[No. 4239.] Robert R. Livingston to the Governor on His Retirement from Congress-Difficulty of Maintaining Representation News of the French Fleet Destined for the West Indies. 19th Decr. 1781, Philadelphia. Dear Sir, I have been for sometime your debtor but do not the less readily acknowledge the existence of the debt. Mr. Smith enables me to discharge it & I hope soon after this comes to your hand to receive a receipt in full from you. I am happy to find that the last sessions passed off with so much harmony, but am surprized that you have not fallen on effectual means to keep up a representation here, when I consider the important interests you have to manage; your poverty is a radical evil which only time & skill can cure, in the mean While it must appologize for all your other defects. From this quarter you expect news; I wish I could satisfy your expectations. The favourable accounts we have received of late has rendered us delicate & nothing but what is high seasoned will go down. Should I give you reports or probable prospects they would seem vapid & unsatisfactory. However, there is something so promising in what we have received today that I will venture to communicate it. The Armament equipped at Brest left that harbour & went down to the road on the 25th, in order to sail with the first fair wind; it consists of 10 sail of the line under the Marquis De Veudruil & 8000 Land forces & is destined for the West Indias where it has probably arrived, so that we may shortly expect interesting news from thence. I should have resigned my Commission before this, had I not thought it could be of no consequence to the State, till the next Session of the Legislature, or till some business is ripe in the court of Chancery & indeed that it would be a saving of expence to keep it in suspence. At present I am determined to quit this next spring, unless the appointments of the office are rendered more adequate to the expence than they are at present, which must be ascertained before the Legislature meet on whom I propose to attend-& in the course of the winter I shall return & try such causes as may be set down for hearing so as to suffer no injury to accrue by my absence. This, however, is submitted to your Excellency; if you should conceive that the public sustains even a temporary injury by this line of conduct I will if you shall so advise quit either one or the other commission. I have the firmest reliance on your friendship & feel in return that warm attachment with which it gives me pleasure to say I am Dear Sir, Your Excellencys Most obt Hum Servt. [No. 4240.] General Heath Draws a Graphic Picture of the Pitiable Condition of His Troops. Head quarters, Highlands, December 19, 1781. Sir, The distress of this army for the want of bread has become almost insupportable-they are nearly half their time without this obliges them to eat a larger quantity of meat than is good for their health-their naked condition for want of clothing obliges many of the soldiers to lay in the barracks nearly the whole of the time; these complicated wants are destroying their health-numbers are falling sick. A considerable quantity of flour is yet expected from the State Agent. Permit me, Sir, at this critical and distressing moment to request your orders to the agent, instantly to push down a relief of flour, if possible-and if any extra aid of teams is necessary, that you would be pleased to order them impressed. A more pressing emergency I have scarcely known. It is but a few days before the contract will take place and we are led to hope the supplies will be ample. I must, therefore, beg that such relief of flour may be thrown in to the troops in the interim, as will relieve them from their present distressing wants, and remove the grounds of those serious consequences, which I assure your Excellency there is but too much reason to fear. I have the honor to be With the highest respect, Your Excellency's Most obedient Servant His Excellency Governor Clinton. [No. 4241.] Colonel Thomas Thomas' Dismal Description of the Situation in Upper Westchester County. Bedford, Decb. 20th, 1781. Dr Sir, In pursuance of your Excellency's Recommendation I have consulted with the military officers and the principal Inhabitants of the County respecting future Protection which will be shortly requisite, as the Levies Times of Service will expire next Sunday, who are then to be discharged. I must refer your Excellency for Particulars to Lt. Colo. Crane the Bearer. I must particularly inform you that our Situation is truly dismal; our strength exhausted, and our Poverty great; the Burden so heavy on all sides that it is impossible we can bear any further assistance as a County; I earnestly beg your Excellency's Attention to our Situation, that you will afford us the most ready Relief, as the least Delay may be productive of bad Consequences to the good People on the Frontiers being exposed to a ravaging Enemy making frequent Incursions Amongst us. That your Excellency will signify your Pleasure to the Bearer who forward this Affair, I am with Esteem your Excellency's most Ob. & very H. St. [No. 4242.] Affidavits Taken before Judges Morris and Yates As Indicating Rumors of Negotiations between Certain Vermont Leaders and the British. Albany, Decr. 20th, 1781. Good Sir, Yesterday the Bearer of this Applied to us intimating he coud give Important Information relative to the Conduct of the Leaders of the people in the North East Quarter of this