Letter from Governour Trumbull to the President of Congress

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Lebanon, January 6, 1776.

SIR: Enclosed is a copy of a letter from the Committee of Inspection in the town of Greenwich , bordering on the County of Westchester, in the Province of New-York. This intelligence appears to me worthy the attention of your body. When the United Colonies are driven to the necessity of taking up arms for the defence of their rights, at the same time to feed their enemies, and to give them intelligence and aid, appears incongruous, and requires attention, and some vigorous exertions to prevent it.

Oliver Wolcott and Samuel Huntington, Esquires, the new members from this Colony, will inform what is needful, of the acts and resolves of our General Assembly. Great harmony and unanimity subsisted therein. An act passed for restraining and punishing persons who are inimical to the liberties of this and the rest of the United Colonies, &c˙; another for encouraging the manufacture of saltpetre and gunpowder, Hope to produce a considerable quantity of gunpowder by the Spring, from materials collected amongst ourselves.

The furnace at Middletown is smelting lead, and will soon turn out twenty or thirty tons. The vein of ore seems to promise a plenty.

A resolve passed our Assembly directing the Governour and his Council of Safety to fit two armed vessels; one is purchased, will carry sixteen guns. The other to be bought or built; if it be built, will be larger; also to build four row-galleys.

A request was made in a former letter for the loan of fifty cannon from the northern posts. Enclosed is minutes of the ordnance in the possession of the United Colonies in that quarter, exclusive of what is at Crown-Point, at which place there is not less than forty. I hope for a speedy answer, and grant of that favour. The season is advancing wherein they may be drawn down.

Enclosed is copy of the report of a Committee from our Assembly, concerning a lead mine at New-Canaan, in the Colony of New-York . Is it not needful to engage the Congress of that Colony to pursue this discovery. The lead extracted from this ore appears to be of the best kind, and the appearance of a plenty is very great.

I am, with great truth and regard, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,

JONATHAN TRUMBULL.

To the Honourable President Hancock.