Philadelphia, 29 March, 1776.
I give you joy of Boston and Charlestown, once more the habitation of
Americans. I am waiting with great impatience for letters from you,
which I know will contain many particulars. We are taking precautions to
defend every place that is in danger, the Carolinas, Virginia, New York,
Canada. I can think of nothing but fortifying Boston harbor. I want more
cannon than are to be had. I want a fortification upon Point Alderton,
one upon Lovell's Island, one upon George's Island, several upon Long
Island, one upon the Moon, one upon Squantum. I want to hear of half a
dozen fire-ships, and two or three hundred fire-rafts prepared. I want
to hear of row-galleys, floating batteries built, and booms laid across
the channel in the narrows, and _Vaisseaux de Frise_ sunk in it. I wish
to hear that you are translating Braintree commons into the channel. No
efforts, no expense are too extravagant for me to wish for, to fortify
that harbor so as to make it impregnable. I hope everybody will join and
work until it is done.
We have this week lost a very valuable friend of the colonies in
Governor Ward, of Rhode Island, by the small-pox in the natural way. He
never would hearken to his friends, who have been constantly advising
him to be inoculated, ever since the first Congress began. But he would
not be persuaded. Numbers, who have been inoculated, have gone through
this distemper without any danger, or even confinement, but nothing
would do. He must take it in the natural way and die. He was an amiable
and a sensible man, a steadfast friend to his country upon very pure
principles. His funeral was attended with the same solemnities as Mr.
Randolph's. Mr. Stillman being the Anabaptist minister here, of which
persuasion was the Governor, was desired by Congress to preach a sermon,
which he did with great applause.
Remember me as you ought.