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aiwpiww w.w i w m tm i'

•r-^ —

MINUTES

CONSPIRACY

AGAINST THE

UBRRTIES OF AMERICA.

Pl)ilabcl^lliii !
O H N CAMPBELL.

MDCCCLXV.

' l," I - 1- ,.iUi||II.U UtiHW Wi

PREFACE.

SHOULD the learned reader find thefe
pages crude, trite and meagre, it is
hoped he may ftay his *' vengeful hand,"
when he is told they were compiled by a mere
apprentice in the field of knowledge, and amidft
avocations far removed from the paths of litera-
ture.

Should ir, again, be objedted that accufations
fuch as contained in the pamphlet here republilhed
had better have been left unrecorded, it is humbly
Cubmitted, that he who writes hiftory (liould write
it truly, and that the perfedl ftatue gives a better
idea of the fubjedt than a baflb-relievo.

■^(f^ l(c

INTRODUCTION.

ONGRESS, I doubt not, will have heard
of the plot that was forming among
many difafFefted perfons in this city and
government for aiding the King's troops
upon their arrival. No regular plan feems to
have been digefted ; but feveral perfons have
been enlifted and fworn to join them. The
matter, I am in hopes, by a timely difcovery, will be
lupprefled and put a ftop to. Many citizens and
others, among whom is the mayor, aie now in con-
finement. The matter has been traced up to Governor
Tryon ; and the mayor appears to have been a princi-
pal agent between him and the perfons concerned in it.
The plot had been communicated to fome of the
army, and part of my guard engaged in it. Thomas
Hickey, one of them, has been tried, and by the

unanimous

( vi )

unanimous opinion of a court-martial, is fentenced to
die, having enlifted himfeif, and engaged others. The
fentehce, by the order of the whole council of general
officers, will be put in execution to-day at eleven
o'clock. The others are not tried. I am hopeful
this example will produce many falutary confequences,
and deter others from entering into the like traitorous
praftices." '

So, on the 28th June, 1776, wrote Wafhington to
the Prefident of the Congrefs, then fitting at Phila-
delphia, refpeding a confpiracy, whofe ftory is thus
related by the lateft of his biographers :

"The wildeft reports," fays Wafhington Irving,
" were in circulation concerning it. Some of the Tories
were to break down King's Bridge, others were to
blow up the magazines, fpike the guns, and maflacre
all the field-officers. Wafhington was to be killed or
delivered up to the enemy. Some of his own body-
guard were faid to be in the plot.

Several publicans in the city were pointed out, as
having aided or abetted the plot. One was landlord
of the Highlander, at the corner of Beaver Street and
Broadway. Another difpenfed liquor under the fign
of Robin Hood. Another named Lowry, defcribed

' Sparks's Wnjl'mgtin, \\\, 140-I.

iP^iiV

( vii )

as a " fat man in a blue coat," kept tavern in a low
houfe oppofite the Ofwego market. Another, James
Houlding, kept a beer houfe in Tryon Row, oppofite
the gates of the upper barracks. It would feem as if
a net work of corruption and treachery had been
woven throughout the city by means of thefe liquor
dealers. One of the moft noted, however, was Corbie,
whofe tavern was faid to be " to the fouth-eaft of
General Wafliington's houfe, to the weftward of
Bayard's Woods, and north of Lifpenard's Meadows,"
from which it would appear that, at that time, the
general was quartered at what was formerly called
Richmond Hill; a manfion furrounded by trees, at a
fliort diftance from the city, in rather an ifolated fitua-
tion.

A committee of the New York Congrefs, of which
John Jay was chairman, traced the plot up to Gov-
ernor Tryon, who, from his fafe retreat on Ihip-
board, afted through agents on fhore. The moft im-
portant of thefe was David Matthews, the tory mayor
of the city. He was accufed of difburfing money to
enlift men, purchafe arms, and corrupt the foldiery.

WaOiington was authorized and requefted by the
committee to caufe the mayor to be apprehended, and
all his papers fecured. Matthews was at that time

refiding

( viii )

refiding at Flatbudi, on Long Ifland, at no great dif-
tance from General Greene's encampment. Wafhing-
ton tranfmitted the warrant of the committee to the
general on the 21ft, with direftions that it fhould " be
executed with precifion, and exadlly by one o'clock
of the enfuing morning, by a careful officer."

Precifely at the hour of one, a detachment from
Greene's brigade furrounded the houfe of the mayor,
and fecured his perfon ; but no papers were found,
though diligent fearch was made.

Numerous other arrefts took place, arid among the
number fonie of Wafliington's body-guard. A great
difmay fell upon the tories. Some of thofe on Long
Ifland, who had proceeded to arm themfelves, finding
the plot difcovered, fought refuge in woods and mo-
rafles. Wafliington direded that thofe arrefted, who
belonged to the army, fliould be tried by a court-
martial, and the reft handed over to the fecular power.

According toftatements made before the committee,
five guineas bounty was offered by Governor Tryon
to each man who ftiould enter the King's fervice ; with
a promife of two hundred acres of land for himfelf,
one hundred for his wife, and fifty for each child.
The men thus recruited were to aft on fliore, in co-
operation with the King's troops when they came.

Corbie's

( ix )

Corbie's tavern, near Wartiington's quarters, was a
kind of re.idezvous of the confpirators. There one
Gilbert Forbes, a gunfmith, "a ftiort, thick man,
with a white coat," enlifted men, gave them money,
and "fwore them on the book to fecrecy." Ftom
this houfe a correfpondence was kept up with Governor
Tryon on (hipboard, through a "mulatto-colored
negro, drefled in blue clothes." At this tavern it as
fuppofed Wafhington's body-guards were tampered
with. Thomas Hickey, one of the guards, a dark-
complexioned man, five feet fix inches high, and well
set, was faid not only to be enlifted, but to have aided
in corrupting his comrades ; among others, Greene the
drummei, and Johnfon the fifer.

It was further teftified before the committee, that
one Sergeant Graham, an old foldier, formerly of the
royal artillery, had been employed by Governor
Tryon to prowl around and furvey the grounds and
works about the city, and on Long Ifiand, and that,
on information thus procured, a plan of operations
had been concerted. On the arrival of the fleet, a
man-of-war fliould cannonade the battery at Red
Hook ; while that was doing, a detachment of the
army ftiould land below with cannon, and by a circuit-
ous march furprife and ftorm the works on Long-
B Ifland.

Ifland. The (hipping, then, with the remainder of the
army, were to divide, one part to run up the Hudfon
the Oi;her up the Eaft River; troops were to land
above New York, fecure the pafs at King's Bridge, and
cut ofFai' communication between the city and country.'
Much cf the evidence given was of a dubious kind.
It was certain that perfons had fecretly been enlifted,
and fworn to hoilile operations, but Waftiington did
not think that any regular plan had been digefted by
the confpirators. "The matter," wrote he, "I am
in hopes, by a timely difcovery, will be supprefled.*

According to the mayor's own admifllon before the
committee, he had been cognizant of attempts to enlift
tories and corrupt Waftiington's guards, though he
declared that he had difcountenanced them- He had
on one occafion, alfo, at the requeft of Governor
Tryon, paid money for him to Gilbert Forbes, the
gunfmith, for rifles and round bored guns which he
had already furnilhed, and for others wiilch he was t
make. He had done fo, however (according to hi3
account), with great -eluftance, and after much hefita-
tion and delay, warning the gunf nith thit he would
be hanged if found out. The mayor with a number
of others, w^ie detained in prifon to awaii a trial.

Thomas

' Am. Arch. 4ih scries, vi, 1177.

* WaHiinf.ion to the Frcfident of Congrefs, June 28.

(xi)

Thomas Hickey, the individual of Waftiington's
guard, was tried before a court-martial. He was an
Irifliman, and had been a deferter from the Britifh
army. The court-martial found him guilty of mutiny
and fedition, and treacherous correfpondence with the
enemy, and fentenced him to be hanged.

The fentence was approved by Wafhington, and
was carried promptly into effedt, in the moft folemn
and impreflive manner, to ferve as a warning and ex-
ample in this time of treachery and danger. On the
morning of the 28th, all the officers and men off duty,
belcpging to the brigades of Heath, Spencer, Stirling
and Scott, aflembled under arms at their refpeftive
parades at 10 o'clock, and marched thence to the
ground. Twenty men from each brigade, with bayo-
nets fixed, guarded the prifoner to the place of execu-
tion, which was a field near the Bowery Lane. There
he was hanged in the prefence, we are told, of near
twenty thoufand perfons.

While the city was ftill brooding over this doleful
fpedacle, four ftiips of war, portentous vifitants, ap-
appeared off the Hook, flood quietly in at the Nar-
rows, and dropped anchor in the bay.

In his orderly book, Wafhington exprefled a hope
that the unhappy fate of Thomas Hickey, executed

that

( xii )

that day for mutiny, fedition and treachery, would be
a warning to every foldier in the line, to avoid the
crimes for which he fuffered."

Mr. Irving then adds the following note: "As a
fpecimcn of the reports which circulated throughout
the country, concerning this confpiracy, we give an
extraft from a letter, written from Wethersfield, in
Connedlicut, 9th of July, 1766, by the Reverend
John Marfh.

"You have heard of the infernal plot that has been
difcovered. About ten days before any of the con-
fpirators were taken up, a woman went to the general
and defired a private audience. He granted it to her,
and fhe let him know that his life was in danger, and
gave him fuch an account of the confpiracy as gained
his confidence. He opened the matter to a few
friends, on whom he could depend. A ftrift watch
was kept night and day, until a favorable opportunity
occurred; when the general went to bed as ufual, arofe
about two o'clock, told his lady he was a going, with
fome'of the Provincial Congrefs, to order fome tories
feized — defired file would make herfelf eafy, and go
to fieep. He went ofl^ without any of his aides-de-
camp, except the captain of his life guard, was joined
by a number of chofen men, with lanterns, and proper

inftruments

( xiii )

inftruments to break open houfes, and before fix
o'clock next morning, had forty men under guard at
the City Hall, among whom was the mayor of the
city, feveral merchants, and five or fix of his own
life-guard. Upon examination, one Forbes confefled
that the plan was to aflaffinate the general, and aS
many of the fuperior officers as they could, and to
blow up the magazine upon the appearance of the
enemy's fleet, and to go ofl^ in boats prepared for that
purpofe to join the enemy. Thos. Hickey, who has
been executed, went from this place. He came from
Ireland a few years ago. What will be done with the
mayor is uncertain. He can't be tried by court-
martial, and it is faid, there is no law of that colony
by which he can be condemned. May he have his
deferts." '

Under date of July 4th, 1776, Chriftopher Marlhall
records: "Accounts from New York are, that,
Friday laft, one of General Walhington's guard was
executed in a field near that city for mutiny and con- .
fpiracy, he being one of thofe who had formed a plot
to afi-aflinate the ftafl^ officers, blowing up the magazines
and fecuring the papers of the town on the arrival of
the Tyrant George the Third's fleet before this city."

The

*Irving's Waniington, li, 242, 247.

( xiv )

The reader may alfo confult Thatcher, Gordon, Wat-
{bn and Force's Archives ; from the latter of which,
however, copious extracts may be found in the notes'
appended.

Refpefting the charge againft the morality of Wafh-
ington — often aflerted by his cotemporaries — whether
true or not, and we fliould be loathe to believe it, it
muft be recolleifted, that at that day a laxnefs' of
focial virtue was not vifited with fo fevere a cenfure as
it is in our own time — and that fome of the promi-
nent men of the age were not proof againft tempta-
tion, we know from the confeflions of Hamilton and
the intrigues of Burr.

■■i (i

MINUTES

OF THE

TRIAL AND EXAMINATION

CERTAIN PERSONS,

IN THE

Province of NEW YORK,

CHARGED WITH BEING ENGAGED IN A

CONSPIRACY againft the Author itv,
of the CONGRESS,

AND

The LIBERTIES of AMERICA.

LONDON:
Printed for J. BEW, No. 28, Pater-noster-Row.

M DCC LXXXVI.

[ Price One Shilling. ]

ERRATA.

Page ;. line 12, for infiduous, read itijtdious. P. 12. 1. 15. (ot difclve
r. difdol'e. P. 6. 1. 10, for ever, r. ^w». P. 8, 1. 11, for Diflrefs
County, r. Dutcbefs County. P. 8, I. 20, after brewhoufe dele the ; and
read etie o'clock in the morning.

h 1

i^TTi-mrr 1 1 --i.^.tri*itfMnliin,>,nta.,%rWtt.1imiiri ■•1

PREFACE.

T"X THILE the city of New- York was
'^ " in the pofleflion of the American
army, great numbers of the inhabit-
ants were feized, accufed of being con-
cerned in a confpiracy, and fent prifoners
into Connedicut. Some were brought
to a trial, found guilty, and condemned
as traitors. Great difcoveries, it was faid,
were made of plots againft the congrefs.
But the trial of the culprits was managed
with fo much fecrecy that nothing of con-
fequence tranfpired ; fo that many were

induced
C

(iv)
induced to believe, that it was an artful
fcheme of the congrefs and committee to
punifh their internal enemies, or prevent
them from doing mifchief, without alarm-
ing the body of the people.

The following minutes throw much
light on the affair. They were difcovered
(on the late capture of New- York by the
Britifh troops) among the papers of a
perfon who appears to have been fecretary
to the committee. Yhey ^m furnifh
entertainment to thofe who wifli to know
the particulars of this myfterious tranf-
adion.

MI-

''^

{ ■ )

MINUTES

OF THE

COMMITTEE, &c

ll^ILLlAM COLLIER (waiter at the Serjeant's
» V Arms Tavern, kept by Alexander Sinclair,
near the old Barracks) waited upon Jofeph Smith,
Efq., in the city, and informed him, that he had fome
affairs of great importance to communicate to him if
he could depend upon being fecured himfelf from
danger. Upon which Mr. Smith gave him all poffible
aflurances, that fo far from being punifhed, he Ihould
be confiderably rewarded if his difcoveries were of any
importance. Encouraged by this, he faid, that a
number of the inhabitants of the city had met for
many months at the houfe aforefaid, that having heard
them during his attendance fpeak very often difrefped-
ful of the congrefs, and perceiving them very much
engaged in writing letters, and remarking that they
always fufpended their converfation or fpoke refervedly
when he was prefent, his fufpicions were excited that
they did not meet merely for entertainment. On

which

1)!

which he concealed himfelf in ,„ j- • •
"gagemeat which had been entered il ■ u '"

were diftributed anion. ^^ ■ "'^^''^^'°"' ^^at arms
»„erponde„ee .TZI^ Z^l,;:^ *"'
'••"y, and that they had formed Vnr , ""

been kept up between fh ? P^'P"*^ ''^'^

Briti/h fervid to T u' ""^ ""''" P^'-^°"« ■" ^he

«ate o/r;:^:' :: j rarr'^r"-:^ ''-

ceived council and nfoney fo'th [ " '"^'^ ^"

their defigns Mr Sm I . ""■ '^""''°" °f

the namef of t^e r '^"'"'""^'^ '^'"^ -"«--g

XI- "UJK.C, ana bebring, were thf r^^a

adli/eperfons The n^^ • • i ^ """^

•his inL..ti;n flZ'Tirr' 1 "''"'-'

to proceed with the ut^oft Zl„ I 'T™'"'"
of men tU ■ . caution, ordered a party

ot me, the next night to feize Mr. Gilbert FoLl

^:.r:;tt-rr:-jnd^^-^^^

proceeded about two in the n, P ^^^^"^^^

Mr. Forbes in the R ^ "'"^ '° '^' '^""^^ °^

his

( 3 )

his efcape, the Captain knocked at the front door, and
demanded admittance, on its being opened, and find-
ing the culprit was in an upper room in bed, rufhed
up ftairs, broke open the door, and feized him before
he could meditate an efcape. They then required his
keys, which, after fome hefitation, he delivered upon
being told that what they did was by the order of the
provincial congrefs ; they then conveyed him to an
apartment in the New Goal, where he was properly
fecured. His papers were delivered to the provincial
congrefs, which met the next day, among which were
many letters and minutes which threw great light on
the defigns of the confpirators. The following among
many other interefting ones were read at the board:

Copy of an A[fociation entered into on the \T,tb of May,
1776.

ift. "We the underwritten being firmly attached to
the glorious conftitution of Great Britain, loyal fubjefts
of our gracious Sovereign, King George the Third,
and deeply fenfible of the miferies brought on this
devoted country, by the wicked artifices cf an ambi-
tious fadion, do heartily and fincerely covenant and
agree and pledge ourfelves to each other by every
thing that is honourable and facred, that we will dili-
gently and faithfully endeavour to reftore the conftitu-
tional government of thefe colonies, Knd the happy
connexion that once fubfirted between Great Britain
and America.

ad.

<•

( + )

2d, •' That for this purpofe we will zealoufly put in
praftice every honeft method to inculcate loyalty in
the minds of the people, to reprefent in their true
colours the oppreflions, infiduous machinations, and
cruel perfecutions of an illegal and arbitrary congrefs,
and that we will feize every opportunity to diflblve their
councils, and fruftrate their operations : That every
member of this aflbciation binds himfelf in the moft
folemn and facred manner to be faithful to the common
caufe, and to retain with the utmod caution the
fecrets committed to him.

jd. "That a committee be appointed for the tranf-
adion of bufinefs, and for carrying on acorrefpondence
with the members of this fociety refiding in any of the
counties of this or neighboring provinces; that the
members as many as can, will meet once a week for
management of our common affairs.

4th. " That no perfon fhall be admitted a member
except he has paffed an examination with the com-
mittee.

5th. "Should any member of this affociation fall
under a fufpicion, be taken prifoner, or even puniflied
with death by our enemies, he fhall look upon himfelf
as bound in honour and confcience not to betray any
of his aflbciates, or to communicate any of the fecrets
of this fociety."

The following letters, with the fuperfcriptions and
fignatures erafed, were alfo read at the board.

"My

(5 )

" My dear Friend,

" Our good caufe thrives moft wonderfully and pro-
videntially hereabouts. We have great hopes that
the tyranny of our cruel taflc-mafters will foon be
ended. The little finger of thefe defpots is heavier
than the loins of the moft arbitrary miniftry. They
ftiew their fuperiority only by their cruelty. The
people groan under their oppreflions, and comparing
their prefent mifery with their former happinefs and
tranquility, long to throw off the yoke. They plunder
our barns, enter our houfes, and forcibly take from
us what we have fweated and toiled for; giving us
in return nothing but their paltry paper. If we are
to be flaves, let us be fo to the lion, and not to the
loufy dirty vermin of New England. We have had
many meetings lately, and fo many are defirous of
aflbciati.,g with us, that we are afraid leaft the fecret
might tranfpire by being communicated to too great a
number; we have already two hundred aflbciators in
this county who have bound themfelves by the moft
folemn afleverations to fidelity ; we are much at a lofs
to know how to aft about the oath of allegiance to the
congrefs, which 'tis faid they intend foon to impofe on
us. Heaven fend us a fpeedy deliverance. We are
well fupplied with arms, which every man keeps hid,
to ufe when occafion permits, but we are in great want
of powder. The drubbing which they had in Canada
works wonderfully, and if General Howe ftiould give
them one found thraftiing, numbers will be ready to
fly to his proteftion ; depend upon our conftancy and

fidelity

( 6 )

fidelity. Let us know all yor.i^ motions that we
may co-operate together. This goes by Edward
i»taggs, a faft friend to our iiitcreft. God blefs the

^'!f\ , Amen."

Dijirefs County,

May 15, 1776."

Numb. II.
"Sir,"

"We hope that according to your promife you will
have the rifle guns ready by Saturday night, as we
fliall fend a boat down under the diredion of James
Clavering, to lie ofl^the old battery, near George Har-
nfon'sbrewhoufe; about ten o'clock in the morning
he will fend his negroe man Cufl^, to acquaint you with
his coming, fo that if you can get any of our alTociates
who are under arms to conceal them in fome houfe
nigh, we may be able to carry them off. By all means
take care and ufe great precautions, for if we fliould
be blown up, we fhould meet no mercy. Lt. Steele
would be the mort proper perfon to be employed on
this fervice. My love to your wife and children, and
to all true hearts under the rofe.

Your's, ever

M
Numb. Ill,
"Sir,

"Embracing this good opportunity, I give you
much joy of the death of that arch rebel and firebrand

Montgomery,

( 7 )

Montgomery, and hope e'er long it will be the fate of
many more. I can't help laughing to fee the long
faces of many of my neighbours on this occafion ; had
I my wiih their necks fhouid be as long as their faces:
by all accounts it has kicked up a devil of an uproar
at Carpenters hall, and I fuppofe we fliall very foon
have anotherrfaft — faft of the fleHi I mean, for their
pious paftors take care to give the faints on fuch oc-
cafions a fpiritual feajl of treafon and rebellion. My
neighbor Voorhuys fays there muft have been treachery
in the cafe, and thinks that Donald Campbell is a
very good hand at a retreat. Things go very bravely
on with us. The old farmers (bake their heads, and
fay, this is not the thing, we long to fee fome more
Englifh guineas among us. Jabez Fifher and I have
taken occafion to go much among them, and tell them
the defigns of the congrefs are all impofition, that they
never fuffered any thing from England, and that we
(hal! never be happy till the old times are reftored,
that old John Bull is rouzed at laft, and that what
they thought fear or weaknefs was nothing but mercy
and gentlenefs. We now meet frequently at each
others houfes, drink the King on our marrow-bones,
and confufion to the congrefs ; we have fifty names
now down on our aflbciation paper, all (launch hearty
fellows, only waiting an opportunity to (hew our
loyalty. I had an affray lately with one of their offi-
cers, a Capt. Lefferts, who was quartered in our neigh-
bourhood. He fent a foldier the other day to purchafe
fome of my poultry, I told him I could not fpare rny ;
D on

(8 )

on which the villain had the impudence to tell me he
came by the order of his captain, and would have
them. My choler got the hetter of my prudence, and
I pufhed him out of my houfe, and (hut the door
upon him. The captain waited on me the next day,
and afked me how I dared to treat one of the congrefs's
foldiers and his fervant in fo audacious a manner. I
told him the property was mine, and would ufe it as I
pleafed ; he made no anfwer, but went away in a pafllon,
and foon returned with a party of his myrmidons, who
inlulted me in the grofTeft manner, took away my
poultry, and broke my windows; I have (ince applied
to the committee for redrefs, but could not obtain a
hearing, as I fuppofe they partook of the plunder.
Such is our glorious liberty, or rather the liberty,
which thefe mifcreants take with us. I hope, how-
ever, we /hall foon have fatisfadtion of thefe rafcals.
Honeft Savage is here, and fends his compliments
to you. Kifs Betfey for me ; my fpoufe defires to be
remembered'to you both.

