Roxbury Leml Childs Thursday morng 6 oClock My dear Lucy I wrote to you Yesterday by Mr Langdon and as I am determin'd to write by every opportunity I shall not [the] that of the post slip me and shall go presently to Cambridge [struck: on] the express purpose of carrying the Letter, but the jolting of Fists will be nothing when [Con]trasted with that complacency of soul which I feel in writing to my hearts greatest treasure Yesterday as I was going to Cambridge I met the General who beg'd me to return to roxbury again which I did when they had [viewed] the works they express'd the greatest pleasure & surprize [struck: th] at their situation and apparent utility [struck: and a little] to say nothing [struck: of] of the plan which did not escape their praise - you may remember Genl Lee's Letter which Doctor Church was to have sent into Boston to Genl Burgoyne - Yesterday Mr Webb took it to the Lines at Bunkers Hill where Major Bruce of the 38th Came out to him (he who fought a Duel with Genl Pigot) - Mr W. said "Sir here is a Letter from Genl Lee to Genl Burgoyne will you be pleas'd to give it to him [text loss] as some part of it requires an immediate answer I sho[text loss] be glad you would do it directly and also here is another Letter to a sister of mine in Boston Mrs. Simpson to whom I should be Glad you would Deliver it" - the Major gave him every assurance that would deliver the Letter to Mrs. Simpson himself & to Genl Burgoyne but could not do it immediately as the Genl was on the other Lines meaning Boston Neck - Genl Lee good God Sir is Genl Lee [the one I] served two years with him in Portugal tell him Sir that I am extremely sorry that my profession obliges me to be his opposite in this unhappy affair - cant' it be made up let me beg of you to use your influence and endevor to Heal this unatural breach - Mr Webb told him that it was [2] not the work of one side only - appointed to meet again this day at eleven oClock - previous to this Genl Lee had been down to the lines at Bunker Hill at which place there was an out sentry to Whom Gen Lee spoke and [struck: told] [inserted: desir'd] him to tell his Officers tho he was there and to inform Genl Burgoyne that he had a letter for him - this produced a [trumpet] one of the new Light [Horses] but without his horse [text loss] Genl Lee with a Letter from Genl Burgoyne desiring [text loss] receive the Letter - Genl Lee wrote another Letter informing him how he had sent it - & inclos'd an [text loss] List of our kill'd and wounded in Bunker hill [text loss] & begg'd to have an exact List of theirs - the reason [text loss] was that some person who came out of Boston brought on [text loss] with him a damn'd infamous accott printed in Boston by Genl Gage in which he says that Gen Howe went out with "about" 2000 men & that the Rebels had thrice that number - that the Kings troops after surmounting almost incredible difficulties carried our almost impenetrable works with the Loss of 170 Kill'd on their part besides a great [text loss] wounded - Major Bruce told Mr. Webb that Co[text loss] Abercrombie was dead of a fever - the [trumpeter] says that Major Peterson [w]ith a great number of [text loss] officers were kill'd - upon the whole their [text loss] from the best accotts must have been above a thousand kill'd and wounded - from Mr. [Drapers] [text loss] which was published before they thought of disguising [text loss] Loss - their inaction since proves it to me beyond a [text loss] Mr Sherburn will go for Worcester to morrow by whom I shall write again I am my dear Lucy Your ever affectionate H[text loss] HKnox