GOVERNOR CLINTON'S REPLY.

Pokeepsie 28th October 1781.

Gentlemen, I am this Day favoured with your Letter of the 16th Instant and its Inclosures. A Flagg was lately dispatched to Canada to negotiate the Exchange of Prisoners with Letters to the Govr. of Quebec on that Subject. The Gentleman who conducted it is not yet returned, and I am of Course Ignorant of the Success of his Embassy. If the Enemy should acquese to any Reasonable Terms I shall cheerfully agree to the Exchange of the Persons whose Application you have transmitted, but until the determination of the Enemy on the subject is known, it would be wrong in me to signify my consent, as this would be immediately putting those People on the easy and advantageous Footing of Prisoners of War without our deriving the least Benefit from the Measure.

I will be much obliged to you for a List of our Friends captured in Tryon County when you shall have completed it, as also of those who have returned home on Parole of whom I have never had any Return.

I am, Gentlemen, with great regard, Your most &c &c.

[No. 4075.]

Jacobus Wynkoop Remonstrates Against a Court Martial Finding.

To your Excelency George Clinton, Esqr. Governor of the State of New York, General and Commander in Chief of all the Militia, and admiral of the Navy of the same.

I do by these presents make my humble address To your Excellency for Relief of a Judgment Past by a Court Martial against me, held at Marbleton the Second and Third Days of October 1781; When and Where I did personally appeared, in order to answer the Charge Laid against me, which is as follows vizt.

(Whereas you stand charged with Crime of Disobedience of orders of the Late Incursion of the Enemy at Wawasink as well as similar offences Frequently heretofore Committed, you are, therefore, & hereby ordered to appear before the Court Martial which is to sit at the House of Johannis Saks the second day of October Next at Ten o'clock in the morning To shew Cause if any you have for such Conduct, Given under my Hand this 29th of September 1781. John Cantine, Coll'o.)

Whereas I have Shewed such Cause to the Court Martial, as foll'o Vizt. as to the first part of the charge above Recited (Comprehended in these words) the Crime of

Disobedience of orders on the Late Incursion of the Enemy at Wawasink; Which I answered with the foll'o words Vizt. that I was not guilty of the first part of sd. Charge Because I had no orders of any kind; at the Time of the Incursion Last, as I was with all my family at my dwelling House and heard but the Craks of Two Guns after which I saw the smoke Rising at Several Places at Wawasink. I then suddenly moved my family all a foot to Mr. Jochem Schoonmakers fort, Before wee Entered the fort I received word that the Enemy was at Benjm Hoornbecks, then we entered the aforesd fort; Imediately after that I and Esqr. Jochem Schoonmaker, Junr., marched up to oppose the enemy (as I though it my Duty) So far untill we met Lt. John Depuy, who Informed us, that the Enemy was on their Return; just after which wee was Informed that Smoke was seen that morning on Jacob Smith Land, Where I and Esqr. Schoonmaker & his brother Capt. Petrus Schoonmaker with several others more Did Visited that place; found some body had been there and Returned to Collect provisions for the Men to go in Persuit of Enemy; persuant to a Request of Lt. John Depuy; after which I thought myself not able to go in pursuit of the Enemy; as to the second part of the Charge Laid against; is the similar offences frequently Heretofore Committed; as I answered not guilty; Because I have made my attendance at Every Envasion or alarm which happened here about heretofore, as to the Incursion at Peemp'k I marched up with Lt. Dirk Wesbrouk untill send back, which he confessed to the Court; as to the Incursion at Andries Shurger & Miller, I made my attendance then and there, and I assisted to bury the Corpse with Capt. Kortreght, Cornelius Oosterhout, Dirk Hoornbeck and several others more; as to the Incursion at Fontynkill, I marched on to the Dwelling of John Kittle and stayed untill Capt. Kortreght made his request to Collo. Cantine that I should go back, which the Colo. Granted; as to the Calling of the Militia Last Year, I made my attendance at the house of Johannis Vernooy, under the command of Lt. Dirck Westbrouk, untill Discharged; he Confessed to the Court, after I made my answers to the Court inform aforesd the Court has adjudged me to be punished by a fine of one pound hard money, and four pound New Emmission, which fine to be Inflicted on me against the above Truth of my Cause to them and with some of the members of them showed; I think it not right; therefore, I find my self obliged to address and Beseech Your Excelency in a most humble manner as one of your faithfull and True subjects in the Cause of America from the first Beginning of the Contest, to take this Metter in Your Excelencys Serious Consideration.

And as I Conclude to inform your Excelency that Every Case of my address to you Humbly Meant, I am able to Git it Testifyed by sufficient Evdences. No more as that I Remain your Excelencys most obedient and humble Servt.

