We have the pleasure of enclosing to you the copy of a letter from General Gates, containing the circumstances of a victory gained over General Burgoyne, on the 7th. This event must defeat the main views of General Clinton, in proceeding up Hudson's river. He has, it is true, got possession of fort Montgomery, but with much loss, as we hear. Though the enemy should boast much of this acquisition, yet we are persuaded the consequences will be very little profitable to them, as Governor Clinton, of New York, and his brother General James Clinton, are acting vigorously in concert with General Putnam, who commands in that quarter.
Our army under General Washington is numerous and in high spirits, while General Howe is busied in forming obstructions in the roads leading to the city of Philadelphia, by which he supports the hopes of keeping our troops from routing him out of his stolen quarters. The enclosed resolves need no comment from us, being sufficient of themselves to determine your conduct in the points to which they relate. It is with concern we find, that British property has lately been covered by conveyance in French bottoms, which practice pursued, and American search disliked by France, it is obvious, that the most vulnerable part of Great Britain, her commerce, will be secured against us, and that by the intervention of our professed friends. We desire, therefore, gentlemen, that you will confer with the ministers of France on this subject, and satisfy them of the propriety, and even the necessity which there is, that either this commerce should be prohibited, or that the United States be at liberty to search into, and make distinctions between the bottom and the enemy's property conveyed in that bottom.
To prevent ill impressions being made, by a number of officers who are returning to France, we think it proper to observe, that without totally deranging and risking even the annihilation of the American armies, it was not possible to provide for many of those gentlemen in the manner they wished, and which some of them had stipulated for, previous to their leaving France. We have done all in our power to prevent discontent, but no doubt there will be some, whose dissatisfactions will produce complaints, and perhaps misrepresentations. You will be guarded on this head, and represent our conduct as founded solely on the necessity of our situation.
We have the honor to be, &c.
B. HARRISON,
R. H. LEE,
R. MORRIS,
J. LOVELL.
FROM THE COMMITTEE OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS TO THE COMMISSIONERS.
York, 31st October, 1777.
Gentlemen,
We have the pleasure to enclose to you the capitulation by which General Burgoyne and his whole army surrendered themselves prisoners of war. This great event might have been still greater, had not the operations on the Hudson river, below Albany, rendered it probable, that Sir Henry Clinton might come to the relief of General Burgoyne, as he had urged his way up to within fortyfour miles of Albany, at which place were lodged the principal magazines of war and provisions for our northern army. General Gates is now moving down the north river, having sent General Stark with two thousand brave men, to reduce Ticonderoga and the passes yet occupied by the enemy on lake George.