I am.
Your friend and fervant,
Poughkeepfey, 1776.

The provincial congrefs having taken the above
letters under confideration, and finding from other
circumftances, that a moft wicked and dangerous con-

fpiracy

(9 )

fpiracy was formed againft the liberties of America,
judged proper to appoint a committee of enquiry,
with powers to examine into the nature of it, and to
fit in judgment in bringing to condign punifhment
fuch perfon or perfons as they fhould find concerned
in it. The following perfons were appointed a com-
mittee for the purpofe.

President.

Peter R. Livingfton.
J. M. Scott, Peter Curtenius,

Marinus Willett, John Abeel,

Alex. M'Dougal, Corn. Byvank,

John Berrian, John Stoutenburgh,

Here. Mulligen, James Weflels,

Gerftiom Mott, John Crimfhire.

Gilbert Smith, Secretary.

June 23. The committee met at the houfe of Mr.
Jafper Drake, and proceeded upon bufinefs ; Mr.
Abraham Livingfton attending, informed the com-
mittee, that the night before he waited upon Mr.
Gilbert Forbes, at his apartment in the New Goal,
and laying before him in the ftrongeft colours the
danger of his fituation, and that there was no other
way for him to obtain mercy but by making a full
confeflion. The prifoner fignified to him, that if
fecurity fliould be given him for his own perfonal
fafety, he would difclofe matters of great importance :

the

( lo )

the committee taking into ferious confideration this
information, ordered the prifoner to be brought before
them under a proper guard.

Mr. Forbes being brought into their prefence, dif-
covered great figns of confternation and guilt, and
with a faultering voice begged the committee would
allow him fome time to compofe his mind, and permit
him to have council to affift him in his defence, as he
was entirely unprepared to anfwer any queftions, and
might prejudice himfelf by his ignorance of the forms
ufually pradifed in fuch cafes.

Prefidc.t. Sir, we (liall /hew you all the candour and
juftice you can expedt. The queftions we fhall put to
you are only concerning matters of faft, and if you
wifh for time only to be better able to prevaricate and
evade, I inform you that your requeft cannot be
granted. Sir, the crime you are charged with is of a
moft heinous nature, and you are little entitled even
to the formality of a trial, neverthelefs, Mr. Forbes, as
we have been informed, you are difpofed to ftiew 'the
fincerity of your repentance by making an ample dif-
covery, a.id wiping off your guilt againft your country,
by enabling us to deted and avert the mifchiefs you
intended againft it, fuch conduft may recommend you
to the clemency and mercy of this court.

Prifoner. I beg, gentlemen, you will not be harfti
and hafty with me. I am fure I never meant any
harm againft my country, but minded the bufinefs of
my ftiop; I have been treated very cruelly, torn out
of my bed at the dead of lught, my fick wife and

family

K'igagW.i'.s. s s :

( ■• )

family alarmed, my papers feized, and my houfe ran-
facked, without my knowing why or wherefore, and
thrown into a prifon, denied the council or afliftance
of any friend or acquaintance.

Mr. Mulligen. Sir, Sir ! I am furprifed you have
the boldne s to fpeak in this manner before the com-
mittee, after what you have been guilty of We do
not fit here to hear you criminate, neither will fuch
language avail you. Sir, we have authentic evidence
of your having been concerned in a hellifli confpiracy,
and we were informed that you was defirous of obtain-
ing mercy, by making an honeft and full confeiTion ;
as a frieiui, I advife you to conceal nothing, as you
hope for pardon.

Mr. Curtenius. Then you know nothing, fir, of an
aflociation ? you never have received any letters from
the country containing treafonable matters.'' you never
met 1 fuppofe at the Serjeant's Arms ?

Prifoner. Indeed, gentlemen, I am entirely innocent,
I beg you will allow me time to prepare for my de-
fence.

Mr. M'Dougal. Gentlemen, I would recommend
that if the prifoner continues obftinate, he fi^ould be
remanded to prifon ; we have no time for delay; delays
are dangerous, gentlemen, the villainous defigns of
our enemies muft be averted by fome fpeedy examples,
no punifliment can be too fevere for men who have
confpired the ruin of us all.

Prefident. I would advife you, Mr. Forbes, ferioufly
to weigh your critical fituation, and to plead guilty,

for

I I

( 12 )

for we are in no want of proof fufficient to juftify us
in condemning you to the mofl ignominious punifti-
ment; if your confeflion is candid and clear, you may
in fome degree repair the mifchiefs you have occa-
fioned, and in the name of this committee I promife
you a full and free pardon, if you will difclofe the
whole without referve.

Prijoner. Ho\y, Sir, would you have me to confefs,
when I know nothing that I am guilty of againft my
country. I have afked you for time and to he tried
by a jury of my neighbours, which you refufe me.

Mr. Livingjlon. You are not, I would have you to
know, to diftate to the court, we are here to try and
judge you by the authority of the congrefs. You will
not prefume to difpute, I hope, its authority. Ser-
jeant call in Mr. Collier.

Collier being fworn, he depofed what he told to Mr.
Smith, of his having met at the tavern with Mr. Child,
Roberts, Abrams, &c. &c. that Mr. Forbes was
generally there, and a very aftive member. The
following letter, among others, which were taken at
Mr. Forbe's houfe, was read.
" Gentlemen,

" I have been thinking about our fkeam, and I do
think that we cannot take too much care, that the
Wigs do not finde us oute, what we are about, as they
have two many on there fide of the queftione, and
may take us up. I propofe then for us to meet on
Satorday alone by hourfelves in the wud near King-
bridge on the left hande fide of the rode from Yorke,

and

' *'*^^ i u S8w

jiiiaMB

,M.

( 13 )

and that cache man (hud bring a piftal or cutlarti with
him in order to defende hourfelf, if needfuUe. My
boye is to bringe me your anfwer, and he knowes
nothinge whiche I have wrote,

I am,
Gentlemen,

your hum. farvant

in Affiftione."

Preftdent. Do you know thefe letters ?

Prijoner. They were left with me by a friend among
fome other papers ; they were not directed to me, and
are none of my concern.

Preftdent. Do you know the writers of them ?

Prijoner. They were not fent to me — I am entirely
unprepared — I cannot give anfwers to fuch queftions.

(The court having taken into view the obftinacy of
the prifoner, remanded him into clofe confinement.)
Jacobus Lawrence was then brought into court, by
Mr. Livingfton, who faid he could give fome informa-
tion on the bufinefs of the committee.

Jacobus Lawrence fworn.

Court. You keep a tavern at Hempftead, on Long
Ifland?

Lawrence. Yes, Sir.

Court. Pray, Mr. Lawrence, do you know the
names of the perfons, I think they were fix in number,
that dined at your houfe on Sunday the 9th of June
laft, and do you remember to have heard any of their
converfation upon public matters ?

Lawrence.

<iiS» ' -S^CTf-

( H )

Lawrence. There was only five, their names I do
not know, but they talked to me about lying at my
houfe the enfuing plovering feafon ; one of them
aflced me if I was Whig or Tory? I told him I
was for peace : upon which a fecond faid, there never
would be peace whilft fuch men as compofed the con-
grefs had the command. Upon this I was alarmed,
and one of them alked me what was the matter ? I
faid, for God's fake, gentlemen, take care what you
fay, the honourable congrefs is not to be fpoken of in
this manner.

Court. Could you not difcover, Mr. Lawrence,
where the perfons lived who fpoke fo difrefpedfully of
the congrefs,

Lawrence. As I am upon my facred oath, I believe
they live all of them at New York, but they were
entire ftrangers to me.

Court. Proceed, Mr. Lawrence, and inform the
court what more pafled.

Lawrence. The gentleman at the end of the table,
whom I took to be a Scotchman, feemed to cough,
and then took a pinch of fnuff; upon this not a word
more was fpoke till I went out of the room.

Court. Do you know, or did you hear any thing
more that pafled ?

Lawrence. The (hrug of the man in the corner
raifed my fufpicions, I feemed to be very bufy about
my bufinefs, but fet my houfekeeper, Jemima, to

liften.

Court. Can you depend upon the word of Jemima ?

Lawrence.

( -5 )

Lawrence. Ever fince the death of my poor wife,
now eleven years, we have lived upon the mod
intimate footing, and I have no reafon to doubt her
in a fingle thing.

Court. Well, Mr. Lawrence, what did Jemima hear?

Lawrence. She faid that one of the men faid, that
fallow feems to love money, fuppofe we feel his pulfe
on this confpiracy : as foon as the word confpiracy
was mentioned fhe was alarmed, and called me in,
thinking the negroes were going to rife.

Court. Where do you mean, — into the room where
the five perfons were ?

Lawrence. No — into the houfe — I was at the door
ferving two cullomers from North Side, with a fmall
dram of rum a-piece. She took me afide and told me
there was a plot, or fomething like it, going forward,
and faid, flie wiftied thofe people were out of the
houfe. — I faid, I would try them again, and fo made
an excufe to go into the room for fome gingerbread,
which is kept in a clofet clofe by; upon this one of
the men faiJ to me, Landlord, we fhall never have
peace in America till fomebody ferves General Wa(h-
ington as he meant to ferve the plover next feafon.

Court. Did the others hear him fay this?

Lawrence. Yes ; and feemed to wait for my anfwer,
I told them by way of drawing out of them all I could,
(by the holinefs of my oath I meant nothing more)
I told them, I wifhed things were as they ufed to be,
but I did not fee how any body dared to flioot fo
great a man as the General ; upon this the man with a
E fnufFy

a«e»»~~«SB5irP^-

( i6 )

fnuffy face, jumped up and faid there was one who
could do that eafy enough ; and then aflced me if a
good fum of the old New-York currency would not
tempt me to be acceflary ;/ / was Jure no harm would
happen to me? I afked, where the New York currency
was to come from ; I was told Mr. Lott had referved
7000I. which was to be diftributed among thofe who
would aflift. I faid, afllft, to do what ? they faid, to
murder General Wafliington and all the Livingftons.
Upon this I faid, that his Excellency was like a faint,
and the Livingftons, apoftles, who opened the eyes of
the people in America, and that I (hould be afraid of
being hanged if I was knowingly to hurt a hair of
their heads ; upon this the Scotchman ftirugged up his
(houlders, and all were filent. I was defired to ftep
out, but they foon after called me in again, and one
of them gave me ten dollars to fwear fecrecy, which I
was then tempted to do, but am now forry for it.

This was the fubftance of the evidence given in by
Mi". Lawrence,

Mr. MacKeflbn then acquainted the committee, that
Jofeph Finch waited at the door, who was defirous of
giving the court very important information. The
committee ordered him in accordirgly. He faid if
the congrefs would fecure him from injury or punifh-
nient, he would difclofe matters of much confequence.
The committee pledged their honour that he (hould
be fafe, and promifed withal a confiderable reward, if
he was open and clear in his difcovery. Finch faid,
he was a joiner by profeflion, and was working at the

houfe

( 17 )

houfe of Gerardus Beekman, commonly called Dr.
Beekman, who being in a good humour, he was called
up ftairs, and aflced to drink fome wine ; the dodlor
called him a damned honeft fellow, chucked him under
the chin, and aflced if he loved his Majefty ; he faid
he would fhed the laft drop of his blood for him.
The dodlor treated him with a bottle of what he called
his eight-year-old, and then having found him hearty
in the caufe, carried him to the Serjeant's Arms.

Prefident. What time did this happen ?

Finch. About the 20th of May laft.

Prefident. Do you remember any perfons th.it were
prefent ?

Finch. Yes. There was Mr. Henry Fofter, James
Matthifon, Nicholas Antony, Thomas Degruftie,
Henry Carman, and many others, whom, if I had
time, I could recoiled.

Prefident. What was the fubjeft of converfation ?

Finch. They talked much that night againft the
cruelty of the congrefs, and the cowardice and infults
of the New-England men, and of their hopes the
former government would be foon reftored.

Prefident. Go on, fir, and tell us what you deem
moft material.

I was fent fome time after with letters to different
parts of the country, encouraging them to union, and
conveying money for purchafing arms and ammunition.

Prefident. To what places were you fent ?

Finch. To New Rochel, Poughkeepfey, Weft Chef-
ter, Albany, and many other places.

Court.

( i8 )

Court. To what perfons were the letters direfted ?

Finch. I cannot at prefent mention them particularly,
but I have carried fome to Thomas Kiflicr, John
Amos, James Savage, Samuel Jenks, and many others,
with whom I had many meetings, and much furious
converfation, upon public affairs, and brought their
anfwers back.

The committee then thought proper to give Mr.
Finch time to recolledl himfelf, and appointed three of
their body to meet him the next morning, in order to
take his information more fully and deliberately.

James Ming was then called in,i and being fworn,

depofed.

Ming. I am by trade a fhoemakcr, and live in
Carman-ftreet, being fent for one day to Jacob Duryee,
after paying me for fome work I had done for the
family, Mr. Duryee afred me what I thought of the
times. I told him, bad enough. He faid he wifhcd
there never had been a congrefs in the world ; I told
him it might be fo. He then talked much to me of
the high price of things, and aflced me if I did not
wifli to fee the good old times again? I faid, yes; on
which he gave me a glafs of wine, and drank to the
King and Parliament, which I did too. He then told
me that a number of friends to England, would be
glad to fee me or any other honed man, on whom they
could depend. I told him I would never aft unhon-
ourably. He defired me to be hufh, and he would

propofe

( 19 )

propofe me to be a member ; that it fhould coft me
nothing. I then left him, and went home.

Mr. Curtenius. Di.i he fay nothing to you concern-
ing giving aid to General Howe, or information?
Did'nt you imagine that was what he meant, when he
fpoke of the friends to England ?

Ming. No, Sir, not at that time, but afterwards ; if
you pleafe, I'll tell the whole affair as it happened.
The next week Mr. Duryee and Mr. Anthony came
to me, and after feeing every one out of the (hop, told
me I was admitted a member of their fociety. I went
with them to the Serjeant's Arms, and was carried
into a room joining to the room where the fociety met.

Mr. Byvanck. Was no oath tendered to you ?

Ming. None bit an aflbciation paper or bond.

Mr. M'DougaL Was it this ? (Clerk hands him
the aflbciation found among Mr. Forbes' papers.)

Ming. Yes, to the beft of my knowledge and remem-
brance, the very fame.

Court. What perfons were at the meeting ? Do
you remember the tenor of the converfation ?

Ming. It was fomething very violent againft the
congrefs, and about reftoring the old government.

Couri. Do you recoiled any thing that was faid
about the diftributing arms, giving information of the
proceedings in our camp, or of betraying General
Waihington ?

Ming. I can't fay anything to that. I heard no
particulars.

William

i i

[ 1

( 20 )

William Cooper, foldier, fworn.

Court. Inform us what converfation you heard at
the Serjeant's Arms ?

Cooper. Being there the 21ft of May, I heard John
Clayford inform the company, that Mary Gibbons
was thoroughly in their intereft, and that the v. hole
would be fafe. I learnt from enquiry that Mary
Gibbons was a girl from New Jerfey, of whom General
Wafhington was very fond, that he maintained her
genteelly at a houfe near Mr. Skinner's, — at the
North River; that he came there very often late at
night in difguife ; he learnt alfo that this woman was
very intimate with Clayford, and made him prefents,
and told him of what General Wafhington faid.

Court. Did you hear Mr. Clayford fay any thing
himfelf that night ?

Cooper. Yes; that he was the day before with Judith,
fo he called her, and that (lie told him, Wafhington
had often faid he wiflied his hands were clear of the
dirty New-Englanders, and words to that effeft.

Court. Did you hear no mention made of any
fcheme to betray, or feize him ?

Cooper. Mr. Clayford faid he could eafily be feized
and put on board a boat, and carried off, as his female
friend had promifed fhe would ailifl : but all prefent
thought it would be hazardous.

William Savage, fworn.
Court. Was you at the Serjeant's Arms on the 2ifl
of May ? Did you hear any thing of this nature ?

Savage.

( 21 )

Savage. I did, and nearly as the laft evidence has
declared ; the fociety in general refufed to be concerned
in it, and thought it a mad fcheme.

Mr. Abeel. Pray, Mr. Savage, have not you heard
nothing of an information that was to be given to
Governor Tryon ?

Savage. Yes; papers and letters were at different
times fhewn to the fociety, which were taken out of
General Wafliington's pockets by Mrs. Gibbons, and
given (as (he pretended fome occafion of going out) to
Mr. Clayford, who always copied them, and they
were put into his pockets again.

Court. What was done with thefe papers ?

Savage. They were read at the table, copied, and
fent off.

Court. Where were they fent? and by what convey-
ance ?

Savage. They were given to Mr. Matthews, who
fent them on board the Duchefs of Gordon.

Court. Had they no other accounts but thofe com-
municated by Mrs. Gibbons.

Savage. Yes ; many ^.ther papers and letters were
read, and I was told they had information by an
officer, a gentleman of high rank and diftindlion, near
General Wafliington, and in his confidence.

Court. Could you find out who he was ?

Anjwer. No.

Court. By whom was his intelligence communi-
cated ?

Savage. By Mr. Vanderbergh.

Court.

( 22 )

Court. You cannot give any reafon to fufpeft what

officer it was?

Savage. No ; I could not learn who it was ; but
was often told that he was a gentleman in whom
General Walhington placed great confidence, and re-
lied much upon.

The Court ordered him to withdraw, and the room

to be cleared.

Mr. LhMJlon. In my opinion, gentlemen, we
had better defer examining any more witneffes till we
can confult General Wafliington, and feme other
officers, upon what has appeared.

Mr Scott. I think we have no time for delay, we
may run through an examination of the witnefles, as
this court is an independent r>„e, for the good of the
public, and no time ffiould be loft in coming at the
bottom of this horrid affair.

Court. It would be but juftice to the General, as
he is fome way affedted by the laft witneffes to apprize
him of it, and confult with him, in the mean time the
other fufpefted persons (hould be feized as fpeedily

as poffible.

The court accordingly adjourned till the 26th.

During this interval the committee had many confer-
ences on the fubjcft with General Wa(hington, and
many other officers. They had alfo private examina-
tions of the prifoncrs. Orders were ilTued to fcize the
perfons of John Wiley, Norman Ptolomy. I otten
and Crofsfield ; and information being given that a
number of the confpirators were concealed at and near

Jamaica,

( 23 )

Jamaica, Long Ifland, a party of horfe were ordered
to take them, under the command of Capt. Willett.
When they reached Jaii aica, they found the confpira-
tors, to the number of eighteen, had retired to a wood
on the top of a hill, determined to defend themfelves.
Captain Willett got a fmall reinforcement, and then
furrounded the eminence where they were ported; a
brifk fire enfued as our people approached, and they
obftinatcly continued to refift, till having loft one man,
and others being dangeroufly wounded and difabled,
they thought proper to furrender, and were brought
prifoners to New York.

June 29. The congrefs taking into ferious confidera-
tion the number of difafFefted perfons in the province,
and the danger of keeping them in the city, thought
fit to fend two hundred of them into Connediicut, to
be kept in the different prifons till they could be
brought conveniently to trial.

It having appeared from ftrong evidence and many
circumftances, that David Matthews, Efq., Mayor of
the City, was an aider and abetter of the confpiracy,
and alfo the principal manager of an illegal correfpond-
ence, he was feized by order of the provincial congrefs,
and committed to the New Goal ; on the 3d of July,
the committee again met, and ordered James Clayford
to be brought before them.

The prifoner being at the bar and fworn,

Mr. Mott told him, by order of this committee, I

inform you that we have the cleareft evidence of your

F having

( 24- )

having been treacheroufly concerned, in obtaining in-
formation and papers relating to public affairs, which
you delivered to certain perfons to be conveyed to the
e.iemy; that in privacy and covenant with Mary
G.bbons, you felonioufly and fecretly copied writings
of the commander in chief, which were afterwards fent
to be communicated to the foes of America; that you
.n your heart conceived and propofed a plan to feize
on the perfon of General Washington, and carry him
off as a pnfoner to the mercenary army. What have
you to anfwer to thefe charges, or to fay why you
niould not be made an example of?

Pri/oner. I labour under every difadvantage. hav-
ing no one to fpeak for me. and not being tried by
a jury, but I have confidence in the humanity of
th,s court- Do not be fevere with me. gentle-
men, nor /bed the blood of an innocent man. I
beg that I may hear the evidences againft me examined
before my face.

