Letter from Governour Trumbull to the New-York Provincial Congress

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Hartford, July 7, 1775.

HONOURED SIR: I have the honour of your favour of the 27th of June, acquainting me with the requisition made by the Congress upon this Colony in favour of General Schuyler, which I immediately laid before the General Assembly, and am directed to acquaint you, that it would have given them great pleasure to have found themselves able to have complied fully with the demand; but such is the exhausted state of our Treasury, in consequence of the very vigorous efforts the Colony have made and are still making in the common cause, that we could only furnish fifteen thousand Pounds, which is preparing with all possible despatch, and will be forwarded in a few days to the General at Albany. With respect to the other most important article, it is with much concern that we acknowledge that we could do but little, having already much exhausted our stock by the supplies furnished to the camp at Cambridge. However, all that we could do we have done, and sent forward to the General forty half-barrels; which we hope he will receive in a few days. We doubt not proper care will be taken as speedily as possible to reimburse the Colony these expenses, that we may be enabled to continue our exertions in the common cause of American liberty. I am also to inform you, that the Assembly have come to a resolution, at the earnest request of the Provincial Congress of the Massachusetts-Bay, to augment our troops in the publick service with two Regiments of seven hundred men each, exclusive of commissioned officers. We should have been happy, if possible, to have received the directions of the honourable Congress before we adopted this measure; but such appeared to us to be the critical situation of our affairs, great part of our troops being employed in the Province of New-York under the orders of the Congress, that it would not be prudent to delay it so long a time as would be necessary to obtain their directions upon the subject. We hope, nevertheless, it will meet with their approbation, and that the Continental currency may be in such forwardness as to be applied to the equipping and furnishing of these regiments; which will be raised with all possible despatch, and the sooner we are supplied with the Continental bills the better.

With respect to Major Skene, we could have wished that he might still have been continued at Philadelphia and if he is not actually set out for Hartford, we beg his destination may be changed; however, if he arrives here We shall do the best we can with him.

I am, with great truth and regard, in behalf of the Governour and Company, Sir, your most obedient and most humble servant,

JONATHAN TRUMBULL.