Albany Committee to the Committee of Palatine District

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Committee-Chamber, Albany, May 23, 1775.

GENTLEMEN: We received yours of the 21st instant, and can assure you that we sympathise with you in your distressed and distracted situation; but at the same time must rejoice to find you so warmly engaged amidst the opposition you meet with, in the grand plan of operation generally, nay almost universally adopted through the Colonies, for the preservation of our liberty, and security of our property. Enclosed you have a copy of a letter we have sent to Colonel Guy Johnson. We have sent also a Committee to join a Committee from Schenectady to wait upon him to know the reasons of his military preparations, and the source from whence those apprehensions he has from an assault from the New-England people arose; an answer to the speech of the Indian speech, (a copy of which you have enclosed,) and an interpreter to translate it for him, and to make the Indians sensible of the nature of the dispute between the Mother Country and the Colonies.

You complain of a scarcity of ammunition amongst you. We are very sorry that though there was a free communication between you and us, we have it not in our power at present to afford you any assistance in that particular, as the New-England people have carried off almost every pound of powder that can be spared, though we understand that the Committee of Schenectady have some; but be assured that we will afford you every assistance that is in our power to give, and shall rejoice to walk hand in hand with you in every thing that shall tend to your particular advantage in so critical a situation, and promote the grand the general cause, which thousands of our neighbouring brethren are strenuously supporting, at the expense of their lives and estates. We cannot at present advise you to force a direct communication between you and us, as it may be attended with bad consequences, and perhaps it may be effected without such a risk as you must run in the attempt.

We have heard, several weeks ago, that Colonel Guy Johnson had appointed last winter to have a general Congress with the Indians this spring. We have wrote a letter to the Reverend Samuel Kirkland, missionary among the Oneida Indians, to use his influence with them to maintain peace and harmony with the white people.