State; we accordingly took his Affidavit which is Inclosed. Just as we had finished it, David Abeel called on other Business; as he had Lately returned from Canada where he had been a Prisoner, we were led to ask him some Questions; his Answers Coroborating the Examination of Edgar we thought it proper to taken them on oath, which we Also Inclose; we conceive they may be of use to our Country and submitt to your Excellency's better Judgment to put them into that Road of Utillity, and are, with the Greatest Respect, Your Excellencys most obedient Humb. Servts. R. Morris. His Excellency Govr. Clinton. Robert Yates. AFFIDAVIT OF JOHN EDgar. Albany ss: John Edgar late of the Detroit being duly Sworn Deposeth and Saith, that he Commanded a Vessel belonging to the King of Great Brittain on the Lake's Huron and Erie, from some time in the year 1772 to some time in the year 1775; that he then gave up the said Command and went into trade; that on the 24th day of August 1779, he was taken into Custody at Detroit by one Major Lenolt [Lernout] of the Eighth or King's Regiment, chargeing this deponent with corresponding with the Americans and Counselling the Savages, &c; that he was put in prison and In Irons, and in two days Sent of in Irons for Niagara, where he continued in Irons for nine months, and in prison for eleven; that he was then sent on to Bucks Island where he was Continued in Confinement for five Months; that he was then Removed to Montreal where he was confined for six Months at the end of Which time, after Repeated Applications, he was by Genl. McClean, Granted the Lyberty of the town; that on the 30th day of September Last he was sent for by one Thomas Johnston who had before been taken by the Brittish from the Lower Cohass [Coos]; that on his calling on the said Johnston he told this deponent that he was privy to his design of makeing his Escape, and that he was desirous of Sending Some Important Intelligence to Genl. Bailey, and on this deponent's Engageing to Deliver any message, the said Johnston informed this deponent, that he had not been Confined since he had been brought there; that he was one of the persons on the part of the State of Vermont (as he called it) who had been in treaty with the Brittish touching an Agreement to deliver up that Country into the Hands of the Brittish; that they had compleated the Agreement and desired him to Inform Genl. Bailey of it and Desire him to gett some one to be exchanged for him on his Arrival which he Expected soon to do on his parole and then he would make Known the Whole Affair; that this deponent understood that the two Fays and Ira Allen, were with others, agents for that tract of Country, called by them the State of Vermont, and that one Captn. Sherwood and one Doctor Smith, who formerly lived in Albany, were two of the Agents on the part of the Brittish; that the said Agents sometimes mett in Castletown in the Grants and Sometimes in Canada; that this Deponent has also understood that part of the Agreement between the British and the people calling themselves the people of the State of Vermont was that they were to Raise two or Three thousand Men for the British, who were to be officered by the people of the Country, and were never to be drafted into other Regiments, and never to be employed out of the Country; and these men were to be fed, paid, Cloathed and otherways Supported by the British and that Britain was to furnish and maintain a twenty Gun ship, which was to be kept for them upon the Lake, and this deponent further saith, that Since his Escape from Canada at the Lower Cohass, he saw the above named Thomas Johnston at his own house there who had been permitted to come on his Parole, but was not then Exchanged, that on this deponents comeing to Cohass he went from there East to Newberry port, to Avoid Comeing down through the Grants least he should be taken up and sent back to Canada, and further this deponent saith not. John Edgar. Sworn this 19th Day of December, 1781 Before R Morris, Robert Yates. AFFIDAVIT OF DAVID ABEEL. State of New York ss. David Abell, of Katts-kill in the County of Albany, Yeoman, being duly sworn deposeth and saith, that some time in the month of April last past, he was taken prisoner at his own House by a party of Indians and Tories, and carried to Niagara, and from thence to Montreal; that on his way to the latter place, at the Cedars, he saw one Johan Jost Herkimer, who informed this Deponent that the people on the New Hampshire Grants, headed by Colo. Alen, would join the British with fifteen hundred Men; that a Major Alen was then gone down to Quebec for that purpose; that at Montreal it was the General Report that the New Hampshire Grants, would join them; that this Deponent saw at Isle L'Noix, a Major Fay, on Board a Vessell called the Royal George, and who this Deponent understood was an Inhabitant on the said Grants; that on Board of the said Vessell was one Doctor Smith, Captain Sherwood and another person, whose name the Deponent does not recollect, who were appointed Commissioners to treat with the said Major Fay; that the said Fay brought with him upwards of thirty Hessians, deserted from Burgoin's Army, for exchange, as this Deponent was informed, and which he delivered to the British, and further this Deponent saith not. Sworn this 20th day of December, 1781 before David Abeel. R Morris, Robert Yates. [No. 4243.] Treasurer Bancker's Letter with Brigade Major Lansing's Account. (Omitted.) |