Mr. Mulli,en. You do not defervt fuch a favor
we are well fatisfied of your guilt, and that you ough;
long ago to have fuffered your deferts

Mr. Abed. I think it will not take much time to
re-exam,ne the witneffes. not that I have any doubt of
h.s gu, t. but to give him no caufe of complaint at our
proceedings.

The committee agreed to it, and James Myer.
Thomas Lefferts. and Peter Goff were fworn. TheJ
depofed what has been before related, that theprifoner
often attended the meeting of the confpirators, at the

Serjeant's

( 25 )

Serjeant's Arms, and that he ufed frequently to boaft
of his amours with Mrs. Gibbons ; that he propofed
with ;his woman's afTiftance to feize General Wafhing-
ton's perfon, and carry him off; that he frequently
brought papers and letters of the General's to the fo-
ciety, which were copied and fent away.

Prifoner. Remember, Mr. Goff, you are upon oath,
and that my life depends on it. As to my conneftion
with Mrs. Gibbons I do not deny it, but never was
concerned in any confpiracy. You muft know, Mr.
Goff, that I only faid at the fociety, that fuch a thing
as feizing General Wafhington might be done, but I
never agreed to or thought of doing it, nor did any
perfon prefent propofe or advife it.

Goff. Yes ; you often propofed it, and offered
your fervice, and faid Mrs. Gibbons would affift ; and
they applauded it, and drank your health.

Mr. Byvank. Have you nothing farther to fay in
your defence ?

Prifoner. I have been treated cruelly, tried without
judge or jury ; it's nothing but a fcheme to punilh
the innocent, and get clear of honeft people.

Court. It is our opinion that you are guilty, and
you are to be re-manded to the goal from whence you
came, and we recommend to you to prepare for that
death you deferve, and to which you are condemned
by the authority of your country.

The prifoner was then very abufive, calling the
court tyrants and murderers, but the guard hurried
him away.

July

■m

f: I

I I

> 'i

( 26 )

>/y 6 The congrcfs received an account from
Albany, that a body of Tories were detect ■' I-. ^ ....
. %" of finng the town, and blowing up tl • Z

and that feme of the principal perfons ,n ,„ nuurv
were concerned in it. U appears that they have a
correfpondence through the whole province and neigh-
bour.ng colon.es, and propofed to rife and make them-
felves mafters of the fortrefTbs. and dif.rn, their ene-
mies Many of them were feized in Albany, but they
would make no confeHion, and were thrown into goal
Scouts and parties were fent out in every countV to
watch and fecure the infurgents, about ninety have
been taken in Albany and its neighborhood, 'jtan-
pearecl that a body of hYty Tories rofc at Poug -
keepfey. a.ul attempted to di(lu-m our friends, but
after an obft.nate engagement, in which five of them

were k.lled, the reft were taken prifoners, and fent t
Ruigefield. The congrefs tak.ng thefe tlungs into
mature del.beration. refolved that fome ex^.mplcs
fl;ou d be made, and accordingly ordered that James
Clayford under condemnation, ft^ould be fpcedily
executed. t^^uuy

7«fy 7- The committee met, and ordered Da\ id
Mathews. late Mayor of the city to be brought before

Mr. Mathews being brought in, caft a look of con-
tempt on the court, and afferted to treat it with deri-
lion.

Present. We fit here by the authority of the peo-
ple to enquire into a moft horrid confpiracy, with

powers

( 27 )

powers to acquit or punifli, as evidence (hall appear.
You are charged, Sir, with being a principal advifer and
abettor of fchenies againft your country ; we have
evidence of your having attended an unlawful meet-
ing, aflbciated for the purpofe of overturning the pre-
fent conftitution, and introducing the old tyranny. It
appears that you have kept up a correfpondence with
men adjudged enemies to this country, and have diftri-
buted money in order to procure intelligence for
them. If you have anything to fay, we are ready to
hear it.

Prifoner. This is a new mode of trial to hurry a
man to prifon without letting him know his crime, to
fei/e his papers and put armed men into his houfe,
and then examine him in a private manner, without
a jury of his peers, or giving him any information of
his accufers, or allowing him to prepare for his de-
fence. I fcorn your mercy, and am ready to fufFer
for my King and country. — If I am to undergo the
formality of a trial, let it be in the accuftomed manner,
by a jury.

Mr. Mac Dougal. Sir, we are ready to do you all
the juilice you can afk ; but we exped not to be bullied
and cavaliered in this manner. We have told you
the authority by which we ad:, and if you chufe to ex-
amine any witneiTes, or make a defence we are ready
to hear it.

Prifoner. I am fenfible all defence will be vain with
men thirfting after blood. How many fathers have
you already torn from their families and thrown into

prifon,

II!

■f

( 28 )

prifon, only for difference of fentiment ? If my prin-
ciples are my crime, I never made a fecret of being a
friend to the King and conftitution. You know
yourfelves that the confpiracy you talk of is a mere
pretence to punifh. The people you have thrown into
pnfon were guilty of no other mifdeeds than meeting
in a focal manner, and expreffing their wifhes for the
reftorafon of the old conftitution ; they could not
hurt you, when you are furrounded with fo formidable
an army m your fervice : they never were mad enough
to attempt fo wild a project. All they have done is
to declare their opinions freely, during the opennefs
of focab.l.ty and wine. I am fenfible of no other
proceedings of the fociety, and am privy to no fcheme
of fo mad and improbable a nature. You muft
therefore ufe your pleafure, for I cannot in my con-
fcence admit of any authority in this body, to try and
confine, or punilh any fubjedl of England.

Court Call in the evidences; if Mr. Matthews
does chufe to afk them any queftions, the court will
hear them again and give him a full opportunity.

Peter Goff, were fworn-They depofed that they had
often feen the prifoner very adtive at the meeting of
theconlp.rators; that the papers given to the fociety
by Clayford, were put into his hands to be communi-
cated to the enemy. That he often diftributed money
among the members, and encouraged them in their
oppofitionto the congrefs : that thev heard him on
the 20th of May fay, that the day wa; not far diftant

when

( 29 )

when the bodies of the congrefs would be food for
crows, that he often called the congrefs tyrants, and
exhorted the members to union, patience, and fidelity.

Pri/cner. I would not be underftood to acknow-
lege the authority of this committee, but I muft not
even here, for I would no where elfe, fufFer an aft of
charity to be perverted. I attended thefe meetings, I
do not deny, out of affedlion to the conftitution, but
never had any notion fo abfurd as a confpiracy, to be
managed and conduced at a tavern, in the hearing of
waiters and promifcuous company : the money I diftri-
buted was only out of benevolence, and in pity for
the diftrefs of many of the members, who are honeft
men ruined by the times. I hope the congrefs will
not call this treafon. I hope they wilt not call it
treafon for us to meet and confult together for the
fupport of our families, this is all the treafon we have
meant, to auin. each other, to contribute and comfort

thofe friends to government who were in want .

(Here the court interrupted him.

Court. If you have nothing more worthy of our
attention to offer but fuch abufe and bare-faced falla-
cies, we muft order you back to the place from whence
you came. We are convinced of your guilt, and re-
commend you to make a confeffion and repent of
your crimes. Your confeffion may entitle you not
only to mercy, but if you difcover fincerify in your
reformation, a perfon of your ftation and influence,
may exped every favour from your country.

Prijoner. I can receive no favour on any fuch

difhonourable

! :|

(30)

diflionourable conditions. I avow my principles, and
(hall never fwerve from them-, but I would entreat
you to have fome pity (not on me) but on the num-
berlefs helplefs families that you expofe to ruin, by
carrying away their innocent fathers, huftiands, and
brothers. I only a(k you for myfelf to give me an
interview with General Washington, from him I may
expedl the treatment of a gentleman.

Court. You have been ufed with juftice and civility.
If you have nothing f t-ther to fay, let the guards
convey him into fafe cuftody, and give him every
thing convenient.

July 8th. The provincial congrefs having received
the report of the committee, came to a refolution that
David Matthews, late mayor of the city, having been
fully convidled, and proved guilty of treafonable
praaices, tending to the fubverfion of our prefent
happy government, deferves no longer to live, and is
therefore fentenced to fuffer death as a common male-
faftor, on the 25th day of Auguft next.

Auguft I. The congrefs in full meeting refolved to
poftpone the execution of the fentence pafied on David
Matthews, Efq.,>«^ die, and ordered him to be carried
into Connefticut, there to be kept imprifoned 'till
further orders.

The trial of the other prifoners was alfo deferred,
and ftrict commands given to deteft, and purfue fuch
as were ftill concealed, that they might be preferved
in fafe cuftody till ti.e times would render it conve-
nient to bring them to trial.

FINIS.

NOTES

NOTES.

Page 5. Loufy, dirty, vermin of New England.

1 ;

I HI'" antipathy prevailing between the Southern and Eaftern
troops, had been the caufe of a court-martial, of which
I was a member, upon the conduft of Lieutenant Stewart
of Smallwood's regiment, better known by his fubfequent title of Major
Jack "Stewart. He had been arrclled by General Silliman, on account of
fome alleged difrefpcft or difobedience to that officer. As the majority of
the court were Southern men, it was not at all wonderful that Stewart was
foon acqui'.ted with honor. In lb contemptible a light were the New-
England men regarded, that it was fcarcely held poffible to conceive a
cafe, which could be conilrucd into a reprchcnfibic difrefpcft of them.
Thinking fo highly as I now do of the gentlemen 01 tins country, the
recolledlion is painful, but the faft mull not be diflembled. Even the
celebrated General Putnam, riding with a hanger belted acrofs his brawney
fliouli!';rs, over a waiUcoat without fleeves (his summer collume), was
deemed much litter to head a band of ficklemen or ditchers, than mufket-
cers. He might be brave, and had ccrtanly an honeft manlinefs about
him ; but it was thought, and perhaps with realbn, that he was not what
the time required. We had a regular army to oppofc and this could only
be done by dil'cipline and regular foldierlhip." — Graydtn, 178-9, ed.
1846.

" However,

msm

( 34 )

> i

M !

"However, as they [Provincials] (efpeciallv the Connefticut foldiers.
whom feme pronounce the dirtieft people on the Continent) are not
particularly attentive to cleanlinefs, the owners of the houfes where they
■arc quartered, if they ever get podbflion of thcni. mull be years in dcar-
mg them, unlefs they get new floors, and new plallcr the walls." " The
particular jealoufics and prejudices of the continental troops from the
different ftates, led them frequently to throw out reflcdions tending to
irritate each other and injure the common caufe j fo that the commander-
m-chief interpofed his influence to fupprcfs it by general orders [Aug. i,
1776]." " A brigadier writes concerning the animofity in the Amcricaii
arn,y above noticed. ' It has already rifcn to fuch a height, that the
Pcnnlylvania and New-England troops would as foon fight each other as
the c.cmy. Oflicers of all ranks arc indifcriminately treated in a moft
contemptible manner, and whole colonies traduced and vilified as cheats,
knaves, cowards, poltroons, hypocrites, and every term of reproach, for
no other reafon. but becaufe they are fiiuated eaft of New-York. Every
honor is paid to the merit of good men from thcfcuth; the merit, if
fuch be poflible. from the north is uot acknowledged; but if too apparent
to be blalled with falfehood. is carefully buried in oblivion. The
cowardice or mi.Vhaviour of the (outh is carefully covered over, the
leart mifcondua in the gcnilemcn of the north is publiflicd with Lrgc
comments and aggravations.' "—G<ir</»;;, 11, 49, cd. N. Y. ,789, r/jef.

Page 6. Death of Montgomery.

GENERAL MONTGOMERY was born in the north of Jrcland
in 1737. and was in the Engliih army with Wolfe at Quebec.
In 1772. he quitted the army, fettled in America, and married a daughter
of R. R. Livingfton. On the opening of holUliiics with the mother
country, he cfpoufcd the cause of the colonics, and fell at Quebec
December 31. 1775,

" Every mark of diftinftion was fliown to the corpfe of General Mont-
gomery, who was interred in Quebec on the 2nd of Januaiy. 1 776. In
1818, his body was removed, in accordance with an ad of the New-
York Legiflaturc, and rc-intcrrcd at St. Paul's churchyard in New York
city.''— Z>/rtr)' Rtveluthn, 1, 186.

(35 )

" On the Death of General Montgomery.

BY BRYAN EDWARDS.

Montgomery falls ! let no fond bread repine

That Hampden's glorioui death, brave chief, was thine.

With his (hall Freedom confecrate thy name —

Shall date her rifing glories from thy fame —

Shall build her throne of empire on thy grave —

What nobler fate can patriot virtues crave ! '*

— New Foundling Hojpitalfir Wit, ed. 1786, vol. vi, p. 7.

Page 7. Carpenter'"! Hall.
^^y HERE the congreis was fitting in Philadelphia.

Page 7. Donald Campbell,

WAS Quarterinafter General to the army of the north, and with
Montgomery at (;)uebcc ; upon that general's death, he afllimed
command, and ordered a retreat, leaving behind him fifteen dead bodies
of the detachment, among whom was that of Montgomery himfelf. His
condiift was " anathematized in unmeafured terms," and all afcribed to
him the failure of an expedition well planned, and which certainly, by
one portion of the army, had been efficiently executed. — Lamb'i Me-

Page 20. General IFaJhington,

TO the following ftanza from " God Save the King I " by Stanf-
bury, and to be found in the " Loyai Verfes of Stanjbury and
Qdeli, Albany, i860. "That admirable fcholar, the editor, Mr. Win-
throp Sargent, has appended a note fo comprchcnfive, that it is given
almoll entire, herewith.

" Time

(36 )

* I

" Time was, in defence ol' his King and the Right,
We applauded brave Walhington forenioll in tight;
On the banl<s of Ohio he rtiouted luftily

God Cave the King !
Difappointed ambition his feet has milled;
Corrupted his heart and perverted his head :
Loyal no lunger, no more he cries faithfully

Glory and joy crown the King ! "

" To caft a flur on the charaiftcr of Wadiitigton would, to-day, be the
ni\, it" of ail American, of a very filly or a very diPioneft man. The
latitiuic of parly heats and pcrfonal rivalries permitted a lefs rellrained
conduft during his life-time. The Tories had iurely feme cxcufe for
fpeaking bitterly of the only man by whom the American armies could
have been l.d to \idory and independence; for tlic vanquifhed party has
in all times polTelT.-d at leall the privilege of murmuring againft its con-
queror. But it mull not be forgotten that long before and long after the
war, as well «■= througli its continuance, VVafliington was the objcft of
the envy and calumny of others than the adherents of the F.nglifli crown.
The earlieil public outrage ottered to his charader, appears in the official
Memoire, fent in 1756, by Louis X\'. to the other fovercigns of Europe,
in which, referring to Walhingtv n's Ohio expedition and the death of
Jiunonville, in 1 754, he says : " 1! p,iruit que I'lmpofliire rie coi'/te ricn a
M. Wtijbington ; ici i! I'cn fait honneur." It is amufing to find that
Beaumarchais in 1779, replying to (jibbon's rtatement and jullify'.ng the
aid given by F'rancc to .America, heads his lill of outrages cxercifed by
England with this charge of airallination ! He did not know that the
falfehood hit the chief uf the Ameiican?, inllead of the Rnglilli court.
Perhaps the original alTertion by a foe of this bold llander " may be for-
given, though it cannot be applauded : " but its repetition was untbriu-
nate on the lips of a friend. But the friends of America in the war were
not all friends of Walhingtin. His appearance in unit'orm in the con-
grcfs of 17/5, and the military experience he had acquired, undoubtedly
familiarized the minus of I'ome members wiih the idea of his nomination
to be connnander of the army ; but the confent of many ot the delegates
to this appointment was only extorted by the ncceflities of the cafe, and
was a Iburce "of real regret in nearly one-half of the gentlemen who

made

( Zl )

made It. A number of the nienibers were for Mr. Hancock ; more were
for Charles Lee ; many for Waniington ; but the greatcft number were
for Artemas Ward. There is room, however, for the inference that
there was no defire on the part of a majority to maintain at the conti-
nental expcnfc a New-England army, with New England officers, to fight
New England battles on New-England foil. There was a fouthern party
againrt a northern ; " and fo many of our ftaunchcll men," says Adams,
" were in the plan, that wc could carry nothing without conceding to it.
Another cmbarraflment, which was never publicly known, and which
was carefully concealed by thofe who l-.iew it, the MaiTachufctts and
other New-England delegates were divided. Mr. Hancock and Mr.
Cuniing hung back ; Mr. Paine did not come forward, and even Mr.
Samuel Adams was irrcfokite. Mr. Hancock, himfclf, had an ambition
to be appointed commander-in-chief. • • • • when 1 came to
defcribe Wadiington for the commander, I never marked a more ftriking
and hidden change of countenance. Mortification and refentmcnt were
cxprelTed as forcibly as his (Hancock's) face could exhibit them." Mr.
C. F. Adams adds, that neither Hancock nor Ward was ever afterwards
cordial towards Walhington. Nor were the Virginia delegates unanimous
in his favor: "particularly Mr. Pendleton was very clear and full
againll it." When the quellion was debated, there was a warm oppofi-
tion to Wafliington ; on public, however, and not on any perfonal grounds.
Pendleton, Sherman, Culliing, and feveral others joined in it, fearing
" dilcontcnts in the army and in New-England." This army, it mull be
recolkacd, co.ifilted at that time almoll entirely of the men railed by
and in New England, and gathered before Bollon. *****
" Long after the peace, [ohn Jay faid that in the congrefs of the
Revolution there was always, from firft to lall, a moll bitter party againft
Walhington. What were the various motives of its members, it is im-
pollible to fay, lintc their names even cannot, with fullnels and accuracy,
be now afcertained. It is but fair, however, to give the b-jnefit of a
doubt, and to fuppole that it was an apprehenfion of the cfted « liich fo
much power and popularity might have on his ambition. The future was
as yet unfeen ; and many men knew not what would be the conlequences
of the attainment of independence. " The fubjug.ition of my country,"
faid Edward Biddlc, whole declining health had compelled him to forego

the

( 38 )

I ;

the influence his talents would have given him as delegate in congrcfs
from Pennfylvania, " I deprecate as a moft grievous calamity ; and yet
ficken at the idea of thirteen, unconneacd, petty democracies ; if we
are to be independent, let us, in the name of GoJ, at once have an em-
pire, and place lFaJhi„gton at the head of it." But this idea was not
pleafmg to our people, whofe experience of the benefit of monarchy was
not great, and very few of whom had ever been diftinguifhed by any
royal favor ; or, as an Englifli verfificr fang :

Poor loft America, high honours milfing,

Knows nought of fmilc and nod, and Iwcet hand-klfling :

Knows nought of golden promilcs of kings ;

In folitude the lovely rebel fighs !
But vainly drops the penitential tear —

Deaf as the adder to the woman's cries.
We furtcr not her wail to wound our ear : ^

For food, we bid her hopelefs children prowl.
And with the favage of the defcrt howl.

But fuch " fears of the brave and follies of the wile" are incident to
human nature; and the jcaloufy of Walhi.igton may have in fome cales
been connected with honelt though blind judgments. It was a public
bleffing. thought Adams, that the glorious defence of the Delaware forts,
in 1777, was "not immediately due to the commander-in-chiet, nor to
fouthe'rn troops. If it had Ix'cn. idolatry and adulation would have been
unbounded; fo exceflive as to endanger our liberties, for what I know.
Now, we can allow a certain citizen to be wife, virtuous and good with-
out thinking him a deity or a faviour." It was in the fame year that the
writer took fire in congrels at the Icntimcnts entertained tor the general
by certain members: " I am dillrcfll-d to find fome of our members
dilpolld to idolize an image which their own hands have molten, I
fpeak of the fupcrftitious veneration which is paid to General Wafiiington.
1 honour him for his good qualities, but in this houfe, I feel mylelt his
fupcrior. In private lite, I Ihall always acknowledge him to be mine.
The A;^r;/againll Walhington was never more violent than at this time,
and probably debate ran higl and warm language was ufed on either
fide ; and his enemies, if we may rely on the following anecdote, were
more powerful in the council chamber than in the camp. In a Lijt of

Lord

( 39 )

Lord Stirling, ihc father-in-law of William Ducr, written by Mr Duer's
fon (ami the rclatioiidiip is of fomc importance to the authenticity of the
anecdote), occurs this fingular palTage : " It is related by Mr. Dunlap
in his hillory of New York, upon the authority, it is prefumcd, of the
late General Morgan Lewis, that a day had been appointed by the Calai
in Congrcfs for one of them to move for a Committee to proceed to the
camp at Valley Forge, to arrcll General Wafliington ; and that the
motion would have fuccceded had ihcy not unexpcac 'ly loll the majority
which they poircflcd wh^.-n the meafure was determined on. At that
time, there were but two delegates in attendance frou- New-York, Francis
Lewis, the father of the late General Morgan Lewis, and William Ducr,
the fon-in-law of Lord Stirling — barely suffiricnt to entitle the state to a
vote, if both were prefent. Hut Mr. Ducr was confined to his bed by a
fevcre and dangerous illncfs. His colleague, Mr. Lewis, had font an ex-
prefs for Mr. Gouverncur Morris, one of the abfent members, who
however, had not arrived on the morning of the day on which the mo-
tion was to have been made. Finding this to be the cafe, Mr. D. inquired
of his phyfician. Dr. John Jones, whether it was poifible for him to be
carried to the Court-Houfe where Congrcfs (at. The doftor told him it
was poffible, but it would be at the ri(k of his life. ' Do you mean,'
laid Mr. D., ' tl;at 1 (hould expire before reaching the place.'' 'No,'
replied the dodor, ' but I would not anfwcr for your leaving it alive '
' Very well, fir," laid Mr. D., 'you have done your duty, and I will do
mine. Prepare a litter for me ; if you will not, fomebody elfe will —
but I prefer your aid.' The litter was prepared, and the fick man
placed in it, when the arrival of Mr. Morris rendered the further ufc 7
it unneccflliry, and br.ffled the intrigue that had induced its preparation."
The dale ol this anecdote was fucl\ as to render it extremely improbable
that the American army, if it fubmitted to Walhington's depofal, would
ha\ e llruck another blow under another leader for Congrcfs. " f remem-
ber well, fays a public writer in 17H0, " that fuch was the fituaiion of
the army, while they lay at Valley Forge in the winter of the year 1778,
dcltitute of cloathing, many times in want of provifions, and greatly dif-
couragcd, that a member of Congrcfs, who had been on a committee to
the camp to new model the troops, with the advice of General Wadiington,
" declared

III 'f

( +0 )

11-

declared to me, that ' fuch had been the Rate of things, that nothing but
the great virtues of that man had kept the army together.' "

" Much concerning this Crti{<j/, and its worliings in the Congrefsof 1778,
exifts in Gordon : whence it would fccm that delegates from Maffachufetts
and Virginia were deep in the affair. Samuel Adams, he fays, was con-
cerned in it, and adds : " The army was fo confident of it, and fo
enraged, that perlons were Rationed to watch him, as he approached the
camp, on his return home. But he is commonly poflcired of good 'nlel-
ligence, and was careful to keep at a fafc diftance. Had he fallen into
the hands of the officers, when in that paroxifm of refentment, they
would probably have handled him fo as to have endangered his life, and
tarnifhed their own honour."

