In the period following the Battle of Lexington and Concord, retreating British troops made their way back to Boston where the American militia laid siege to them and the city until March 17, 1776, not long before this letter was written. During the siege, Parliamentary Post riders carrying mail out of Boston were frequently stopped by the militia, and the letters they carried opened to be read, and censored or confiscated. To avoid this, Henry Lloyd sent his letter out of the mails to Providence, Rhode Island, where the Parliamentary Post was still operational.
