, prompted only by a zeal for the liberty of their Country, without publick authority, (to our knowledge,) and is of great and general importance to the United Colonies, it was thought best to take the advice of the Continental Congress upon the manner of treating it in future, both by the General Assembly of this Colony and the Committee of New-York, as well as by you. Despatches were accordingly sent to Philadelphia, and the intention of the Continental Congress thereupon hath been this day received by express, with a letter from the Committee of New-York, copies of which enclosed are herewith sent you. By them you will see the present custody of that fortress is committed to the Province of New-York, with the assistance of the New-England Colonies, if needed.