Rochester, October the 17 anno 1781 To his Excelency George Clinton, Esqr. Governor..

[No. 4076.]

General Heath Asks Governor Clinton to Hold Fifteen Hundred Militia to be Ready to March at a Moment's Notice-The Federal Government Falls Back Upon the State for Supplies.

Private.

Headquarters, Continental village, October 17, 1781. Sir, The army is almost totally destitute of flour-I have been repeatedly pressing Mr. Morris for a supply. In his last letter of the 9th instant, he finishes with observing "I will endeavour to fall upon some ways and means of making eventual arrangements; but at present your reliance must be on

the specific supplies from the State of New York, which you will not omit to require by every proper opportunity."-As, therefore, we have at present no other means of relief, I earnestly request it from your Excellency.

From some late intelligence I am induced to request your Excellency to hold fifteen hundred of your nearest militia in readiness to march at a moment's notice with five or six days provision, should they be called for. I wish to have this done in a way that will cause as little suspicion as possible-It may be covered under a pretence of supporting the Northern frontier now invaded, although I have another view, which I dare not commit to paper. If the militia are now under orders to turn out properly equipped and provided on the shortest notice, it may be best not to issue further orders: But of this your Excellency can best determine. I pray this may be kept a most profound secret.

I have the honor to be With the highest respect, Your Excellency's Most obedient Servant,

His Excellency, Governor Clinton.

[No. 4077.]

Du Simitiere Thanks Governor Clinton for Adding to His Collection of Curiosities and Modestly Suggests a Number of Rare and Valuable Articles Will Prove Acceptable.

Philada. October 17th, 1781.

Sir, It is with great pleasure that I have to acknowledge the honour of your Excellency's letter of the 29th ult. It is a Sign that I am not quite forgotten and causes agreable reflexions. The Curiosities delivered to me by Dr. Tappen were very acceptable and have found their respective place in my collec

tion. I beg leave to return my grateful thanks for the same and for your Excellency's promise of more of this kind of curiosities, to which a belt of wampum would be a valuable addition. I suppose it was ommission that I did not receive the Laws and votes of your legislature which you informed me formerly you had collected for me; however, your Excellency may have some other opportunities this fall to send them by. The books printed in the Indian languages will be extremely acceptable and useful. but those weapons, utensils &c of Stone and earthen ware, that have formerly been in use among the Indians before the arrival of the Europeans and are dayly found abroad in fields, in places where they had their abode, these are very much desired by me, as great and instructive curiosities, which time does not permit to explain here; therefore shall quit the subject for the present.

Your Excellency will see by the inclosed minutes of the last session of our Legislature that they have been pleased to take some notice of a memorial which I had the honour to present to them in April last, but the circulation of that kind of money which they have granted me being now Stagnated, it is of no present use. I propose to forward your Excellency a memorial to be presented to your hon. Legislature much to the same purpose as that mentioned above but I am advised to wait till the winter sessions, before which time I shall have the honour to explain myself more fully to your Excellency on the subject.

I have at last received information that the engravings done. in Paris from my collection of portraits have reached this Continent, but the packet from Monsr. Gerard for me is in Col. Laurens's baggage which he has left at Providence and nothing is more uncertain than when I shall receive them. I have now by me the pictures of President Thos. McKean, Gen. Sullivan, Gen.

St. Clair, Robert Morris & James Duane ready to be sent to France by the first opportunity.

I have with great pleasure received into my homely hermitage your friend and brother in law Dr. Tappen & Mr. Barnes; they will give your Excellency some account of what they have seen, but I lament greatly that I did not know of Dr. Tappen's having his lady with him till yesterday afternoon, which has prevented me from entertaining that Lady with the Sight of such parts of my collections that is not in view, and is by far the most curious, but which is but on particular occasions shewn.

I have the honour to be with great respect, Your Excellency's most obedient and most humble Servant,

His Excellency Governor Clinton.

[No. 4078.]

Captain E. Marshall to Governor Clinton-The Alarm at German Flats-Colonel Reid's Regiment Advances to Saratoga-Prepared to Meet the Enemy at Albany.

66

Albany, Octr. 17th, 1781.

Sir, I yesterday morning Rec'd. a letter from Col. Willett dated Fort Plain Oct. 15 1 o'clock P. M. in which he said "I this moment hear the alarm Guns fire at Fort Herkimer "-desiring me to forward this intelligence to the necessary quarters" & to "hurry on the Militia" which I did. Last night another letter was handed me from him in which is "Intirely contrary to my expectations this alarm has blown over; the Guns were fired at the German Flatts on account of two of the inhabitants being killed and another taken prisoner by a Small party who immediately disappeared" also desiring me "forward this intelligence as far as the other went ". 400 Militia had arrived at Schenec