There is a curious article in the Vennjylvania Evening Pojf July 24th,
1779, which may refer to this anti-VVa(hington Party in Congrefs : "a
junto who have endeavored to fubjefl all things to ihemfelves, all power,
cixil, military and marine: Who have endeavored to remove every
perfon that would not mingle in their fadious views ; and to place none
in office but their friends, relatives and dependents ; againll whofe male-
volence the unfullicd fame of the great American patriot was but a (lender
barrier ; whofe viftim was a W ********* — and whofe idol
was a L * *," The fame journal (July 9th, 1 779) mentions the exill-
cnce in Congrefs of a fort of Club of certain New-England, New-Jerfey,
and Pennfvlvania delegates, with two or three from the Southward ; the
foundation of which had been laid in the firll Congrefs, when there was
caufe to fear that New- York and one or two other middle colonies were
averfe to extreme meafures. .Among the Wafliington party in Congrefs, I
(liould put fuch names as thofe of Robert Lewis, and Gouverncur Mor-
ris ; Jay ; Paca ; Burke ; Drayton ; Duane ; Ducr ; Francis Lewis. The
quellion is not fo clear in regard to Samuel Adams ; Mifflin ; Witherfpoon ;
Rufli ; Jelferfon ; the Lees, &c. ; though any conc'ufion to be arrived at
muft in fome meafure be conjcdural. In 1789, Samuel Adams in a
manner denied to a friend the truth of Dr. Gordon's Ifatement of his
having been concerned in a plot to remove Wafliington. And in 1796,
when John Adams was a fuccefsful candidate for the Prefidency of the
United States, he makes an obfervation that would imply a well-ellablifhed

community

(+< )

community of aflion between Samuel Adams and Thomas McKean :
"The feelings of friendrtiip excite a curiofity to know how McKean will
vote. By that I Ihall guefs how Govci nor Adams would have void ! "
On April 4th, 1778, Patrick Henry wrote to Richard Henry Lee that he
(Lcc) was traduced in Virginia by perfons who alleged that he was en-
gaged in a fchenie to difcard Wafhington : and in 1780, Dr. William
Shippcn, jun., wrote thus to him of General Greene: "He is a little
fufpicious that you are not perfeftly fatisficd with his condud, bccaufe you
were faid to be inimical to our commander, and, of confequcnce, to him,
who was fuppofed to be one of his flatterers — this falfc idea I have re-
probated to General Greene, and alTured him he w )uld find you his
friend and ufctul confidant." And it is faid, alfo, that the occafion of
Lee's lofing his popularity at home, and his feat in Congrefs in 1777, was
chiefly bccaufe he had compelled his tenants to pay their rents. His
bio;rap!icr and namcfake, in feveral places, flouts the charge made by
Judge Johnfon, in the Life of Greene, that Richard Henry Lee was
Wafliington's enemy. But if Samuel Adams was, fo was, probably, Lcc.
It is at all events a gratifying thing to remark that no one, in later days,
had the moral courage to confefs that he was concerned in the bufinefs ;
indeed its very natnc of Comvay's Cabal fliows that its members were
afraid or afliamed to avow their complicity ; for Conway was but a tool
of the hour, w horn it was eafy enough for a fcllow-foldier to filcnce, and
whofe name was affixed to a fchcme (that he doubtlcfs approved of, but
which was concoilcd by longer heads than his own) merely to avert the
attention of the world from its real authors. In the army, indeed, the
love and veneration for Wafliinglon was boundlefs, and almoft univerfa! ;
and, here, truly, lay the Ihmibling-block of his enemies. It was only in
the immediate circle of fome of the foreign-born oflicers, as Conway, Lee,
and Gates, that an oppofite opinion was heard. Lee's fentiments in re-
gard to " VVafliington and his puppies" are fuftieiently well known.
" Entre mus," he says to Gates in December, 1776, " a certain great
man is damnably deficient." "As to his talents for the command of an
army," faid Gates to Graydon, 'with a French flirug,' " they were
mifcrablc indeed.'' The tellimony of the civilian, who was forced to
remove from a comfortablo houfc in one place to a comfortable houfe in

another.

( +2 )

another, bccaufe Walhington. wi,h vaftlv inferior forces could not drive
Howe out of Philadelphia, would be amudng bu, for the circumftance
that,h,m/clt m a pofi.ion to obtain a comfortable dinner- " a good
»oaft turkey, plain pudding, and minced pics,- - he could fo grievoufly
have mifconceived the condition of the Army in his vicinity. As Mr
W.lham B. Reed ju.l-y obferves: « The fufferings of the American,
durmg thejr wmte.- cantonnent a. the Valley Forge have been often dc-
fcribea. They have never been exaggerated." Yet, in the end of De-
cember. ,777, at-.r noticing Howe's movements, a Pennfylvania Wing
remarlcs : " All this is done in the view of our Generals and our Army
who are carelefs of us. but carefully confuUing where .hey fhall go to'
J^cnd the winter in jollity, gaming, and caroufing. O tell not this in
France or Spain ! Fubill]- it not in the «reets of London. Liverpool or
Br,ftol, lelt the unr.ircun.cifed there n.ould rejoice, and (l.outing for joy
(ay : " America is ours, for the rebels are difn,uyed and afraid .0 fight
us any longer! O Americans, where is now your virtue? O Walhing-
ton. where is your courage?" In this note.no citation is made of
lory or Bnt.ni accufations againft Wartiington. One of thefe was
however. ,>ainft his chaftity ; and Ibme of the charges went fo far
as to ,dent,ly the woman and to trace the offspring. This is only
recurred to here, becaufe of a like infmuation being made apparently
by Charles Lee. .0 General Reed, in ,778; but with great propriety the
latter repelled as unworthy of credence the Handers that charged the
commander-in-chief with "great cruelty to his flaves in Virginia, and
immorahty ot life, though they acknowledge it is fo very fecre. that it is
difficult todeteft it."

In the clolL- of ,779, General Sullivan warned Wafliington that the
CMoi .777againll him ftill exitted, and waited only for furticient
ftrength .0 attack Imn openly. He therefore advifes him to keep on his
guard. "Appearances may deceive even an Angel. Could you have
beheved. four years ago. that thole adulators, thofe perlons fo tenderly
and 10 fnendly ufed. as were Gates. Miffiin, Reed and Tudor, would
become your fecret and bitter, though unprovoked enemies. If we view
them now. we cannot help lamenting the want of finceri.y in mankind."

But everythmg laid or done during the War, bv Whig or Tory, falls far
Ihort of the dreadful charges brought againll Walhington by his political

opponents

t' M i r ipiw i w w wt

(+3 )

opponent, and fellow-citizens in .79;. ,796. and .797. Compared
wth .he language of Valerius, Pi,t,chus. A Cn/m objerver. Sec. former
fcurnhty almoft became praife. Every variety of evil, from avarice and
fraud to tyranny and murder, was imputed to hi* hands, with a power of
conception and expreffion that leaves us no room to wonder that
he thoM have dildained to run the gauntlet of a third prefiden.ial
term: that "he prudently retreated." ,0 quote the remark of hi,
fuccclTor. " Will not the world be led to conclude." fays one. " that
the ma(k of political hypocrify has been alike worn by a Ca^far. a Crom-
well, and a Waftington ! " " Had the meridian blaze of the prefidenf,
popularity continued much longer." writes another. " the lamp of ^kmeri-
can hbcrty would have been extinguifhed forever. Happilv for humanity
a change has taken place before it was ,00 late, and ihe confecrated
ern,me of prefidcntial chartity feems too foul for time itfclf to bleach "
li. the Fh/Mfi>ia Aurora, a paper edited with deteftable ability, will
be found fcorcsof piecesof a like nature. What can be more lamentable
than fuch hues as thefe, publilhed at the very epoch (March 4,h. ,797)
of Walhmgtons withdrawal to private lifc.^ -Lord, letteft now 1
fervant depart in peace, for mine eyes have feen thy falvation,"' was the
ptous ejaculation of a man who beheld a flood of happinefs rulhing in
upon mankind. If e-er there was a time that would licenfc the reiteration
of the exclamation, that time is now arrived : for the man who is the
fource o all the n.isfortuncs of our country, is this day reduced to a
level w„h his fellow-citizens, and is no longer pofTefTed of a power .0
mult,ply ev.l upon the United States. If ever there was a period for
rcjccmg, this is the moment. Every heart in unifon with the freedom
and happ.nefs of the people, ought to beat h,gh with exultation that the
name of Wafliington from this day ceafes to give a currency ,0 poli.ical
-n.qu.ty, und to legalize corruption -a new a-ra is now opening upon us
an .vra wh,ch promifes much .0 the people; for public meafures mull
now Hand upon their own merits, and nefarious projefts can no longer
be lupported by a name. When a retrofpeft is taken of the WaOnng-
ton.an administration for eight years, it is a fubjert of the greatell alfonilh-
n.cnt, that a fingle individual fhould have cankered the principles of re-
pubhcan.lm in an enlightened people, jurt en.erged from the gulf of
dclpotihn. and fl.ould have carried his dedgns ugainll public liberty (o

far.

(+4 )

far, as lo have put in jeopardy its very exillcnce ; fuch, however, are tl>c
faas, and with thcfe liaring us in the face, this day ought to be , juiiUe
m .he United States." I„ .M^, John Adams, writing to Jeft'erfon, re-
fers to " the terrorifm excited by Genet, in ,793. when 10.000 people
in the llreets of Philadelphia, day after day. threatened to drag Wafliing-
ton out ot hB houfe. and efFert a revolution in the government, or com-
pel .1 to declare war in favor of the French revolution and againll Eng-
land. The cooleft and the firmell minds, even among the Quakers in
Philadelphia, have given their opinions to me. that nothing but' the yellow
fever, which removed Dr. Hutchinlon and Jonathan Dickinfon Sergeant
from tins world, could have faved the United Slates from a fatal revolu-
tion ol government." liut .Adams's morbid jealouly of every one whofe
fame outrtione or even (in his own opinion) rivalled his own, cankers
very many ot his judgments on Wadiington. While Prcf.dent himll-lf he
complained that he was annoyed by " puppets, danced upon the wires
of two jugglers behind the feenes ; and thefc jugglers were Hamilton and
Waflungton." In another and (as believed) m,publilhcd manufcript
he fays (..Aug. 23rd, ,806): "The Federalilh, as thev are called by
themfelves and their enemies, have done thcmf.lvcs and their coumry in-
calculable injury by making VVafl,ing,„n their political, religious, and even
moralpope, and alcribing everything to him. Hancock. Samuel Adams,
. and feveral others have been much more eflcntial characters
to America than Wafhington. Another charader, almoll forgotten, of
more importance than any of them all, was James Otis. It is to offend
againll eternal julliee to give to one. as this people do, the merits of fo
many. It is an effedual extinguiflier of all patriolifm and all public ; trtue
and throws the nation entirely into the h-nds of intrigue. You lament
the growth of Corruption very juftly ; but there is none more poifonous
than the eternal putfing and tru,i,peting of WaOiington and Franklin, and
th.- mecffanr abufe of the real Farhers of the country.

Defpite all that has been faid, too, of Mr. Jefferfon's relation, with
Wannngt.n. it is ditReult to hold that thefe really could have been of a
perlertly fincere and friendly nature. It was believed in Wafl.ington's
fimily that, (hort'y before his death, he opened his mind very plainly to
Mr. Jerterjon. in two or three letters. .\ gentleman, who was Walhing-

Ion's

tmi

( +5 ;

ton's confidential clerk at the time, gives us Come idea of their nature ; for
neither letters nor copies long continued in existence after their writer
was dead. " The firft was," he faid " rather a letter of inquiry j tlie
fecond one was fo fevere, anf* excited his feelings fo much, that the hair
appeared to rife on his he.ia as he recorded it, and he felt that it mull
produce a duel — that the third was of a milder tone, but not a very
gratifying one."

It is not, at ihi-. day, too much to fay, th.tt the common fufFrage of all
that is wife and good in human nature, authorizes us to quellion that man's
foundncfs of judgment or reilitudc of purpofe who impugns the charader
of Geerre Wnjhington."

Page 23. D.wid Matthewi.

HE was appointed Mayor of the city of New York in February,
1776; "and by permiflionof the Provincial Congrcfs was qualified
by Governor Tryon on board the lliip Duchep of Gordon, at anchor in
the harbor. In July of the fame year he was in jail at Litchfield, Con-
nefticut, charged with " trcafonalilc pradices againft the States of Ameri-
ca ; " but, at his own rcqucll, was removed to Hartford, where he lid
friends, and could fee his wife. In 1782, he was Rcgifter of the Court
of Admiralty. He had a houfe in New Vork and another in Flatbulli,
and kept up an ellablifliment at both. His cllatc was confifcatcd. After
the war he was prefidcnt of the Council and Commander-in-Chief of the
Ifland of Cape Breton." — Stihine's Loyaiijh, n, 51-2, ed. 1764.

" I well recollcrt breakfalling with my mother at the houfe of Mr.
Matthews, the Mayor, and that his daughter, who entertained us, wasfo
much to my lalle, that for the moment I quite forgot the politics of her
father, and might even have fwerved, perhaps, from my loyalty to an
allegiance a thoufand times fworn elfcwhere." — Graydons Memoirs, p.
272, ed. 1S46.

( 46 )

He appears lo have been a man of fociable qualities; one of his own
party fpeaks of him as " that merry heart, David Matthews."— V. Moore's
Diary of the Revolution, i, 190.

At page 237 of Moore's Songs ,md Balladi of the American Revolution,
is a fong from Rivington's Gazette, which it is fuggcfted. may have been
written by Matthew*,

APPENDIX.

Extract of a L£tter from a Gintleman in New York to hb
Friend in Hartforo, daied June 27, 1776.

YOU have no doubt heard of a moll horrid confpiraey lately
dilcovered in this place I have had no opportunity to examine
the evidences in iiipport of the fad; but from the weight of the
perfons who have appeared to profecute the inquiry, and the circuinlhin-
ces that have been mentioned, I ha\c no doubt of the truth of the general
charge. The fublhince of it, I take to be this, that Govcrnour Tryon in
this, and other fimilar emilTaries in all the other Governments, have been
for a long time ufiiig all the influence that the command of the Minillry
and Treahiry in En^^/,ind could give them, to bribe and cajole our princi-
pal people in all \\v: Colonics to wtX in concert with their plans; that by
degrees they have brought numbers fully to co-operate with them; and,
alter being led on too far to recede, Hick at nothing, however villaiiousand
horrible, to accomplilh their defigns ; that the principal eniilTaries have, by
purfuing the fame methods that were fiiccefsfully pradiced upon them-
(el\cs, drawn in thole beneath them, lb as to take in all degrees, from the
prince to tjie fcavenger ; that a dillribution of nioitey and arms has been
fecrctly nude from the greater to the L'ali branches ; that there were
fchcmcs to dilHnguilli who were in the plot, without I'pcaking; that when
all was ready lor execution, the moll vigorous efforts were to be made in
ditlerent parts at once to land the trrxips and pulh their operations ; at
the lame time all our moll intporiaiit ,M>lh were to be leized by the con-
fpirators on lliorc ; among ourlehcs all our important men were to be

fcizcd

{ 50 )

feized or murdered, together with all that were friellr^ly attached to the
caufc of American rights and liberty, and might be likely to obftrma their
views or give them trouble. General WalhiHgton was aiiinng the firft
that were to be facrificcd, and the reft in fucceflion, according to their
importance. A number' of the General's Guard have already been
taken up, were bribed to murder him, and have for fome time received
double pay for that purpofe, one of whom was ycfterday condemned to
to be hanged.— Force's Amiritan Archives, 4th feries, vol. vi, page
IIOI.

Proceeding! in New York in relation to Disaffected Persons.

Die Sabbaii, 12 ho., June 15, 1776.

In Committee for the hearing and trying difafferted perfons and ihofe
of equivocal charaders, met in the Afll-nibly-Chambcr : I'rcfent, Philip
Livinglion, Jojepb Hallelt, John J„y, Thomas Tredtvel/, Gouverneur
Morris, Lewis Graham, and Leonard GanJ'evoort, Efquires, menibcis.

The Members prefent unanimoudy chofc Philip Living/ion, Esq.,
Chairman, which he refufed to accept.

The draft of a Summons was read, and approved of.

Ordered. That one hundred copies be printed.

Lift of fufpeded perfons named in the Rcfolutions of the Provincial
Congrefs, of June 5, 1776:

Wm. Newton,
Linus King,
John Baltres Da(h,
Henry Law,
Thco. Hardenbrook,
Samuel Burling,
John Woods,
Benjamin Williams,
Chriftophcr Benfon,

New York.

Ftr/l Lift.

William Bayard,
Frederick Rhinelander,
James Coggcdiall,
John Milliner,
Benjamin James,
Thcopilai) Bache,
Peter McLean,
Samuel Galsworthy,
Francis De La Roach.

(SI )

Oliver De Lancey,
C. Ward Apthorpc,
William Smith,
John Harris Crugcr,
James Jaunccy, Jun.,
William Axtell,
Goldbrow Banyar,
George Brewcrton,
Charles Nicoll,
Gerard Walton,
Dr. Donald McLean,

StetHii Lift.

Benjamin Huggett,
William McAdam,
John Crugcr,
Jacob Walton,
Robert Bayard,
Peter Graham,
Peter Van Schaack,
And. Elliott, Colleftor,
David Matthews, Mayor,
J. Watts, Jr., Recorder,
Judge Thomas Jones.

Charles McEvers,

On hoard Jhifi-tf-war Duuhe/s of Gordon, fje.

William Tryon,
John Wctherhead,
Captain Hcrvey,

Theophilaft Bache,

Augullus Van Cortlandt,

Ifaac Decker,
Abraham Harris,

Benjamin Seaman,

R'd Hulet, Rockaway
Thomas Cornel, do.

John T. Kempe,
George Berks,

King's Countv.
Firft Lift.

Benjamin James.

Second Lifl.

John Rapalye.

Richmond County.

Firft Lift,

Ephraim Taylor,
Minne Burger.

Stcond Lift.

Chriftopher Billop.

Queens County.
Firft Lift.

Stephen Hulet,
Dr. Charles Ardcr.,

J- Beagle, Rockaway.
John KcndaJ, at Danid.
Thorn's, Flufl,i„g^

Mn Moore, Sen., Newtown,
O. Beatty. Hcnipftead.

( 52 )

John Bodin,

Chafe, Jamaica.

Jno. Hulct, Oyller Bay.

""'"' Benton, of Ne'ar Rocb-
way.

Second Lift.

John Willct.
J^avid Brooks,
Charles Hicks,
John Townfend,
lo'in Polhenius,
Benjamin Whitehead,
Thomas Smith,
John Shoals,
Nathaniel Moore,
San)uel Hallet,
William Weyman,

Captain Thon,as Hicks, Rockawav.
B- Leiler, Hempllead.

Westchester County.
Pi'-fi Lift.

James Horton, J„n.,
William Suiton,
William Barker,
Jofluia Purdy,
Abfalom Giiiney.

