more proper to raise a body by themselves, than to have them intermixed with the white men; and their ambition would entirely be to outdo the white men in every measure that the fortune of war calls a soldier to endure.  And I could rely with dependence upon them in the field of battle, or to any post that I was sent to defend with them; and they would think themselves happy could they gain their freedom by bearing a part of subduing the enemy that is invading our land, and clear a peaceful inheritance for their masters, and posterity yet to come, that they are now slaves to.

“The method that I would point out to your Honors in raising a detachment of negroes;—­that a company should consist of a hundred, including commissioned officers; and that the commissioned officers should be white, and consist of one captain, one captain-lieutenant, two second lieutenants; the orderly sergeant white; and that there should be three sergeants black, four corporals black, two drums and two fifes black, and eighty-four rank and file.  These should engage to serve till the end of the war, and then be free men.  And I doubt not, that no gentleman that is a friend to his country will disapprove of this plan, or be against his negroes enlisting into the service to maintain the cause of freedom, and suppress the worse than savage enemies of our land.

“I beg your Honors to grant me the liberty of raising one company, if no more.  It will be far better than to fill up our battalions with runaways and deserters from Gen. Burgoyne’s army, who, after receiving clothing and the bounty, in general make it their business to desert from us.  In the lieu thereof, if they are [of] a mind to serve in America, let them supply the families of those gentlemen where those negroes belong that should engage.

“I rest, relying on your Honor’s wisdom in this matter, as it will be a quick way of having a re-enforcement to join the grand army, or to act in any other place that occasion shall require; and I will give my faith and assurance that I will act upon honor and fidelity, should I take the command of such a party as I have been describing.

     “So I rest till your Honors shall call me; and am your very
     humble and obedient servant,

“THOMAS KENCH,

     “In Col.  Craft’s Regiment of Artillery, now on Castle
     Island.

     “CASTLE ISLAND, April 3, 1778.”

A few days later he addressed another letter to the same body.

     “To the Honorable Council in Boston.

“The letter I wrote before I heard of the disturbance with Col.  Seares, Mr. Spear, and a number of other gentlemen, concerning the freedom of negroes, in Congress Street.  It is a pity that riots should be committed on the occasion, as it is justifiable that negroes should have their freedom, and none amongst us be held as slaves, as freedom and liberty is the grand