New York Nov 27 1775 May it please your Excellency I arriv'd here Last Saturday morning & immediately made enquiry whether Col Read had done any thing in the business [struck: mention'd Sir by you] [inserted: with which I was charg'd] - I found that [struck: Col Reads] [inserted: his] stay had been short during which time the Committee [struck: which] [inserted: that] sit during the recess of the Congress could not be gotten together so that he went away with out being able to forward the business in the least. - Yesterday the Committee met & after having considerd of you excellencys [struck: message] [inserted: Letter] to them Colo Mc Dougal waited upon me & gave such reasons for not complying with the requisition of the heavy cannon as would not be prudent to put upon paper - [struck: The Congress meet] he has promis'd me that he will [strikeout] use his utmost influence [struck: &] in the Congress [struck: that the field piece & doubts not of su] [inserted: which meets tomorrow] & has no doubt of success, that 12. [inserted: exceeding good] Iron 4 pounders with a Quantity of shells & shot [struck: which now lay] shall be sent to Camp immediately & [struck: I] also he has promis'd the loan of two [inserted: fine] brass six pounders cast in [strikeout] a foundery in this city - they have six finished - I very sincerely wish you excellency had been acquainted with this circumstance & charg'd me with a Commission to have had a number cast for the Camp - they turn out 3/9 N York Currency a pound & weigh 600 [lb] thou imported from London cost 2/16 sterl [Plb] - [struck: If your excellen] If sir you should think proper to have some done & will give orders to Collo Mc Dougal or some other Gentlemen of this city - the founder will execute one in two days after he shall receive the orders - & so any number in proportion - he also can cast mortars - Colo Mc Dougal is so obliging as to promise me in the name [struck: I shall leave that] [inserted: of the Congress] that they will forward those articles [inserted in the left hand margin: with utmost expedition] [2] I shall set out by land tomorrow morning for Ticonderoga & proceed with the utmost expedition as knowing our whole dependance for heavy cannon is from that part - I am rather diffident that I shall not be able to get any heavier than eighteen pounders - [inserted: by my return to Camp] perhaps the reasons [struck: stray] which [struck: now hinder] which now operate to prevent my getting the heavy her may [struck: not] then [inserted: cease to] exist - [struck: & we may be able to go] permit me to congratulate your excellency on the reduction of Montreal which surrender'd the 18th instan. [struck: Mr livingston who is Col Cap.n in this Town in this] General Montgomery sent Capn Livingston of this Colony forces with the important news to the Continental Congress he pass'd thro' this Town Yesterday - he says that on our troops getting on montreal side of the river Twelve of the principal [struck: of the] Inhabitants came out and Offer'd to Capitulate - they at first propos'd haughty terms but were soon reduc'd to reason & general Montgomery with about 1200 Men took possession the same day - they had not boats to carry any more over at once - 9 Vessels had sail'd from montreal the day before - in one of which was Genl Carelton [sic] & Brigd Prescott - another had all the powder the rest laden'd with military stores of all kinds Our people expecting the flight had previously erected a Battery at a point of Land projecting from the mouth of the river sorrell - [strikeout] a [floating] Battery - the Commander of the Land Battery had orders to fire red hot shot at the vessels. - [strikeout] [inserted: the masters of which had heard of this resolution & it] had much intimidated [inserted: them] The master of the powder vessell had Declar'd before he left Montreal that he would surrender on the first shot being fir'd - our troops intercepted, [struck: from Quebec] a Letter [inserted: from Quebec] in which it is said "the Yankies are now at point Levi about crossing over to this city" [struck: so sir the] this must have been Colo Arnold [3] [struck: your excellency will please to excuse my being thus particular when I think it probable that a particular express may not have yet reach'd you - ] [and] so that in all probability our people are now in possession of all I saw a Letter from Genl Schuyler which was only in general terms giving an acc of the day of surrend which is the reason of my [strikeout] relating the particulars [struck: to.] I am most Respectfully Your Excellencys most ObDt Hble Servant Henry Knox [struck: Your Excellency] [inserted: you will] [struck: will] will please [inserted: Sir] to give Orders to Col Burbeck to set get [inserted: light] field carriges [inserted: & appurtenances made for these field peics [sic] - The [docket] Copy letter to Genl Washington New York Nov 27, 1775