Hartford, Octob'r 1696.

HONO'RD SIR,

Your Letters of Decemb. 22,-'95, and of Feb. 5,-'95, and of May 23d, '96, are come safe to us, and we rejoyce in them to hear of your welfare, and that you are in a hopfull way of recovery from a dangerous sicknesse, and doe count ourselves greatly oblieged to bless and prayse the Lord for his goodness and mercy to you and us therein, we had expectations of your return the last fall, 21 but were disapoynted therein, but we know not but it is for the best, and that by your stayeing there, you may prevent some inconveniencies that might otherwise have overtaken us, and especiall now New York agints are at Court, and posibly to move against us, and we doubt not but your Hono'r will allways be ready as there is opportunety to move at Court on our behalfe and to prevent the designes of any against us to o'r damage; Col. Fletcher is allways troubleing us with his letters and calling for o'r Quotae for his assistance, upon every flying report of Indians or others; this sumer he sent for o'r Quoto of men, we sent him sixty men under the comand of Capt. Wm. Whiting, who marched sofarr asWyantenak, (a place your Hono'r well knowes) and there a post w'ch we sent to Albany to see what danger they were in, he informed us that the enemie were retreated and so he (for o'r ease) dismist them, but as soon as they were come home he sends for them again, but we could not learn any great danger they were in, and our neighbours up the river haveing been assaulted and 6 persons slayn and 4 captivated and so at New Roxbury the people being alarmed by the enemie, who killed 2 men and 3 children, we sent forth about sixty men to their releife who persued but could not com up with them, since the enemie kiled one neer at Hadley and shot at divers travelling between town and town, and the people being distressed by these things, sent to us for relief the last week, and then we sent up forty men to their assistance which must stay there till ye winter comes in to prevent there passage over the lakes and down our rivers, all which puts us to great charge, and yet o'r neighbours on both hands do not thinke we doe enough for them, and therefore there is very great need of your Hono'rs petitioning his Ma'tie for redress against Col. Fletehers unreasonable demands, that so we may playnly be informed of o'r duty and be inabled to attend it, and so be freed from the troubles of his demandes, which are so often that we are faine to have so many meetings to answer him that it brings charge as well as trouble to us; as we doe not fully understand what Col. Fletchers agents have or will object against us, but last year we sent sundry of his letters and o'r answers, by which you will understand something of ye manner of treating us; and at this time you will also receive some late letters and demands of his, and our answers to them, which will give you more light in these affayres. Sr we have allso inclosed an address to his Ma'tie which we request you to peruse, and if you approve thereof to pr'sent his Ma'tie with it, and if you dislike it we leave it with you by good advice to prepare and present his Ma'tie with an address in o'r behalfes, and to doe what further shall be needfull for you as o'r agent to doe for us. Sr you may remember in o'r address to his Ma'tie October 28, 1695 we petitioned his Ma'tie to bestowe some arms and ammunition upon us where-by we might be able to defend or'selves and neighbours and offend o'r enemies, but you mention nothing to us in your letters, whither you did present it nor how it was accepted, therefore if it be not don we desire you would doe it yet, for indead we have great need, and we are disinabled of procureing such supplyes as we need by; reason of thes loss and damage we have received in o'r crops these two last years, we hope his Ma'tie will be favowerable to us therein.

Sr we shall take care to send you some money to enable you to attend o'r affayres, we are sorry o'r last hundred pownd sent, went into the hands of the French; we are now designeing two hundred pownd to you more, which we hope may com safe to your hands, of which you shall receive a more perticuler acc't.

Hono'ed Sr, we are very sorry to understand the discouragements you are under for want of o'r letters, we find they have miscaryed in there way to you, we should much rejoyce to see you here, and then the trouble and care of letters would be over, and we hope God in his good time will give us opportunity of seeing you, and rejoycing together with you in all that goodness God hath shewen to you and us since you left us, and we have thought meet to desire you, when you return home to improve some trusty friend, that may have an interest at Court that may upon any occasion defend o'r interest, and to acquaint us what may be advantagious for us, and how we are to demean ourselves in all that trust that is comitted to us by his Ma'tie in all affaires that doe concern his interest at home or abroad, approving ourselves to be good and loyall subjects, which is all at present.

From your friends and servants, heartily desireing and praying for your prosperity and welfare, and safe returne in Gods time.

The Govern'r and Gen'ell Assembly of his Majesties Colony of Connecticutt.