St con J Lij}_

RiW,ardMorris,J.,dgeof..idn,iraltv
^"<=Co^-Roomintl.eCityHalloftheCi.yof|
Mr. Morris offered to ,h V '''' ""' '''^ "'■•'""'^- '776. |

''"'-'■—---="-,:-■-— ^^

I'rovincial

Gabriel Ludlow,
Br. Samuel Martin,
Thomas Jones,
Archibald Hamilton,
David Colden.
Richard Colden,
George D. Ludlow,
Whitehead Hicks,
Samuel Clowes,
George Folliot,
Sanuel Doughty,
Baniel KilTam,
Gilbert \'an Wyck,

Frederick Philipfe,

Caleb .Morgan,

Nathaniel UnJerhill.
Samuel Merritt,
''c'cr Come,
Br. Peter Huggeford,

Solomon Fowler,

( 53 )

Provincial Congrcfs of" the 5th of Juxe inftant; which, being read and
confidered, was agreed to, and i» in the words following, viz :

In purfuance of certain Rcfolutions of the Congrefs of the Colony of
New-rork oftlie 5th day of June inftant, we do authorize and require
you forthwith to arreft and bring before us, at the City-Hall of the City

of Netv-nrk, , „ hofe conduft hath been

rcprefcMtcd to the faid Congrefs as inimical to the caufc and rights of
America, and who, if fummoncd, would probably, in the opinion of the
faid Congrefs, not appear, but fecrete himfclf; to the end that we, being
the Committee of the faid Congrefs, fo- that purpofe, by the rcfolutions
aforcfaid, duly appointed and authorized, may inquire and determine in
the prcmilcs. And bring with you then there this warrant.

Given at Nezc-Tork, iho day o( June, 1776.

Form if Summom fir JuJpeHed Perfons.
SIR : By virtue of the authority veftcd in us by certain rcfolutions of
the Congrefs of the Colony o( Neai-Tirk of the 5th day oiJune,mi\\Q
year of our Lord feventccn hundred and fevcnly-fix, reciting that whereas
there arc in this Colony divers pcrfons who, by reafon of their holding
offices from the King of Gm;/ Britain — from their having neglcftcd or
rcfufcd to aflociate with their f'cllow-ciiizens for the defence of their
common rights — from their having never manifellcd, by their conduft,
a zeal for, and attachment to the American caule — or from their having
maintained an equivocal neutrality, have Ix-en confidered by their country-
men in a fufpicious light — whereby it hath become neceffary, as well
for the fafcty as for the falisfartion of the people, (who, in times fo
dangerous and critical, are naturally led to confider thofe as their enemies
who withhold from them their aid and influence,) that certain perfons in
the faid rcfolutions named, (of whom you are one,) who are generally
fuppofed to come under the above defcription, IhouKi be fummoncd by a
certain Committee, to lliow caufe, if any they have, why they fliould be
confidered as friends to the American caufe, and as of the number of
thofe who arc ready to rifle their lives and fortunes in defence of the
rights and liberties of America againlf the ufurpation, unjuil claims, and
cruel opprellions of the Britijh Parliament ; which rights and liberties,
and which unjuil claims and cruel opprcffions, are fpecificd and iiaic.i in

'livers

( 5+ )

d.vcrj AddrefTes. Petitions, and Rem on Frances of the prefent and late
ContmentalCongrcfl-es; and dire«ing certain proceeding, in the faid
refolunons fpecified ,o be by the faid Committee had againft fuch of the
faid perfons „ the faid Committee fhall rot adjudge and determine to be
friends to the Americun caufc :

We do. therefore, in purfuancc of the faid Refoluiions. fummon you

to appear before us at on the .... day of. .

" °"''°^^ '" "^"^ "°on of 'he faid day. to (how caufe'(if

any you have) why you (hould be confidered as a friend to the Jmnican
caufe. and of the number of thofe who are readv to ri/k their lives and
fortunes m defence of the rights and liberties of America, againft ,he
ulurpatmn.unjuft claims, and cruel oppreflions of the britijh Parliament-
which nghts and liberties, ,nd which unjuft claims and cruel oppreflions'
are. as aforefaid. fpecified .■<,; ftated in divers Addrefc, Petitions and
Refolutions of the prefent and late Continental Congreflbs.

Dated the .... day of | 776.

To the Hon. John Harris Cruger.

The Committee adjourned till to morrow morning, at ten o'clock, to
meet at the fame place.

The Court-room in the City-Hall of the City of >

New-Vork, the 20th day of June, 1 776. (

Certain Members of the Committee being obliged ,0 attend to other

bufmefs impofed on them by the Houfe. the Committee did not meet

but feveral of the Members agreed to meet to-morrow morning, at ten

o clock in the forenoon, at the fame place.

The Court.Room in the City-Hall of the City of i
New- York, the 21ft day of June, 1776 \
The Committee met purfuant to the agreement of yefterday.
Prefent-7.i» Jay, Efq., Chairman, Mr. Livingjhn, Mr. Hobart,
Mr. Ganfevoot:, Mr. Morrii, Colonel Graham.

The Secretary reported that, purfuan. 10 the order of this Committee
of the 19th inftant. he had on that day duly fworn Sampjon Dyckman,

the

.^M

( 55 )

.heMcn-cngerof this Committee, faithfully ,o execute the duties and
office of McfTcnger lo this Committee.

The Secretary further reported that, purfuant lo another order of this
Comm.ttee of the fame day, he, forthwith delivered the fummonfes made
otit th,s a.y, to the mefl-enger. to he ferved ; and that he delivered the other
fummonfes to the MelTenger yellerday morning, when the faid MefTenger
■ nformed him that fTm.r, McM,m, to whom one of the firft mentioned
fummonfes was dircded, was abfent from home, and as the MefTenger
^vas mformed by Mrs. McJdam, gone to a diftant part of Neu,.7,rjey
from whence it was uncertain when he would return ; and that he de-
livered the faid fummons to Mrs. McAdams.

That the MefTcnger further informed him that he had delivered the
fummons dircdled to Oliver De Lancey, Efq., to his wife. Mr. D. L.
being, as fl,e informed him. gone from home; and that he had delivered
the ,t,mn,ons direrted to Mr. Jptborp and Mr. R^ierl Bayard to them-
(elves, refpeftivcly.

That he had not ferved the fummons dircfted to George Brewerlon
he being (with his fan.ily) out of town.

Ordered, That the Secretarv make out a number of blank Warrant,
in tl,e lorm direfted by this Committee on the .p.h day o^ June irnhnt!

Ordered, That Mr. H,Mard ..A Colonel Graha,n prepare the draft
ot a Warrant proper to be ilTued againll fuch perfons of equivocal cha-
raftcras may negleft or refufe to appear on fummons , and alfo of a
fummons proper to be ilTued to perfons fuppofed to be inimical and
dangerous to the caufc of America.

The Committee adjourned to ten o'clock to-morrow morning, to nieet
at the uiiie place.

Examination of William Leary.
William Leary f.ys that he came hither lalt Monday, about ten o'clock
m purluit of W,llu,m Benjamin, a workman of Mr. Erjhine, who had
nm away from Bigzvood Ironworks. He found the faid Benjamin at the
iHM, e of one Forbes, at the fign of Robin Hood .After taking him.
torbes ran and got a pillol for Benjamin to defend himfclf. and exa,-iinant
took hold ot Benjamin and prevented him from ufing the faid pilbl.
fcxa.miant carried the faid Benjamin to Paulus Hook Ferry, who was
•' there

( 56 )

there rcfcucd by Sergeant Cornet, of Captain Roifevct's company, and
by the faid captain cnlillcd. Examinant then met J.ima Mojon, one of
the workmen of Mr. Erjkine, wlio had fomc lime ago been difchargcd.
Juma Mafon afkcd exaniinant if he did not want to ice James kamjaj,
Cbrijhpher Wiley, and lUorge Cmmell. Examinant faid yes. James
MaJQii faid examinant migh: fee llieni if he would take an oaih that he
did not come to take them up; which examinant rcfufed, laying he would,
ncverthelefs, be glad tu fee them. M,iJon aflced exaniinant if he had run
away; who anfwcred in the affirmalive. Majon then a(kcd what examin-
ant would do with himfelf, and whether he would do as he and the reft
of them had d^ne. Exa.ninant afked what tliat nas. MaJon faid he
muft [.- and be qualified, and then he would tell him. Examinant
agreed to be qualified ; but afked on what foundation? Mafon told him
he was to fwear before a gentleman in this town to go on board of the
man-of-war; that he (A/riyi«) and his companions had fo fworn, and
were to receive wages and provifions until they fliould be able to get
there. Examinant afked who the gentleman was that f«ore them.
Mafon replied it was a gentleman employed by the Mayor or Governour
of the town ; but the examinant thinks it was the Miiyor who fwore
them and found provifions for them until they had an npporiunitv lo get
on board the man-of-war. Mafon then conduced exaniinant to the
houfe where George Gammel, James Rnmfiy, and Chriflcpher Wyley
li\ed. This houfe is a Seotehman's, juft below the Jetis' Synagogue, a
private houfe ; decs not know the man's name. When examinant came
in, George Gammel afked him if he was in purfuit of them ; who anfwcred
in the negative. George Gammel then faid, Did you come away in the
fame manner as we did .' Exaniinant faid yes. Gammel then faid, we
will have a drink together. 6Votw,/ faid he would divulge his mind to
examinant if examinant would be true to him. Examinant anfwcred, " I
will be as true to you as you are to me.'' Gammel xhcn took examinant
afide, and afked when he would go on board of the man- ' \>ar. Ex-
aminant laid he did not know, but would take the firll good oppoitunity.
Afked examinant if he wanted a pals. Examinant faid he had a pafs
fufticient for him to go as far as he wanted. Gammel brought to examin-
ant a perlbn to give him a pafs, whom examinant docs not know, but
believes he iliould know him again if he were to fee him. Examinant

faid

( 57 )

faid he wanted to fee the New Engknd encampment, to fee one Amos
Hutchim, a Captain ; intending to decoy ihem thither, and have them
apprehended. When examinant had got about half way up the Broad-
way, they didovcrcd his pirtols, and would have fled, thinl<ing, as examin-
ant fuppofes, that he meant to take them up. Jamti Ram/ay and Cbriflo-
phcr M'yley ran off. Examinant purfucd and caught Jumes Ram/ay.
They then gathered together, and afltcd examinant why he carried
pillols; who repHed that they were for his defcnfe, until with them he
could get on board of the man of-war. They being then fufpicious,
turned back ; but examinant firft afkcd George Gammel when he intended
to go on board of the man-of-war, and how. Gammel anfwered ' I intend
to leave town this night, and go to Long IJIarid, and get from thence to
the man of-war; • but whether to get a pcrfon to put him on board, or
to Ileal a boat or canoe, this examinant is not certain. Gammel then
faid the gentleman who was employed by the .Mayor had defired them
not to be fcen more than two together. The gentleman had further told
him the Riflemen were fo thick on Ung-IJIand as to prevent him from
getting on board until a more convenient opportunity ; and perhaps they
might not get on board until General Howe arrived with his fleet. They
cxpefted a large body of men to join them from Gofoen, and they were
to get on board with the utmoll defpatch after General Howe's arrival.

William Learv.
Examined by, and fworn the 20th oi June, 1776, before us.

John Jav,

GOUVERNEUR MoRRlS.

Examinatioi/ 0/ JAMES Mason.

James Ma/on fays : About two weeks and a half ago a man took his
qualification that he would not divulge anything about the bufincfs he was
then upon. When he went up to Gojheu from Kingjwood, about five
weeks ago, to look for a place as a miller, he faw a man who had been
four days on board the nian-ot"-war, by name William Forbes, a tanner
and currier by trade ; that as you go up the Broadway you come to the
ftrcet in which is the Ojrn-go market, oppofite to the fouth fide of which,
four doors from the corner of the Broadway, lives one Lourie, a tavern-'
keeper, a fat man, who wears a blue coat, and that he hath frequently

met

( 58 )

met the CM IVil/itim Fories m that houfc; that he told examinant he
never lodged twice in the fame houfc, being afraid ; examinant alked
where he did lodge, Forks would not tell him ; that Forba hath a houfe
of his own, five miles from GoJken,M which he faw him u ,, n cxu;i.iiiaiit
was locking for a place. Forbes told examinant he had been four davs
on board the man-of-war lall April, when the (liip Sjvdge fired on Staten-
Ijland; that Governour 7>-^<i» would give file guineas bounty and two
hundred acres of land for each man, one hundred for his wife, and fifty for
each child, upon condition they would cnlill in his Majelly's fervice.
Jilxaminant bore Fortes's cxpcnfes to town, Fcrbes undertaking to repay
him i.i ^irJ ca(h when they got on board; that Forba was to have a
bounty from the Governour for every man he could get, and had been
fcnt home for that purpofc ; that the Governour had dcfircd him to go up
and get as many men as he could ; that the recruits were to aflill the
King's troops when they came; that recruits were not to go on board,
becaufe ihey could do more good on lliore, and befides they were on
Ihort allow imc in the fliip and crowded, as Forba told examinant.
Forbes and examinant came to New-Tori by way oC E/izabethlozvn, and
in their way, at ff^nrtviei, Forbes enticed Wil/i,im Benjamin to go along
with him, ajul at E/iziibethtotvn Forbes iruiuirtd at Deacon Ogden's,
where he ufed to work, and told examinant, after the inquiry, that they
could not get on board from Bergcn-Voint or Staten-IJlund, as there were
Riflemen ftationed there, hut mull go to Netv-Tork, for that there was a
man there, one McLean, a fliocmaker, near the Rosa! Exeb>,iHge, who was
employed by the Governour to carry recruits on board j that Forbes and
examinant came to Sew-t'ork in an E/ixabelhlotvn boat, and went firft
to Thomas Majhi's at the corner of Beaver llrect and Broadtvay, at the
fign of the Highlander, where they left their baggage, and miliam Ben-
jamin to take care of it, and went thence to McLean's, to inquire for a
palKige; that Mc Lean and Forbes whifpcred together, and then Forbes
told examinant that McLean faid there was no opportunity of getting on
board in two or three niglv,, ; that McL in recommended them to one
James lloulding, a tavern-kcepir in Tryn Row oppofite the gate of the
upper barracks, for lodging; that they went u\^ tn Housing's, leaving
Benjamin ftill at Majon's, and. after dufk, examinant went for Benjamin,
and he and Benjamin carried the baggage up, and all three lodged at

Houlding's

V-_

-■•V"
I

( 59 )

v,_

fhuMiig's (hat night, telling Hou/,/i>,g Mr. M(Le<,» had fent and recom-
mended ihcm there as a fafe hoiife ; next morning Furies went to fee for
an opportunity to get on board, and did the like for two or three days ;
Furies and Benjamin (laid at Moulding'! one week without being able to
get on board of the man-of-war ; William Benjamin agreed to go on
board the man-of-war alfo, and accept the Governour's liounty j after the
firft week, as they could not get on board. Moulding obfcrved that they
ought to be fpread about, for that keeping them together would occafion
fulpicion in his houfe ; that one Corbie, who lives near General Walh-
ington's, ufcd to rcfort to the houfe of Moulding, where he was introduced
to Forbes, and this examinant alfo got acquainted with Corbie; that many
Tories rdorted to Moulding's, amongll whom were two brothers, of the
name ot Fortune, the one a tanner, living in the Swamp, and the other
a faddlcr, whom he hath feen working at Cooi'i. in the Broadway; alfo,
one I'ueter a filvcrfmith, who was ridden about town for a Tory, and
another ot the fame name, whom he takes to be his brother; alfo, a man
without an arm, whom he believes to be an old penfioncr, and Gilbert
Foj/er, a gunfmith, living oppofite to Mr. MulPs tavern, a fliort, thick
man who wears a white coat ; that thefe perfons, as he believes, knew of
the examinani's intention, but did not care to trull him, as he had not
taken his qualification ; that examinant was qualified before the faid Gil-
iert Forbes, and the faid H'illiam Forbes, at the houfe of the faid Corbie;
that William Forbes gave him the book, and that they made him fwear
not to divulge anything of what the examinant now tells; that when
examinant was at lUulding's, Gilbert Forbes, William Forbes, and Corbie,
advifcd examinant to go to Corbie's houfe and work a little in the garden
to prevent fufpicion. Gilbert Forbes promifed examinant ten fliillings
per week llibfilknce money, of « hich this examinant hath, at different
limes, received twenty fix fhillings and eight pence; that the examinant
complained ten niillings was too little; Forbes said he could not help it,
but he would write to the Govcrnour to try to get it increafcd to twelve;
that he afterwards told examinant he could not get an anfwer, bccaufe a
boat coming from the Governour was near being taken, and had thrown
the letters overboard ; that William Benjamin and William Forbes have
also received money from the faid Gilbert ; that, according to the advice
of the Forbfes and Corbie, went to Ci^rbie's, and continued there until

laft

( 6o )

Jaft SaturJ.iyi that while cxaminant lived at Ihu/Jing's. Corbie came
there between nine and ten o'clock at night, and brouglit with him a
mulatto-colored negro, drefll'd in blue clothes, about five feet eight inches
high, well-set, but knows not his name or to whom he belongs, but is
informed that he hath fince been taken up and put in jail ; when Coriie
and the negro came in there was a great deal of whifpcring round between
Coriif, Wiltiiim Forbes, the negro, and another man who had been wait-
ing to get on board and did go on board that evening; that afterwards
the examinant and lVi/li<im Forbei had fomc convcrfation about the negro ;
Ftrbts told him the negro was going on board the man of-war with that
man, and two or three more, but the craft was fo fmall it would not car-
ry them all for fear of difcovcry, wherefore he, Benjnmia, and H'illiam
Verba, were obliged to Hay behind ; that when this examinant was quali-
fied, tliere was prcfcnt one Cl.irke, who had been a schoolmafter about
eight or nine miles from Gojken, and with whom the faid WiU'um Fortes
was acquainted ; that the faid Clarke faid in the examinant's hearing that
he had cnliftcd about fixty men. of whom he had a lirt, and who were
ready to aflift when the troops came ; that cxaminant believes the lift was
given to Gilbert Fortes to be fent to the Governour, for that the name
of the examinant, Williw, Fortei and Williom Benjamin, were taken
down by the faid Gilbert, as this cxaminant fuppofes, to be fent to the
Governour ; that one lliekey, of the General's Guards, he believes to be
concerned, who is now in confinement; that one Greene, of the Gen-
eral's Guards, a drummer, is concerned, for that cxaminant faw Gilbert
Forbes in converfation with faid Greene, but could not hear them, and
fince that time Greene hath adminillered an oath to this Hickey, and
fome other foldiers of the General's Guards, and, as examinant is inform-
ed, is to have one c'ollur per man from Fortes, for every man he (liall
inlift ; one Barnes, oi the General's Guards, one Johnm, a fifcr of the
Guards, who, as well as Greene and Hickey, have been in the regular
fcrvicc, are qualified for the fame purpofe ; that WiWuim Vunjamin told
examinant he heard Gtllert Fortes fay that he would go to the Mayor
and gel one hundred pounds which he muft have ; that examinant and
William Forbes, in their way from IVilliam Fortes': luiufe, came to a fine
houfe ; that examinant a(ked what fine houfe that wa^ ; that Fortes said
it belonged to the brother of the Mayor of New-Vork; that he knew

him

( 6i )

him very well, and had liccn there fcveral times and mull go there now
to Icll him w hilt he was going about, to know ', ' he had any word to fend
to his brother, and that the examinant muft walli o.i flowly and he would
overtake him j that, at the door of the houlc examinant faw an old,
fliort, thick, fat man; that I'eria llaycd there about a quarter of an
hour, and then followed and overlook the examinant, who a(ked Foriej
if the Mayor's brother had given him any letter; Fories faid no, he had
only dcfired him to tell his brother that he was well j that the Mayor's
brother aflied who the examinant was, and Furies told him it was a
young man going upon the fame errand that he was. Examinant believes
GMerl Fories is at the head here, and the Mayor and the Governour.

James Masoi*.
Examined the zoth Jiinf, 1776, by us:

John Jav,
GovERNEUR Morris.

Lifl of perjtns charged as enemies to America.

Waiiiim Fories, by trade a tanner and currier, formerly an inhabitant
of Orange County.

ioarw-, a tavern-keeper, (no (ign,) four doors from the corner of
Broadway, oppofite the fouth fide of Oj'tuego market, in one of the low
houfesi a fat man, with a blue coat.

William Benjamin, an apprentice of Mr. Erjhine, now a foldier in
Captain Roojnr/t's Company. Inquire of IVilli. -i Leary.

McLean, a fliocmaker, near the Royal Exchange.

Thomas Majon, a tavern-keeper, al the fign uf the Highlander, at the
corner of Bearer llreet and Broadway.

James Jfoulding, a tavern-keeper, in Tryon Roar, oppofite the gate of
the upper barracks, (no fign,) his name written over the door; a beer
houfe.

Ciriie, a tavern-keeper, to the fouthcall of General Wajhinglon's houfe,
to the welhvard of Bayarii's woods, and north of Lij'penard's meadow.

Fortune, a tanner, living in the Swamp.

One Fortune.

Fortune, a faddler, who works at Cooi's, in liroadway.

Fueter, a filvcrfinith, who was ridden upon a rail lately.

Fueter,

( 62 )

Fueter, a brother of the other.

Giibert Furbes, a guiifinith, oppofite to Hull's tavern ; a fliort thick
man, with a white coat.

Clarke, formerly a fchoolmafter about nine miles from Gojhen.

James R,imjay, Chriftopher IVyley, George Gammell, three of Mr.
Erjiine's workmen. Inquire of Williom hears.

John Taylor, formerly a conllable i.i this town.

Forbes, a tavern-keeper, at the fign of Robin Hood.

■ IcGinnes, a penfioncr, with one arm.

Information rejfeliing Dr. Arren and others at Jamaica.

Doftor Charles Arden, wa? the perfon who inlligatcd the Tories to
fign againll having a Congrcfs or a Committee.

Benjamin Smith, (fon of Samuel Smith, Eig.)

Robert Hinchman.

Thom.ii Smith, (fon of Thomas Smith,) whom he threatened to hang
if he would not fign a paper.

