To George Washington from Major General John Thomas, 7 April 1776
From Major General John Thomas
albany apiel the 7th A: 1776
Sir
I arrived at albany in five Day after I Left the Camp at Roxbury at which place I have bin Detained to this Time by Reason of the Lakes being Impassable1 the Troops here & at Lake George are about Eleven Hundred & I hear Sum few are at Ticonderoga & Crown Point Prevented going forwerd as the Lakes are partly Brook up what number are in Canada I Cant assertain but am Sensible from the best Inteligence will be much Short of the Number Expected as I find the Regiments are very Incompleat General Schuyler Thinks They will be much short of Five Thousand2 & Should the Ministerial Troops There be Reinforsed & Quebeck Remain in Their Hands so Small a Number must be Thought to be Inadiquate for the Defence of that Quarteer your Exclency will Judge whether a Reinforsement will not be Nesesary.
The Last from Canada was about the 25th of march at which Time Things There Remained In Statu quo Doct. Francklin & others of the Committe of Congress arrived here this morning3 as the wather this Day or Two is moderate I am in hopes the Lake may be Passed in a few Days I Determin to Set of for the Lake Tomorow I am Sir with the Greatest Respect your Exelencys most obediant & very Humble Serva[n]t
Jno. Thomas
ALS, PHi: Gratz Collection; ADfS, owned (1985) by Richard Maas, White Plains, N.Y; Sprague transcript, DLC:GW.
1. Thomas, whom the Continental Congress had appointed to the Canadian command on 6 Mar., arrived at Albany on 28 March.
2. In his draft Thomas here wrote: “Including these suposed to be Raised in Canada.”
3. At the time that Thomas composed his draft, the Canadian commissioners had not yet arrived but were, he wrote in it, “Hourly Expected.”