I was Honor’d with your letter of the 15th Instant.

The day before yesterday, I Received twenty thousand Musquet Cartridges, a part of which, I have sent on to the several posts on the Mohawk, & Hudsons River, for the present supply.

Some time past, a report prevail’d in this Quarter; similar to that you mention came by the way of Conecticut River upon which several scouts from Saratoga were sent out, and has been as far down the Lake as Crown Point, but discovered nothing of the Enemy—I am induced to think the report that is propagated of the Enemy coming in force over Lake Champlain, is Fictitious as a Capt. Dunning, formerly of Colo. Warners Regt who was taken some years agoe, on Lake Champlain when Majr Hopkins was kill’d, and was lately exchanged with several other prisoners—He informs me, that he came from Quebec by way of Montreal, but was not suffered to land there that as he passed St Johns, & Isle a Noux, he was Orderd into the Cabin & his fellow prisoners [between] the Decks, that he discovered nothing on the Lake till he came up near Split Rock, where the Trumble, and Carleton with some other small craft lay; he adds, that by the accounts of some of his fellow prisoners, who came from above the Cedars, he is induced to think if the enemy comes in force against our frontiers, their chief Object will be the Mohawk River and Schenectady in particular, they also inform that by what they could learn, the Enemy were repairing Oswego, in Order that they may have a place of refuge nearer our Inhabitants.

Colo. Willitt has not been able as yet, with his leives, to relieve but a very few of the many posts on Mohawk River, so that I can[’t] with safety Collect the Regt together as I expected their dispersed situation, and their being Continually Harrassed with scouting, has very much Embarrassed their discipline, and has been very destructive to their cloathing, as soon as they can be together, I shall use every exertion in my power, to attend to their discipline.

Small parties of the enemy (mostly Indians) frequently make their Appearence on Mohawk River, they lately took off, from Fort Clyde one man & three women, Inhabitants; a party was sent after them as soon as possible who went round the Otsego Lake, & returnd by Cherry vally, but did not fall in with them three days since, the enemy took three men from Fort Miller, about 5 miles above Saratoga, two parties were sent after them Imedietly but had not returned the last accounts.

The Commanding Officer at Fort Plain informs me that the Magazine there must inevitably destroy all their Ammunition unless it is Immedietly repair’d, the Qr. Mastr says he has no Material nor anything to purchase them, he has neither Tent nor kettle nor any thing. I am Your Excellencys Most Obedt and Hble Servt