Ij'aac Leffertje. Bought the Widow Uelfs farm. He wrote the affi-
davit of Roelof Duryee about Parfon Kettlctas, and carried Jiillice
French to Duryee's for that purpofe.

Captain Benjamin Whitehead, late Supervifor. Repeatedly refufed to
communicate to the town of Jamaica certain letters from the General
Committee of New-fork, requcHing the town to be called together to
elcdl members of a Committee or Congrcfs. Witncfs: Waters Smith,
or either of the other perfons above named or Captain Jacob Wright.

Alexander Wallace. Refides at Jamaica, in Wat Smith's houfe.

Bcthune. He maintains an intimacy with Henjamin Whitehead

and witli Dr. Arden

Martin, from .Antigua. Dwells in Qha-Mihs's houfe, oppofite

the Meeting-Houfe, at a high rent. He allbcialcs chiefly witli James
Depeyller.

Charles McEvers. Refides in John Troop's houfe.

Thomas Cologan and Flemming Cologan frequently go to Creed's Hill
to look out; the two Dunbar's, John William Livitig/lon, Jan., and one
of the Cologan's, were there lately, looking out for a fleet. That the
Dunbar's flu't themfelves up, and refufed to train or pa\ their fines.

John

( 63 )

John and William Dunbar.

George Folliot. Lives with Jacques John/on, at Frejh meadows, about
one-and-a-lult"mile from Jamaica.

Theophilact Bache, of Vlatbujh, Comes to Jamaica to Alexander
Wallace's.

James Depeyjler. Lives next to William Belt's. His fon, Jofeph
Depeyjler, has been purfued fcveral times, but cannot be tal<en. He is
faid to be a dangerous Tory,

June 21, 1776.
To His Excellency Geu-ige WASHtNCTON, Ej'q., General;

Sir: Whereas David Mallhem, Efquire, Hands charged with danger-
ous defigns and treafonable confpiracies againll the rights and liberties of
the United Colonies of America: We do, in purfuance of a certain
refolve of the Congrefs of the Colony uf the 20th of June inftant,
authorize and requeft you (o caufe the faid David Matlhem to be, with
all his papers, forthwith apprehended and fecured, and that return be
made to us of tho manner in which the warrant fliall be executed, in
order that the fame may be made known to the faid Congrefs.
Given under our hands, this 21ft day of June, 1776.

Philip Livingston,
John Jay,

GOUVERNEUR MoRRIS.

General Greene is defired to have the within warrant executed with
precifion, and exadly by one o'clock the enfuing morning, by a careful

oflicer.

Friday afternoon, June 21, ;776.

GeoRGE Washington.

Long-Idand, June 22, 1776,
In obedience to the within order and warrant, I fcnt a detachment of
my brigade, under the command of Colonel Vernon, to the houfe of the
"■ within

( 6+ )

within-namcd D.ivid Matthews, Efq., at Vi.itbufl;, who furroundcd his
houle and fcizcd his. perlbn prccilciy at the hour of one this morning.
After having made him a priloncr, diligent fcarch was made after his
' papers, but none could be found, notwithllanding great care was taken
that none of the family fliould have the leall opportunity to remove or
dcftroy them.

Nathaniel Green.

Flatlands, Friday, June 21, 1776.

Mrs. BaiwtRTON prcfents her compliments to Captain Thomas Randall,
and begs to aciiuaint him that when (he returned from the city to her
family at I'latlands, (lie found a fummons left at the houfe by a pcrfon
from the Congrefs for Mr. Brewertun to attend on them at 10 o'clock
this day. She begs it as a favour of Captain Randall to acquaint the
gentlemen of the Congrefs thai it has not been in her power to make Mr.
nremrton acquainted with it, as he went out yelk-rday morning fidiing
and do(. not expeft to return till this evening or to morrow. On his
return flic will acquaint him with the lummons, and makes no doubt but
he will ini mediately attend the Congrefs.

To Captain 7%mas Randall.

Scott's Tavern, in Wall Itreet, June 22, 1776.

The cotnmittec met purfui-nt to adjournment. Prcfent : Mr. Hoiart
Mr. Tredu'ill, Colf)nel draham, Mr. Randall, Mr. U.mjnoort.

The Committee uinnimouny chofe Mr. Hoiart Chairman pro tempore.

}\ hitthead Hicks, VM^., attending on a fummons returnable this day,
was called in. The Chairman read to him part of the Relblutions of
the Congrefs of this Colony relative to perfons of equivocal charader,
and defiled him to (how caufe to this Committee why he (liould be con-
udcred as a (riend to the caufe and rights of Aimriia.

Ml-. Hicks fays the caufe he can (how is only negative; that he defies
envy itfelf to fliow an> thing in his conduct that is againll his country ;
that he \vn for many years held honourable and lucrative Crown oflices,
dnfolicilcd, and repeatedly fworn allegiance t,) the Crown ; that in this
fituation, were his nerves Itrongcr, he would not willingly perfonally take

( 65 )

up arms on the part of the country ; that his father and brothers are
ftr^ngly attached to, and engaged in, the American caufe; that he there-
fore, as well as from principle, will never he induced to take up arms
again* his country ; that fome of his near relations are in the C)ntinemal
Army ; that he never advifed or dilTuaded any perfon, not even his fer-
vants or domcllicks, in thefe r afures ; that his fcrvant has been engaged
in this country's fcrvice from the firft of thefe troubles, and is now
artually ferving in the troops raifed in this Colony, without the leaft con-
tradiftion or difluafion on his part.

Mr. Ukks was then afkcd liy the Chairman whether, in his opinion,
the nntijh P.irliamcnt has a right to tax America? He replied that he
would be very unwilling to be taxed by the Britijh Parliament.

The Chairman then afked him whether he was willing to fubfcribe the
Amxi^iiion made by the Provincial Congrcfs on the 20th inftant ; to
whidi he replied that he could not fign it becaufe he could not take up
arms, and that, as an honcll man, ho -ould not llgn anything which he did
not mean 10 perform.

.Vlr. Uicks was then aflced liy th? Chairman whether he thought the
prefent meafurcs of the Colonies in defending by arms juftifiablc. To
this he replied that arms were the lall refort, and jullifiable where neccf-
firy as the lall refort; but that he has not fully examined or confidercd
whether every other necedliry expedient had been previoufly ufed.
Mr. llich withdrew.

Rejohed, ummimoufy. That WhiteheaJ Jlich, Efq., is not fuch a
friend to the caufc and rights of America as is mentioned in the Refolu-
tions of the Congrcfs of the 5 th day of JTune inlknt.

Rc/o/ieJ unanimoujly. That it is not nccelFary to -emovc Mr. Uicks
from his prefent place of refidcnee.

Rejilvc.l im.wimoufy, Tliat Mr. Uick's Parole be taken that he will
not oppofc or contravene the meafurcs of the Continental Congrcfs or
the C:ongrefs of this Colony, and that his Parole is fulhcient (ecurity.

Mr. llicks was called in and informed of the determinations of the
Commitiee, and a copy of the Parole delivered to him.

Mr. Uicks read the copy of the Parole, and declared that he would
wilh 10 conlider whether this Parole might in any maimer interfere with
his oith and oflicc of a Judge, but had not any other objeaion 10 it.

The

(66)

The Committee informed Mr. Ilicks that lie might take time to con
fider of it.

Mr. Hick: rcqueftcd, and the Committee confcnted, that Mr. Hkks
confider tiicreof until Monday next, then to return the faid Parole figncd
or to call on this Committee.

An order of the Congrefs of this Colony of the 2 1 ft inftant, relative
to Samuel Whitten, referring his cafe to this Committee, was read, and
is in the words following, to wit :

A letter from Rol,rrt 11. llarrifon. General Wajhingtotfs Secretary,
cnclofing a letter from General lland, relative to a fufpeitcd dangerous
man named Samuel WhiUen, was received and read.

Ordered, That the laid Letter be referred to the Secret Committee.

The Letter from Colonel Hand, exhibiting the charges againft the faid
Samuel Whitlcri, was alfo read, and taken into confideration.

Tlie faid Samuel Whitten was called in. He (ays he crolTed th'; ferry
in a boat with fome officers en Thurjday laft; that he was fonie thing in
liquor, and fpoke Ibnie thing too free. He then related the converf.ition
with the officers during his paflagc acrofs the ferry. He further fays that
he has been drafted for in Captain Buchanan's Company, in which com-
pany he is a Sergeant ; that he voluntarily offered to take a chance of
being drafted ; thai had he not been in the ftate he was he would not
have f'id what he did at that time. Whitten further favs that he thinks
the Americans are right ir. their refiftance by arms, and that he is willing
to take up arms and defend the country ; that he only mentioned it as
his opinion that the troops would land at Long IJland : that he never
had any information of that kind.

The faid Samuel Whitten fubfcribed the AITociatinn made by the
Congrefs of thu Colony on the 26lh inllant.

Thereupon, Rcj'alved, That Samuel Whitten be difcharged, and per-
mitted to go at large.

Mr Samuel Martin, attending purfuant to a fummons from this Com-
mittee returnable this day, was called in. He fays he attends in piirfu-
ancc of a Cnnimons received laft week.

The Chairman read to him the Refolutions of the Congrefs of this
Colony of 20th inftant, relative to perlbns of equivocal charaacr, and

defired

( 67 )

delircd him to lliow caufe, if any he had, why he (hould be confidered
as a friend to the American caufe.

Mr. Martin fays he has never done anything againll the country, and
is not an enemy to the country ; that he always meant to remain as
peaceable and inaftive as he could.

The Chairman aflccd Mr. Martin if he chofe to be confidered as a
friend to the American caufe, and as one of thofe who are willing to rifle
their lives and fortunes in defence of America, Mr. Martin declared
he lliould be forry to be confidered as an enemy to the country, and
never meant to lift an 4rm againft America.

The Chairman informed him that he now had an opportunity to dif-
linguifli himfelf as the friend of America.

He replied that he was ready to give any aiTu^anccs that he would not
take any aiilive part againft America; that he never mean: to take up
arms.

Mr. Martin being aflted whether, in his opinion, the Britijh Parlia-
ment has a right to tax America, he replied that, in his opinion, the Par-
liament has not a right te lay internal ri\cs on the Colonics. Being
aflced whether he did not think a tax on perfonal ellates was equally
imcDnl'titutional, he replied that he did net, if it was for the regulation of
trade ; but that he is not a pohlician, and has confined his ftudies to his
own profelTion.

Mr. Martin when alkcd wliether he would give fecurity that he would
ni t oppofe or contravene the meafures of the Continental Congrefs or of
the Congrefs ot •hi'^ Colony. He replied that he would, but that he did
not know of any perfon i this city to ap'My to to be his fecurity, that he
would apply to his father, who refidcs on Long-Ijland, who would be his
fecurity.

Mr. Martin withdrew.

Refolved, unanimiujly, that Samuel Mi '■tin Is not a friend to the Ameri-
can caufe.

The Chairman then put the qiielHcm, whether it is neceflliry to remove
Samuel Martin from his prcfent place of refidencc.'

Tlic Committee unaninioudy agreed that they have not futliiient infor-
mation to detirmine that quellio;i at prcfent, and tl'''reforc agiced to
defer the further coiifid'-ration the; jof till to-morrow morning.

Mr.

( 68 )

Mr. mrtin was called in and informed thcicof and dcfircd to attend
at the City Hall to-morrow morning, at ten o'clock.

Robert l-mon, of the City of AVr^-Jlr-f. Brafs-foimdcr. being fworn.
faith : Tha' five or lix weeks ago, at hi;, own hoiife, one /,„„/. Lclce.
mailer o, a periagua of John llapalye, a/ked him if there was any fuch
thmg as getting rifles in town. Deponent anfwcred that he did not be-
lieve there was one. Lofec faid he bc^lieved there were many, for that
he had been applied to to carry a confiderablc number of them on board
the ^J,.,. Deponent a&ed him by wh.n>. He replied that he would
not tell, but that he ha.l refufed to take th.:m. That deponent has hoard
i.nce that llie faid rifl.:., were afterwards carried on board, but did not
uiidcr!b.,d ',y whom.

o 1 , , RoHER FknTON.

Sworn the 2 2d June, 1 .ore us:

Philip Livincston,
John ]\\.

Tho-nm FUtchn, a Private in Captain AVktA Compat.y of artillery
being Iworn f.ith : Tl,at this deponent was lately a private in Colonel
Humngd^n^s Regiment, in Captain TrucMdp's Company ; that about a
month ago one John Von.pk'll, a fl,oen,aker, living next door to the .Ign
ot the Buck, oppoilte to the wcllern fule of the Fly market, employed
him to work as a journeyman with him at fuch times as he was not on
duty; that after deponent had worked with him a while, he was pleafcd
with deponent's work and endeavored to perluade him to inlill. faying.
' Damn the Congrefs ; who gave them libertv to raife (i.ldiers ' Come
with me, I will conceal you, or fend yru off, as I have done with two or
three others ;' that deponent eonlented, and was concealed by him for
two weeks and a half, and findir.g tha. he could „o, clear his confcience
m what he had done, he fent f>r his comrade and delivered himlelf up
a..d hath ever fmcc done his duty as a foldier; he has frequentiv heard
the laid Campbell n^ converfation curfe the Congrcf, - fay he wifl.ed the
whole .o«n were all Tories, and that the Mayor was as big a one as any
in it. And further this deponent faith not.

Sworn the 22d Jum, 1776, before us:

Thomas Fietchp.r.

John Jay,
GouvERNouR Morris.

Diiniel

( 69 )

Daniel dray, of StiimfirJ, in Conneilicut, being fworn, faith: Tiiat
Niilhiiniel Wi/liarm, of lluntingdun, toKi him tlic day before ycfterday
thai a gentleman had reported there that as lie was by a fence by the
road, Hugh Wiill,ice, Tkcophilnct liuche, Ckarles McEvers, and three
others, whofe names this deponent iiath forgotten, pafTed by and he over-
heard tlicm faying that the enemy were to land at Rapafye's mills, take
pofleflion of the forts on Long-ljland, and thence play on the town, and
thai tliey were to be joined by the forces on Long-Ifland. And further
faiti. not.

Daniel Gray.

Sworn the 22d day of June, 1776 :

Philip Livingston,

John Jay,

GoUVERNEUR MoRRIS.

Hugh Sicvcnjon, being duly fworn on the Holy Evangclift of Almighty
fiW, depofeth and faith: That on the iHtli of this \\\Ain\. June he
bought fifteen pcnmds of powder of Mr. NichoLis C'onery, at the fign of
the Ped Lion, between Ihiteman's and littrling's flip, in New-York, and
that lome linie pall lie (this deponent) bought ten pounds of the laid
L'onery, and that he fuppofed it e^niie from on board the Afia. And
further ihis deponent failh not.

Sworn before me this zzd day of June, 1776.

Abel Belknap.
( 'hiiir'n Com. Injfn fir Freeing of Netvburgh.

Corneluis Plr.lt, being fworn, depofeth and faith? That he came from
New-1'ork with Mr. li\'gh Steven/on in hh boat lall WeJnej'Jay ; that
on his naflage Mr. Ste'injon told him he had foine thing on board, that
if it was found out it would be as much as his neck and his whole floop
were worth. This deponent alked Mr. Steven/on what it was, Stevenfon
anfwcred it was fifteen pounds of powder; who was afked if it was our
country powder. He faid not ; it came from ihe Aji<i man-of-war. He
further alked him what he expected to do with it. His anfwcr was, that
he expected to fell it at one dollar per pound ; that fifteen pounds of
powder, would fetch him filicen dollars. The deponent further faith
that he and Mr. Stet'enjhn had fome difcourfe about the times, when Mr.

Stez'en/oH

( 70 )

Steven/on told him that he expc-acd that all thcfc ofiiccrs would foon be
fwung up, and the deponent took it that he meant all thefe Continental
officers. At the lall of the time this deponent afked Steven/on, whether
he intended to fell his powder to the Tories. He told him he did not.
And further this deponent faith not.

Sworn before me this 22d day of June, 1776.

Abel Belknap.
Chair'n Cm. Injfn for Precinii of Neviiurgh,

To Captain .-\beel:

Sir : Whereas Peter McLean of the City of New-Tork, Slioemakcr,
Hands charged with dangerous defigns and treafonabic confpiracies againft
the rights and liberties of the United Colonics of America: We do, in
purfuance of a certain rcfolve of the Congrefs of this Colony of the 20th
of June inftant, authorize and requell you to caufe the faid Peler McLean
to be, with all his papers, forthwith apprehended and fccurcd, and that
return be made to us of the manner in which this warrant (hall be exe-
cuted, in order that the fame may be made known to the faid Congrefs.

Given under our hands this zzd day of June, 1776.

Philip Livingston,
John Jav,

GoUVERNEUR MoRRIS.

To William Allison, Ejquire, and Colonel Clinton, or either of them.
Gentlemen: Whereas Jama Matthews Hands charged with dangerous
dcfigiis and treafonable confpiracies againll the rights and liberties of the
United Colonies of America : We do, in purfuance of a certain refoKe
of the Congrefs of ihis Colony of the 20th of June inllanr, authorize
and requell you to caufe the faid James Matthews to be, with all his
papers, forthwith apprehended and fecured, and that return be made to
us of the manner in which this warrant fliall be executed, in order that
the fame may be made known to the faid Congrefs.
Given under our hands this 22d day of June, 1776.

Philip Livingston,
Gouverneur Morris,
John Jav.

The

( 71 )

The within named Jama Matthewi, taken at his place of abode in
Cornwall Precinft, Orange County, purfuant to the within warrant, and
delivered to the Committee, but no papers containing information relative
to the confpiracy.

Per me, William Allison.

New-York, June 2;, 1776.

To Wii.i.iAM Allison and Colonel Clinton, or either of them.

Gentlemen: Whereas William Forletdnd C/zr/fi' ftand charged

with dangerous defigns and trcafonable confpiracies againll the rights and
liberties of the United Colonics of America: We do, in purfuance of a
certain rcfolve of the Congrcfs of this Colony of the 20lh of June
inllant, authorize and requell you to caufc the faid William Furies and

Clarke to be, with all their papers, forthwith apprehended and

fecured, and that return be made to us of the mannncr in which this
warrant fhall be executed, in order that the fame may be made known to
the laid Congrefs.

Given under our hands this 2 2d day of June, iyj6.

Philip Livingston,
GouvERNEUR Morris,
John Jay.

In purfuance of the within warrant, went in fearch of the within

named William ForWs and Clarke to the upper end of Orange

County, their ufual place of abode, but found they were gone off; but on
returning 10 Nezv-t'ork, found them in cullody of the guards.

William Allison.

New-York, June 2;, 1776.

To Captain Aheei. :

Sir : Wliercas, John Campbell Hands charged with dangerous defigns
and trcafonable confpiracies againll the rights and liberties of the United
Colonies ot America: We do in purfuance of a certain refolve of the
Congrefs of this Colony of the 20th of June inllant, authorize and
requeft you to caufe the faid John Campbell to be, with all his papers,
L forthwith

( 72 )

forthwith apprehended and fecurcd, and that return be made to us of the
manner in which this warrant fhail be executed, in order that the
fame be made known to the faid Congrcfs.

Given under our hands this 22d day of June, 1776.

John Jay,

GoUVERNEUR MoRRlS,

Philip Livingston.
To General Greene, Najjfau IJI.md :

Sir : Whereas George ISrewerlo,,, Efq., (tands cliargcd with dangerous
defigns and treifonable confpiracics againll the rights and liberties of the
United Colonies of J,neric., : We do, in purfuancc of a certain refolvc
of the Congrcfs of this Colony of the 20th of June inlhuit, authorize
and requeft you to caufe the laid George Bretverton to be, will-, all his
papers, forthwith apprehended and fecurcd, and that return be made to
us of the manner in which this warrant (hall be executed, in order that
the fame may be made known to the faid Congrcfs.
Given under our hands this 22d day of June, 1776.

Philip Livingston,
Gouverneur Morris,
John J ,v.

Camp Long-[fland, June 22, 1776.
Captain Jeremiah Alnev :

You will take fuch a parly out of the brigade as will be ncccflary to
carry the within order of Congrcfs into execution, and fervc Bretverton
with this warrant, feize his pcrfon, and fecure his papers, agreeable to the
within warrant, as foon as may be, and bring him and them to me, and
report your doings herein.

Nathaniel Greene.

June 25th.— Captain Jlney has made two attempts, agreeable to the
report accompanying this, to take Alderman Prewerton prifoncr, but
was not succefsful. This day he came and delivered himfdf up. Have
fent him under the care of Captain Brown.

Nathaniel Greene.

June

i 73 )

June 23, 1776.

Samp/cn Dyckmait now prcfcnt, returns, ihat he left ihe fummons
dircftcd to James Jauncty, Jun., Elij., on IhurJ'day lall, with the mailer
of the houCe where Mr. Jauncey lodge?, who then informed him that
Mr. Jaunay was gone abroad «ilh his wife, and had been abfcnt fome
days, but was cxpcfted to return on that or the next day.

That he delivered the fummonfcs diredk-d to Wi/iiam Axlelt, David
Malthetis, Charles McEvers, and Whitrkead Hicks, Efquires, to thcm-
fclves refpectively, Thurjday lall, and on the fame day left the fummonj
direrted to (horgc Brczuerton, Efq., at his lodgings at Fktlands, with a
woman there, faid to be his houfekeepcr.

