Inclose You two Letters which I must trouble You to forward—1 It gives me pain that Necessity has ^so long^ obliged me to neglect Dr Van Wyck— On my way up I made but a day or two’s Stay at Albany and am now but just returned from Tyonderoga— In this situation it was next to impossible to purchase a horse & Send it down— As this may continue to be the case the whole Campaign will it not be best to send him an equivalent in Money— If You agree with me I will transmit him the Cash immediately—

You have heard of our retreat from Tyonderoga and Mount Independence— Great as the Loss of those important Fortresses may be, I cannot but think the evacuation of them a very necessary Step— Genl: St Clair had with him not above ^only^ two-thousand, and eighty nine effectives, including two regiments of Militia, and a Company of Artificers—these were most of them raw and undisciplined— Yet with these he had to defend works of a League in extent against an Army of Six thousand Men, aided by a very respectable fleet His Stores of Provisions were small & very inadequate for even a short Siege— The Enemy’s Batteries which were nearly ready to open, commanded every Part of the Camp— Our Communication was nearly cut off in which case there would have been no hopes of releif— You must be sensible it would have been a miracle for Militia to have raised the Siege— And before any other aid could have arrived a Capitulation must have taken place Under these Circumstances a Council of Genl Officers judged a retreat necessary— As many of the Stores & Cannon, were removed as was possible in One Night—tho’ these also unfortunately fell into the Enemy’s hands at Skenesborough— We had a very Severe & circuitous march to this place—2

Burgoyne finding it impracticable to come by the way of Wood Creek, (the Passage of which we had obstructed by falling trees into it) has returned to Tyonderoga to come by Fort George—3 For this purpose they are carrying their Batteaus from Lake Champlain into Lake George— We have been so fortunate as to get off all our Stores from Fort George which were very considerable, with the loss of only two Waggons cut off by the Indians— Yesterday the Garrison left it after setting fire to the Fort Hospital— Barracks and other buildings— A Stand is to be made three miles below this at Moses’ Creek—4 for my ^these being^ some advantageous heights to fortify— For my own part I trust more to the Woods for Security than any Forts we can raise— The Enemy seldom attack us in our works,—when they do they generally succeed—

Genl Burgoyne has send a Summons to the People of the Grants, to meet Govr Skene5 at Castletown to be there acquainted with the terms on which they are to hold their property— And threatening with immediate death all who refuse their attendance— Genl Schuyler in answer to this has sent a Proclamation thither declaring that those who comply with Burgoyne’s Summons shall be punished as Traitors— Many have taken Protection— Those who are discovered are committed to Gaol— With my best Love to Mrs Jay I am Dear Sir Your Affectionate Hble Servant