That on Friday laft he delivered the fummons dircftcd to Thomas
Jones, Samuel Martin, and Gcor^^e D. Ludlow, Efcjuires, to thenifelvcs
refpedtively ; that on that day he delivered the fummons diredkd to Ga-
briel Ludlow to a woman in his houi'e, laid to be Mrs. Ludlow, his wife,
who informed him that Mr. Gabriel Ludlow was not at home; and that
he alio lett the fummons direrted to Samuel Clowes at his houfe, with his
wife, who faid he was not at home.

That on Saturday morning lall he delivered the fummonfes direflcd to
Archibald Hamilton, David Colden, and John Willett, Efquires, to them-
felves refpcelively ; that the fummons diretled to Richard Colden, he
delivered to a woman at his houfe, whom he fuppofed to be his wife ;
that each fummons which he did not ferve perfonally, he defired the per-
fon to whom he delivered !t to fend or deliver it to the pcrfon to whom
it was direiled as foon as poflible. That the lummons directed to Thom-
as Hicks, at Rockaway, he delivered to the Secretary after his return to
New-Tork, as the laid Thomas Hicks is deceafed upwards of four months
ago, from the bell information which he could obtain.

NeH-York, June 23, 1776.
Gentlemen: .According to your orders of the 22d inllant to me, I
have taken all tlic prifoners mentioned in them, to wit : William Forbes,
John Clark, Anthony Clark, and John Campbell, whom I have delivered
to the guard, and am ready to execute any furtlier commands 1 Iliall
receive, having the guard for this day.

I am, gentlemen, your moll humble fervant,

James Abeel.

IMAGE EVALUATrON
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23 WEST MAIN STREET

tVEBSTER, NY. 14580

(716) 872-4503

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( 74 )

Dat'iJ Matthews, Efq., Mayor of the City of Ncvi-Yorh, being exam-
ined, faith : That about fix or fcven weei(s ago the cxaminant went on
board the Dutcbefi-of-Girdon, by perininion of General Putnam, to
obtain from the Govcrnour permifTion for lord DrummorJ to go to Ber-
muda ; that as the cxaminant was about to leave the Dutchefs, the Gov-
ernour toolc him into his private room, and put a bundle of paper money
into his hands, telling examinant to take out five pounds and give it to the
prifoners in the Jail, and pay the remainder to Gilbert Forbes, for fomc
rifles and round->ored guns which he had made for him, and for others
which the faid Fortes was to make, and to tell Forks that he did not
want any more rifles ; that this cxaminant was fiirprifed to hear that the
faid Forbes was engaged in that bufmefs, and at the fame time thought
that Govcrnour 7'ryon had put a matter on his flioulders which might
bring him into fome difficulty ; that the examinant, on his return to this
city, confulted a friend of his, telling him that he would mention a mat-
ter to him which he believed would furprife him;, and then informed
him that Gilbert Forbes had fupplied the Govcrnour with a number of
arms, and was employed in that bufincfs; and that examinant had
brought up the money to pay him, at the fame time mentioning that he
thought the Govcrnour had put a hard ta/k on his flioulJers j that examin-
ant then advifcd with him what he fliould do, and aflced him whether
he would take the money and endeavor to convey it to him privatciv,
which he declined doing, and faid that he would mention the matter fo to
Gilbert Forbes as tl^at he would be able to determine by his anfwcrs
whether he was the man ; that to this cxaminant confenlcd ; that examin-
ant, after leaving his friend, concluded that it would be belt not to pay
the faid money to Forbes, but to delay it as long as poflible, thai in cafe of a
difcovcry, the cxaminant might avail himfelfof not having paid, although
he had received the faid money ; that fliortly after Forbes called on this
examinant, and :old him that he had been defircd by the gentleman to
whom this cxaminant had mentioned it, to call on him for the money
cxaminant had received for him of Govcrnour Tryon; that cxaminant then
alked him if it were poffibic that he had been fending guns on board the
Governour's fliip j to w hich he anfwcred in the affirmative ; that examin-
ant then told him he would be hanged if he was found out, and rcqueded
him, if he regarded his fufcty, that he would not go on with fuch fchcmesj

that

( 75 )

that he faid he could fend them on board in fuch a way that nobody
could find it out ; that he had fcnt them on board in a canoe or boat,
covered with a llraw bed, and two or three old chairs upon it; that he
then aflccd cxaminant to pay him the money; to which examinant
anfwered, that he was to receive money, and as foon as he got it, he
would pay it to him ; on which they parted ; that a few days after he
called on examinant again to know whether examinant had received the
money, for that he wanted it very much j examinant told him he had not ;
and the better to account for delays, the examinant had recourfc to this
fubterfuge, that the Governour had given him pofitive orders not to
receive any payments for him but in Tork or JerJ'ey money ; that with
this he fecmed plcafed, and requefted examinant to pay him in that
money, becaufe with it he could purchafe certain articles ncieflary in his
bufinefs cheaper than with any other; that he then informed examinant
that he had a number of men whom he wanted to fend down to the
Governour ; that examinant told him that he might fave himfelf that trou-
ble, for that the Governour had told this examinant that he had been
obliged to turn many on fhore, and could not receive any more; on
which i'VM e.'.-prcflcd fome concern as to what he (hould do with them;
on which examinant dcfired him to tell the men to go to their homes
and drop any fuch fchcmcs ; that fliortly after the faid Forbes again
called on this examinant for the money, and mentioned a fcheme of raif
ing a company, and requefted to know whether he could have a commif-
fion ; that examinant, on this, begged of him to dcfift from fuch a
fcheme, for that he would certainly be difcovered, and the gallows would
be his lot, and that it would be lime enough for him to inliil men or
a6\ when he got his commiflion ; that he faid he could carry it on fo as
not to be found out, and that he could inlift a number of the General's
Guards; that on this they parted ; that this examinant then found out
that Mr. Forks became fo troublefomc to him that, in order to get out
of his way and ftave off the payment aforefaid, this examinant kept more
in the country than he would otherwife have done; then, on Fc-bes find-
ing this, he purfued examinant up to FlatbuJ):, and not finding him there,
purfued him to Polhemus, about four miles from Jamaica, in order to
get his money ; that this examinant, finding there was no way to get rid
of him, told him that on Monday examinant would come to town and

pay

( 76 )

pay h,m his money, which was accordingly done, viz: one hun-rod and
fourteen pounc's eight fliiljings, and examinant then hoped tl.at he fliould
not be plagued with him any more ; that the next dav examinant again
came to town, and had been in his houfe but a tew minutes when Forhe,
came mto cxaminant's office; that examinant told him he mull never
come into cxaminant's office any more, on which he went away without
raying a word; that John Toung, the cxaminant's clerk, was prefent
and then in the faid office, and that examinant has not feen the faid
Forba fincc; that at the time when the faid i-VM called on the ex-
aminant as aforefaid. he mentioned to this examinant a fcheme he had
ot taking poiTeffion of one of the batteries when the fleet arrived, and
another fcheme of cutting down K-ng^s bridge; that this examinant
defired his friend above-mentioned to advife and beg the f.id Forbes to
defift from the faid meafures and give them over; that this examinant
has never fincc or before received from Govcrnour Tryo,, any other fum
whatever for any fuch purpofes whatever. That (hortlv before the time
wh«n this examinant paid the aforc-fald money to the faid Forbes, this
examinant was at WMrch Ferry, Handing near John Carpenter's
floop. and that the faid Fortes, being in company with one Sergeant
Gr,h<,m, turned off from faid Gr^h.,m and came up to this examinant;
thrt this examinant alkcd him where he had been ; he anfwcred that he
had been to look at all the fortifications; examinant a/kcd him whether
h^' was not afraid of being taken up by the fentries, ,o which he replied
iha. he was not. for that he could go (here whenever he p'calld. That
about ih" time when this examinant paid the inoncv alore.aid to F.rbes
this examinant being in office, a man i- -.imentals came in, which
alarmed this examinant; that he a/ked him whether he wanted this ex-
aminant; he aflced examinant whether he was the Mayor, to which
examinant replied he was, and aflced him what he wanted; he obfcrved
to this examinant. that examinant did not know him, for that he had
never feen him before; examinant (aid he did not know him; he told
examinant he was one of General Wajhington's Guards, and meant to
ferve the king; examinant told him he had nothing to do with inlilling
men for the king; he fuid he had inlilled fome that morning himfelf, and
was about to pull a paper out of his pocket, in order to Ihow examinant
their names ; that examinant told him he did not want to know their

names

( 77 )

names, and had nothing to do with ihcm, and advifcd him to return to
his quarters, for that if he was difcovcrcd he would be brought to the
gallows ; on which he went away, and examinar.t has neither feen nor
heard of him fince. That another man, a little before the time lad-
mentioned, who faid he came from the country, and knew examinam's
father and brother, came to this cxaminant to fee if he could not get on
board the (liip ; cxaminant afked him why he left his home ; he faid he
had been fo perfecuted he could not Hay ; cxaminant advifed him to
return and keep liimfclf quiet, and that cxaminant imagined nobody
would hurt him ; that he replied he muft and would get on board fome
how or other, for that he did not dare to go back ; cxaminant then aikcd
his name, which he told him was Forbes ! cxaminant told him then that
he did not iiiiow of a likelier person to fcrve him than a namefake of his
that was in town , he a(ked cxaminant if he meant Gilbert Forks, to
whi:'i ).. replied yes ; he faid he knew him, and ^vent in quell of him;
and that cxaminant has never feen him fince. That feveral other perfons,
unknown to this cxaminant, have at different times called on this cxamin-
ant to inquire how they might get on board the (hip, and that cxaminant
always advifed them to return home ; and fince examinant's interview
aforefaid with the Governour, he told fuch as called upon him for the
purpofc aforefaid that there was no room for them on board ; that many
had been turned away, and that they had better go home. That this
cxaminant has no further knowledge than what he has as aforefaid de-
clared relative to any pcrfons being engaged in the bufincfs of inlifting
men for the King's fervice, or in keeping up a communication between
the city and the Governour's (hip, or men-of-war at the Narrows.
That this cxaminant does not know otherwife than by fight, and has
never fpoken or written a line to Peter McLenn, a ITioemakcr in the
town, on any fubjeft whatever,

D. Matthews.

Neui-Tork, June 23, 1776. Examined by

Philip Livingston,
John ]\\,

GoUVERNEUR MoRRIS.

IVilliiim Forbes, of Gojhen Precinct, in Orange County, Tanner and
Cuirier, being examined, faith: That he knows Gilbert Forbes, of the

city

( 78 )

city of New York, gunfmiih ; that the firft time he faw him was in thi s
city, between the Brick Meeting .mJ the Jail j that he heard fomebody
call him Mr Forks ; this cxaminant accollcd him and told him that
his name was Forbes alfo; that thereupon thfy went mxo IlouUing's
tavern and drank together; that he has been at the houfe of the faid
Gilbert Forbes, on an invitation from him. That he knows a Sergeant
in General Wajhington's Guards, but cannot recollea his name ; that he
became acquainted with him at Corby's, (an inn-keeper,) near General
Walhington's ; that this examinant went to Corby's in company with one
James Mnfon, of Ringwood, who was at work in Corby's garden ; that

the Sergeant was a middle- n7x;d, frefh complexioncd man an Eng-

lilkman; that examinant became acquainted with James Ma/on at
Dutchejs County ; afterwards I'aw him at Gofoen, and from thence came
in company with him to this town; that he told Majon he had bcc on
board the man-of-war lall winter, while Hie lay in the Eajl River; that
he never was on board the Dutckefs-nf-Gordnn; that he never laid he
was on board the Suvage when flic fired on Staten-IJIiinJ. That he
had heard, and, among others, from the faid MaJon, that two hundred
acres of land were offered by Governour Tryon to each man who would
go in the King's fervice, and one hundred to the wife, and fifty to each
child. That examinant borrowed twenty odd fliillings of MaJon, and
promifed to repay him when examinant got money from on board the
man-of-war, where he had two brotlicrs-in-Iaw, who had promifed to
fend him money to pay his debts. That he never engaged with Go-
vernour Tryon, or with any other perfon whatever to undertake the bufi-
nefs of inlifting foldicrs for the King, nor of enticing the Continental
foldiers tokavc that fervice. That he and Ma/on came to town by way
of Elizabethtoten, and that at iVarmik, MaJon perfuaded one IVil/iam
Benjamin to go along with them. That he knows Peter MeLean, a
fhoemakcr, near the Exchange ; that examinant applied to him to put
him on board the man-of-war; that McLean anfwered he could not do
it at all, the fentries were fo ftrid ; that examinant then faid to McLean
that then he would inlilt in the Continental fervice, which he has fmce
done, in Captain Beekman's Company, of Lajher s Battalion. That
examinant, Majon, and Benjamin lodged, the firll night they came to
town, at Moulding' s; that while they were there Corby was introduced

( 79 )

to Benjamin and Ma/on by Gil'jert Forbes; Coriy took them to his
houfc, where this cxaniinant has fccn them, in company with Gi/ierl
Forbes and the aforefaid Sergeant of the Guards. This cxaniinant faw
the laid Sergeant and Gilbert Forbes adminiftcr oaths of fecrccy to
Mafon and two or three foldiers ; that Corby was prcfent when the faid
foldiers were fworn as aforefaid. That after McLean had, as aforefaid,
told this cxaniinant that he knew not how to get on board the man-of-
war, McLean recommended him to David Matthews, Efq., as a proper
pcrfon to direct him how to get on board the man-of-war ; that cxaniin-
ant accordingly went to Mr. Matthews and told him that McLean had
directed examinant to him as a proper perfon to tell him how he (liould
get on board the man of war, and that there was a lad (meaning Ma/on)
who had come down from Ringtaood, and wanted to go along j that Mr.
Matthews told him it was too dangerous for him to fay anything about
it, but that he would direft him to one that could get him on board, and
fcnt this examinant for that purpofc to Gilbert Forbes,- that this cxaniin-
ant accordingly applied to the faid Gilbert Forbes, and that Forbes faid
he could not do anything in it till he had fccn Corby ; that (hortly after
the faid Gilbert Forbes told this examinant that he had feen Corby, and
that Corby faid he would get examinant on board in a few days j that
examinant afterwards faw Corby, and that he made the like prom'ife to
examinant, but Corby afterwards told him he could not ; and that he
had been able to fend only one on board, by a mulatto fellow. That
this examinant knows John Cl.irke ; and that he told this examinant that
he had fifty or fixty men to go in the King's fervice, and that he had
prevailed upon his brother. Anthony Clarke, to confent to go with them ;
that John Clarke was to he a Captain, and that one Seely, of Chefler,
ill Orange County was alfo to be one of the officers.

William Forbes.
Examined the 23d day of June, 1776, before l<s:

John Jav,

GOUVERNEUR MoRRIS.

City of N R w- York, ss :

James Savage, being examined, faith, That he hath not, during the
prefcnt troubles, inlillcd or engaged any men in the fervice of the King

( 8o )

or kept up or held any corrcfpondence with any perfons on board the
Dulchefs-of-Gordott, or the (hips or veflcis of wpr at the Kurrotvs.

Philip Livingston,
John Jay,

GoUVEKNEUR MoRRIS.

New-York', June 23, 1776.

John Clurke, of Blooming Grove, in Orr.nge County, Painter and
Glazier, faith. That he never hath inlifted any men for the King, nor
engaged any ; nor hath he ever faid fo. That he hath feen Gilbert
Forbes at his (liop ; went there with William Forbes to fee if faid Gil-
bert would fubfcribc for a perfpeitive view of Oiiebcck ; that he did not
tcil William Forbes tha' he was concerned in inlilling men, nor that he
was employed by Govcrnour Tryon ; that lie did not tell faid William
Forbes, or any other pcrfon, that he had inlifted any men, that he did
not defire Gilbert Forbes 10 get him a palTage on board the Governour's
fliip, and that he never hath been on board the Goifcrnour's fliip, nor
attempted to go there.

John Clarke.

Examination tak-in the 23d June, 1776, before us:

Philip Livingston,
John Jay,

GoUVERNEUR MoRRIS.

John Kearl, of the city of M-fff-J^cr^, Shoemaker, being fworn, faith.
That he has for fome time paft worked as a journeyman with Piter
McLean, near the Exchange ; that the faid McLean has worked, and
both made and n ended flioes for people on board the Ajia fince
ihc has been down at the Narrows, as the faid McLean informed this depo-
nent; but this deponent knows not in what manner the faid Ihoes wcie
conveyed on board, or by whom. That this deponent has feen a coun-
tryman of the name of Forbes, frequently at McLean's, alfo one Hous-
ing, an Inn-keeper near the Barracks, and Edward Nicolls, confedlioner ;
and further faith not. John Kearl.

Examined and fworn 23d June, 1776, by and before

Phimp Livingston,
John Jay,

GoUVERNEUR MoRRIS.

City

( 8i )

City oANew-V'ork, ss:

Abraham Ackerman, commonly called Abrahnm Jones, of Clarkef-
touin. Orange County, being fworn, liith, That about a fortnight or
three weeb ago this deponent came to this city in order to get a birth
on board fomc vefTel ; that he lodged at the houfe of Peter McLean, a
niocmaker, near the Exchange; that he has feen one Mr. EJteard
Nicolls and one Pit.r Lrnge, a onfeaioncr, often at McLean's, and
heard them talk very much like Tories ; that he has often fecn a man
there whofc name he has fmce heard to be Fories, a countryman ; that
3IcLean ufcd to go fifliing often ; that this deponent believes that Mc-
Lean h now at Bu//'i Ferry —his wife has gone there (as he fays,)
once or twice a week ever fince McLean left this city, which was at the
lime fome Tories were carried about on rails; and further faith not.

Abraham Ackerman.
Sworn and examined the 23d June, 1776, before us:

Philip Livingston,
John Jay,

GOUVERNEUR MoRRIS.

John Craig, late a foldier of the Eighteenth Regiment, being duly
fworn upon the Holy Evangclifts of A/mighty God, depofcth and faith.
That being now a prifoner in the common jail of the Cily and County
of Neza-Tori, lie has frequently obfcrved that Captain Savage, a prifoner
now in the faid jail, haih received fundry letters from perfons on board
the King's (hip and the Dutchefs-of-Gordon, as he believes, by means of
one Janes, a tall man, with lightilli coloured clothes, marked with the
fmall-pox, light hair, about forty years of age; and another of the name
of Matthews, a perfon about five feet fix inches high, well fet and a
dark complexion ; that the lall of the two on Wednefday laft was in the
jail, and this deponent heard Captain Savage fay, 'Matthews, ftay a fev.'
minutes and I will have them all ready ; meaning certain letters which
he was then writing, to go on board the faid (liips. And this deponent
further faith, that the faid Captain Savage, hain inveigled a number of
the Continental troops to inlill in his Majefty's fervice, among whom are
one Irwin, belonging to Captain llardcnbergh' s Company, and late of
the Twenty-Sixth Regiment of Foot; Peter McCloJkey.oi the fame

company

( 82 )

company, a fifer, and late of the fame regiment; Richard Smith, of the
fame company, late of the Seventh Regiment of Foot; and J .ma John-
fon, a fifer of the General's Guards. And this deponent fur.her faith,
that Qilbm Forbes, who is. as he is informed, committed by order of a
Committee of the Congrefs. is confined in the room oppof.te to him •
that a fentry was placed on the outfide of the door of the room in which
faid F,rbn is confin.'d ; that the outer and inner doors were fhut ; and
about ten o'clock at night, Peter Chiles, a, the requeft of faid Forbes, and
of the Tones, in the jail, opened the inner door, that faij Fwbes might
as he (a.d have air ; that C^//« opened the inner door by pufl,ing the
bolts back with the ramming-rod of the fentry, who was placed at the
door. That after the door was opened, the faid Forbes, by means of a
hole in the outer door, converfcd freely with the Tories in the palTage;
that Harris the midihipman taken by the Riflunen from on board the
Savage, and Mr. Medealf. fpoke to him ; and the faid Forbes gave two
half pints of liquor to the woman to hng Tory fongs. .And further this
deponent faith, that Mr. Harris hath written fundry letters, as well as
the faid Captam Savag,, to go on board the Ihid fliips ; and that Mr. Har
ns and Mr. Elder are, as this deponent believes, concerned with the
fa.d Captain Savage in inlilling the men; and further this deponent
faith not.

Sworn the 23d o( June, 1776, before us:

John Craig.

Philip Livingston,
John Jay.

GOUVERNEUR MoRRIS.

C//y «/'New-York, w;

John Andrews, a Corporal of Captain Dewit's Minute Company at
Rhinebeck, and now a priforer in the fime room with the above-named
John Craig, being duly fworn, depofeth and faith, That the fcveral
matters and facts in the above depofition contained arc, to the bell of
his knowledge and belief, true, the faid John Andrew, from being con-
fined in the fame room with the faid John Craig, being in the like

manner

( 83 )

manner with the faid Jcbn Crmg privy to the fevcral matters and things
contained in the faid affidavit.

Sworn the 23d of June, 1776, before us:

hit
"John X Andrew.
mark.

PHir.ip Livingston,
John J,\v,

GOUVERNEUR MoRRIS.

Monday, ten o'clock .\. M., June 24, 1776.
The Committee met in the Council-Chamber in the City-Haij of the
Ciiy of New-York, purfuant to (he agreement of Yeftcrday, the Court-
Room being occupied by prifoners and guard.

Profcnt: John J„y, Efq., Chairman, Mr. Phi/if, Livwgjhn, Mr.
UolMirt, Mr. R>wd^//, Colonel Graham, Mr. Morris, Mr. Ganjev.ort

Mr. Axtell aiicndcd in purfuancc of the fummons from this Com-
mittee, and relurnable this day.

The Chairman informed Mr. Axtell oi the Refoluiions of the Con-
grefs relative to perfons of equivocal character, and told him the Com-
mittee hoped he would give ihcm c\idence of his being a friend to the
American caufe

Mr. Axttll appealed to the uniform tenour of his conduft, which he
faid, had never been unfriendly to this country.

The Chairman then alked him whether he approved of the American
oppofition. He replied that he did not of the whole, and fignified his
difapprobation of the Canada expedition.

The Chairman aflced him whether he thought the Parliament of
Great Britain had a right to bind thefc Colonies in all cafes whatfoever.
To* which he replied that, in his opinion, they had not.

The Chairman then aflced him whether refinance by arms to the hof-
tile attempts of the Britijk fleets and armies, to execute and enforce
thofe claims to this quellion, was juftifiable.

Mr. ^.v/,-// declined to give an anfwer, declaring that he did not mean
to take an adive part on either fide — that the bulk of his fortune was
in Britain and the Weft-Indies.

Mr. Axtell was then defired to withdraw.

And

( 84 )

And the Committee went into a confulcration of Mr. Axull's cafe
m the courfc of which the following quellions were put by the Chairman.
Whether Mr. Axull is fuch a friend to the country a, i, defcribed in
. the (aid relolutions? Carried unanimoiifly in the negative.

2d. Whether it is necclTary to remove Mr. .'Vxtell from his prcfent
place of refidencc' On which Mr. V»/.rr/j moved that the quellion be
deterred for conf.deration. Which was carried in the negative.

The queftion being then put. Whether he Ihall be removed from his
prefent place of refidence' Agreed unanimouflv in the negative.

Thequcllion was then put. uhether any other fecuritv ft.ould be
demanded of Mr. .lA-/.//than his parole .» Agreed unanimoufly that his
parole IS fufficient. and that no other fecurity be required.

Mr. Axlctl was then called in. and defired to give his parole that he
would not, dircftly or indiredly. oppofe or contravene the meallires of
the Continental Congrefs or of the Congrefs of this Colony. Mr. Axttll
objected that the parole is fo broad that it may admit of difagreeable
conftructionsof fuch part of his condurt as he mav think the moll inno-
cent, and ofTere.! to give his parole not to tal;e an ailive part againll the
American caufe.

A copy of the parole was then given unto him, and he was defired to
confider the fame, and attend this Committee again on Thurfday next.

John Willelt, Efq., attending on a fummons returnable here this day,
was called in ; and the refolutions of the Congrefs of this Colony as to
perfons of equivocal character, read to him by the Chairman.

The faid Mn Wiltetl, was then aflced by the Chairman whether he
had any evidence to give, or could fliow caufe why he fliould be confidcrcd
as a friend to America, &c. To which he replied that he had no other
reafon but his opinion that the Parliament have no right to lay internal
taxes on America.

Said John Wilictt was then aflced if he would fign the AITjciation by
the Provincial Congrefs made on the 20th inllant. To which he replied
that he had no other objection to it but that he did not choofe to take up
arms.

Said John Wiltett was then aflced whether he thought the caufe of
America jull or unjuft. To which he replied he was not a proper judge
of the matter.

Said

( 8s )

Said JebH Wilitlt was then aflccd whether he was for the Congrcfs or
againft it. To which he replied he was not againft it.

Said John Wilielt was then afkcd if he was for ihe Congrcfs. To
which he rephed he fhouid never diftiirb them.

Said John IViliett was then aflccd to whom he wiihed fuccefs — General
WaJh'mgUH or General Ihwe. To which he rephed he wiflied thofc
might fucceed who had juftice on their fide.

Said Jdhn Wulttt was then aflccd on which fulc he thought juftice was.
To which he replied he was no judge, but wifhcd that juftice might take
place.

The faid John Wil/ett was then rcqucftcd to withdraw.

Rtfohed vnitnimoujly, That the faid Jobi: . i Ulett is not a friend to the
cuufc and rights of Amerha.

Rejolvid uK/inimouJly, That it is not neccflary to remove the faid John
Wil/ett from his ftated place of rcfidcnce.

Refolved un inimoiijly. That the faid John WilUtt give bond to the
Prcfidcnt of ihc Congrcfs of this Colony for the time being, by name, in
the fum of two thoufand pounds, that he will neither directly nor indi-
redly contravene or oppofe the meafures of the Continental Congrcfs or
of the Congrcfs of this Colony.

The faid John WilUtt was then called in, and did confent to give fuch
bond ; wherefore,

Ordered, that Mr. ^IcKeJpin prepare and get the fame executed by
the faid John IVi/Zett.

Know all men by thefe prefents, that I, John Wittett, of the Townlhip
of Jammea, in ^eens County, of the Colony of Netv-Tork, Efquire,
am held and firmly bound unto John Hiiring, Efq., Prcfidcnt of the
Congrcfs of the Colony of Nete-Tork, in the (um of two thoufand
pounds, lawful money of Nftv-7'crk, to be paid to the (aid John Ilaring
or to his certain attorney, executors, adniiniftrators and afligns; for which
payment well and truly to be made and done, I bind myfelf, my heirSt
executors and adminiftrators, firmly by ihefe prefents.

Scaled with my fcal, and dated this twenty-fourth day of June, in the
year of our Lord one th;,iiiand, fevcn hundred and feventy-fix.

The condition of the above obligation is fuch, that if the above-bound
John Willett fliall neither direilly nor indiredly oppofe or contravene

the

( 86 )

the meafuresof the Continental Co-grcfs or the Congrcfs of this Colony
.hen the abuve obligation to be void; othcrwill to remain m full force
and virtue.

Scaled and delivered in the prefence of us :

John Willett.

Robert Benson,
John McKesson.

C.^nJn.:Ud H.r„U,on, attending on the f.mmons, returnable
ner-; ihis di»v, was called in.

The Chairman informed Captain Jl.m./lon of the reafons of his bein^
fo (ummoned. and red to him the refolutions of Congrefs rclati,e to per^
fons of equivocal charafler, and .old him he was confidered as of that
number; and that the Committee hoped he woul 1 give them fatisfaftory
evdcnce of his being a friend to jimcrka.

Captain Ihmi/tm d,creupon obferved that he loved ^mmca: that he
fought and bled and been in irons for her; that he wilhes her free and
happy; and that no promifes or offers of reward or prefern.en, could
temi -..n ,0 draw his Iword ..gainlf her; that he has refu^xl fuch offers,
and that he holds no office or commiHion whatever under the King of
Great Br„„in; that he has a brother and other near relations now ferv-
.ng .n the Kmg's armies, and that he could not think of unn>eathing his
fword againft them or the King.

Captain Hamlun, on being .-Iked '.y the chair.n.n, whether, in his
op.nton. the Parliament of ilrc, BrUair, have a right to bind thcfe
Colon.es ,n all cafes whatfoever; faid he was not (ulKciently acquainted
wtth fubjeds of that kind ,o anfwer the quertion ; but that if he had twenty
hear:,, he would fooner lofe :•.. blood in the . all than lofe his liberty

The chairman then afked i^im whethc he would give his parole of
honour neither direaiy nor indircdlly to oppofe or contravce the mea-
K'reso, the Continental Congrefs or the Congrefs of this Colony; to
which he anfwered that he would very readily, lor that he never would
injure America in word, though', or devd.

Captain Hamilur. w„s then defired to withdraw, and the committee
proceeded to take his cafe into conlideration. The refult of which « „
that they '

Rc/blved

( 87 )

Rejolved, That Captain Hamilton was not fuch a friend to the Ameri-
can caufc as is defcribed in tlie (aid rofolutions of the Congrcfs ; that it
was unncceflary that he ftiould be removed from the place of his prefcnt
refidcnce; that confidence might be repofcd in him as a man of honour;
and therefore that his parole was fufticicnt feciirity for his not oppofing or
contravening the meafures of the Continental Congrefs or the Congrefs of
this Colony,

Captain Hamilton was then called in, and on his agreeing to give
fuch parole, it was reduced to writing, and, on his figning it, was
difcharged.

New- York, June 24, 1776.
I, Archibald Ihmillon, Efq., do declare upon my honour that I will
not, dircitly or indiredly, oppofe or contravene the meafures of the Con-
tinental Congrefs or of the Congrefs of this Colony.

Arch. Hamilton.

John Yates, of the Wallkilt Precind^, in Vlfter County, labourer, being
fworn, faith : That early in this laft fpring Abfalom Bull, one of depo-
nent's neighbours, came to him and told him he was but a poor man, and
that if he would go with the faid Bull, he would make a gentleman of
this deponent. That this deponent aftcd him how. He replica that if
this deponent would go and fcrve the King for three years, or to the end
of the American war if that niould fooner happen, this deponent ftiould
have two hundred acres of land on the frontiers. That deponent faid it
was very uncertain, for he did not fee how he was to get a warranty deed
for it; but if he could get a warranty deed for two hundred acres of land,
he did not knou but he might engage. On this they parted. That for
many days repeatedly after that, the faid Ahfalom Bull, together with
Ijaac Waugh and Richard Bull, came to this deponent and prefTed him
to cuter into the King's fervice, but the deponent put them off. That
they afterwards went, as they informed this deponent, on board the man-
of-war, and when they returned, brought him a letter from Governour
Tryon, informing this deponent that if he would come on board his ftiip
and pilot the men-of-war up the North River, he would give this depo-
nent a dollar a day and five pounds a fool for every foot that the vefTel
N he

( 88 )

he piloted drew more than twenty feet, and (lioiild have two hundred
acres of land at the determination of the Amtrkm war ; and that Inhind,
Scotland and Wales had all united with £»^/rt/rrt' to fubdue America.
That this deponent had, till within a few years lafl part, been a feafaring
man, and was well acquainted «ith the navigation of the North River,
which was well known to his faid neighbours, and, as this deponent be-
lieves, was by them made I;nown to Governour Trpn That this
deponent afterwards received two other letters of the like import, from
Governour Tryon. That about fix weeks ago this deponent, together
wl:h the faid ALjahm Bull, Richard Bull, and lfa,ic Waugh, travelled
from their hemes down through Wcjtchelicr County to White-Stone
Ferry, where they crofled over to Long-IJland, and thence to Hetnpflead,
and went to the houle of one Simon/on, a tavern-keeper, in that town ;
that they went from thence to the houfe of Captain llulet, where ihey all
lodged ; that the next morning this deponent's companions went ofFfrom
Eockauiay in an oyller-boat that plied between that coaft and the fliips,
and fupplied them with provifions, as he was informed and believed ;
that they dcfircd this deponent to go with them, but this deponent being
fick, and not much inclined to go on board, faid he would wait at
Captain Hulet's till their return ; that after three days they all returned
to this deponent at Captain Ihlet'i, aforefaid, and that Colonel Fanning,
the Governour's fecrctary, came with them ; that the faid Colonel Fan-
ning was well known to this deponent, he having often fcen him, and this
deponent having been a mariner in Captain Ilunter'i (hip, which
brought the Colonel from England; that at prcfent this deponent did not
know Colonel Fanning, he being difguifed in the drefs of a common
labouring man, but on taking this deponent afide he made himfelf known
to him, u hereupon this deponent immediately rccolleaed his face and
perfon ; that he aflccd this deponent to go on board with him j this de-
ponent anfwercd that he was too fick to go ; that then the Colonel told
him that if he couid not go then, he mull come down when the fleet ar-
rived, and that they would fend this deponent a letter to inform him of it,
to which this deponent agreed. That Colonel Fanning told him New-
rork was to be the feat of war; that fome of the fleet would run into the
Sound, and land troops on Long- IJI and ; that another divifion would

land

( 89 )

land on the fouth fide and hoift the King's Standard ; and that all the
men that engaged to ferve the King ftiould come to iw^.//W and join
them, and that cannon was already provided in different parts of Long.
IJland, and that there were then three field-pieces and a mortar-piece
under the floor of the barn of the faid Simonfon. The faid Colonel
Fanning aifo told this deponent that they flioujd want him to pilot veffels
of war up the North River, and that the lavage, Phenix. and Sbuldan
(which, he believes, was formerly the Rhode-IJland paciict) were de-
figned for that fervice. That the Colonel defircd this deponent to bring
all the provifions he could on board the fiiips. and that he fliould receive
the following prices for them, viz.. five pounds a barrel for fait pork,
one fliilling per pound for gammons, eighteen pence per pound for butter',
and a good price for fowls, eggs, &c., and then gave this deponent a
paper (now delivered) with a feal on it, and the letters W. T. on the
back of it, and told this deponent that it would ferve him as a pafs to go
by all the men-of-war and cruifers unmoleiled. That Colonel Fanning
further told this deponent that Abfalm Bull, aforefaid, had inlilled a
great many men, and dcfired this deponent to do the like, but this de-
ponent declined it. That this deponent knows John Clarke, a painter ;
that he faw kirn in this town about a fortnight ago ; that he told this de^
ponent he was going on board the fhips, and requefted this deponent to go
with him, which this deponent refufed ; that he advifed this deponent to
engage to fight for the King, and faid the Americans would be beat.
That the aforefaid Mfalom Hull this fpring Ihowed this deponent a lift
ofperfonswhomhehad inlilled for the King's fervice; that the faid
Abfalom told this deponent that there were two hundred names on it.
which this deponent really believes to be true, but this deponent does not
remember the names of any of them, except Richard Bull, Alexander
Scadden, James Scadden, Ijaac Waugh. John Clarke, (the painter
atorcluid) Jetvel Smith, and one Seely, of a place in Orange County,
called Oxford. That Ai/alom Bull aforefaid was to be a Captain, and
had a coniinillion for it from Governour Tryon, which he fliowed to this
deponent, and that it was written on parchment, and a great feal hanging
to it, but that this deponent did not read it. The (aid Aifalom Bull
further faid, that all the men (b inlifted for the King's fervice were to join

the

( 90 )

the fleet when i, arrived, and that all who did not, woald be treated as
deferiers from the King's fervice.

his
John x Yates.

Sworn the 24,h June, 1776, before us.

mark.
John Jay,

GOUVERNEUR MoRRIS.

To CaptaiH .4BEEL, ofCohnelhK%m^h Battalion :

Sm: Whereas Simerfon, of the Townlhip of IhmpJIead in

«*...r. County Inn-keeper. Hands eharged with dangerous deligns and
r fonable confpiracies againrt the rights and liberties of Arnerla, and
that for the perpetration of fuch wicked defigns and confpiracies he hath
divers cannon and other implements of war now concealed : we therefore
by virtue of the power and authority unto us given by a refolve of the
Congrefs of this Colony of the 20.h o^ June inftant. do authorise and re-
quire you to caufe to be apprehended and fecured the faid Simcrjon

WHh all h,s papers, and ,0 makefearch for and take all Cannon and other
implements of war wha.foever in his houfe, barn, and outhoufes , and that
return be made to us of the manner in which this warrant (liall be exe-
cuted. ,n order that the fa„,e may be made known to the faid Congrefs
Oiven under our hands this 24th day oijune, 1776.

In the Council-Chamber of the City-Hall of the Ciiyof ]
New-York. June 2;, 1776.
1 he Committee met purfuant to adjournment.
Prefent-7.*, Jay, Efq., Chairman; Mr. Philip LivingHon, Mr.
Hobart, Colonel Graham, Mr. Tredwell, Mr. Morris, and Mr. Game
voort. ■'

Mr. Hoiart and Colonel Graham reported a draft of a Warrant to be
iflued agamft fuch perfons of equivocal charafler as may ncgled or refufe
to appear on fummons; which being read, amended, and agreed to, is in
the words following, to wit :

Whereas the Congrefs of the Colony of NewTcrk, on the 5,1, day of
7«»^inllant, did pafs certain refolutions, reciting, among other things.

that

(91 )

that ' whereas there are in this Colony divers perfons who, by reafon of
their holding offices from the King of Great Bntam—fxom their having
negleaed or rcfufcd to aflbciate with their fellow-citizens for the defence
of their common rights— from their having never manifelled. by their
condua, a zeal for, and an attachment to the American caiife-or from their
having maintained an equivocal neutrality, have been confidered by their
countrymen in a fufpicious light-wherel,y it hath become necefTary, as
well for the fafetyas for the fatisfaflion of the people, (who, in times fo
dangerous and critical, are naturally led to confider thofe as their enemies
who withhold from them their aid and influence.) that fundry perfons in

the faid refolution named, of which number j, one

and alfo all fuch other perfons of the like charafter as wc,' a Committee
of the faid Congrcfs for that purpofe by the rcfolutions aforefaid duly ap-
pointed and authorized, may think proper, be fummoned to appear before
us at fuch time and place as we (hould appoint, then and there to fliow
caufe. if any they have, why they ihould be confidered as friends to the
Jmerican caufe. and as of the number of thofe who arc ready to ri(k their
lives and fortunes in defence of the rights and liberties of America againft
the ufurpation, unjull claims, and cruel oppreffions of the Britijh Parlia-
ment-which rights and liberties, and which unjull claims, and cruel
oppreflions, arc fpccified and ftatcd in divers addrcfTcs, petitions, and rc-
folutions, of the prcfcnt and late Continental CongrclFcs ;' and in default
of appearance, wc, the Committee aforefaid, on proof made of the fcrvice
ot the faid fummons, are authorized and diicaed to caufe them to be
arrellcd and brought before us by warrant under our hands, direaed to
any militia officer in this Colony, who is, by the faid refolves, required to
execute the fame; and whereas, in purfuancc of the rcfolutions aforefaid
of the faid Congrefs, we, the Committee aforefaid. did. on the ... day

ot June inftant, iffiie our fummons to the above mentioned to

appear before us at the City-Hall of the City of New-York, on

'^^ ''••>' "f" • at o'clock in the

.... noon of the faid day to (liow caufe, if any he had, why he rtiould
be confidered as a friend to the common caufe ; and which fummons was
duly ferved on the faid «, ,pp,,„ (,, ,he return of

the Mcrenger of this Congrefs, thereto duly appointed

and fworn ; and whereas fiid did not appear in purfuance

( 92 )

of thcfummons aforefaid, but hath made default ; We, therefore the
Committee aforefaid. in purfuanee of the trull repofed in us by .he re-
folves aforefaid, do authorize and require you forthwith to arrcft and bring
before us. at the City-Hall of the Ci,y of Neu,.rork. the above-named

■, for the purpofe aforefaid, and to abide fuch order in

the prcm.fes as by us may be made; and bring with you then there this
warrant.
Given at Netv-Torii,

Mr. Hoiar, and Colonel Grah.r, reported a draft of a fummons to
pcrlons m.mical to the eaufe and rights of America; whieh being read
was agreed to, and is in the words following, to wit :

Whereas, by certain Relblutions of the Congrefs of the Colony of New-
- »ri,of the 5.h day o( June inftant, we. a Committee of the faid Con-
grefs. were authorized and required to fummon certain perfons. whofe
eondua had been reprefented to the faid Congrefs as inimical to the caufe
and rights o( Jmeria,, of which number you are one. to appear before us
at fuch t.me and place as we might think proper, then and there to aniwer
to lueh matters and things as flull be alleged againll them, and Ihow caufe
(If any they have) why they (hould be confidered as friends to the Jme-
nean caufe: We do. therefore, in purfuanee of the truft repofed in us by
the fa>d refoluuons, fummon you to appear before us for the purpofes
aforefaid, at the City-Hall ofthe City of New-York, on .the

''■■■■■, ^^ ° • ^'^ o'clock in the forenoon

ot the fame day.

Ordered, That the Secretary prepare all the Summonfes direfted to be
iffUed to the perfons named in the faid rcfolutions of Congrefs by to-
morrow morning.

Ordered, aljo. That a number of V'arrants aforefaid be prepared
The Committee then adjourned for an hour to meet again at Scott's
Tavern, in Walt Street.

George Bremrton, of the City o( Nezv-nrk. Efquire. being examined
faith: That he never was engaged in any defign of inliiling men to ferve
the King againft the ^«rm.,m; nor was he oiherwife acquainted with
the exillence of any fuch def.gn. except in the following manner- Cap-
tain lienjon, about three weeks ago. told this examinant he had heard
that GMert Forbes was employed in inlifting men for ihe King's fervice.

and

(93 )

and aflted this cxaminam whether he knew anything of it. That ex-
aminant told him he knew nothing of the matter, and that V Forks had
engaged in that i.ufineft he was a fool. That this cxaminant afterward,
a/ked horba about it. and told him if he inlilkd any men in thatwav he
did wrong. That fW« replied, that there was nothing in it. and'that
he was not engaged in any ftich bufinefs. That this deponent, inftead of
aidmg the Minifterial armies, had advifed and perfuaded men to inlift in
the Continental fervice j and without being applied to by the Committee
for that purpofe did difpofe of feven or eight firelocks to be employed in
the detbnce of the American caufe, and would have remained in this city
and alhlled in defending it had it not been for the late riotous proceedings
againll pcrfons fufpefted of being Tories, under which fufpicion this cx-
aminant had fallen, as he ^uppofes. from his refufing to Hgn the Aflbciation
of the Committee of Safety, to which he, as well as many other good
friends to the caufe, refufed to fubfcribc.

That this cxaminant has figned the rtrll AlTocialion. and has no ob-
jeaion to figning the lall. in common with his fellow citi/.cns. That about
five weeks ago, David Matthewi, Efq., alkcd this cxaminant whether he
knew Forhe!. That this deponent faid he knew molf of the Fcrbcjcs ■
and aflced Mr. Mauiem why. He faid that he had an account againli
Governour 7>y.«. and that the Governour had fent monev by him to
pay forks. That the cxaminant then aflced Mr. Matti>e«;s how the
Governour came to owe him money. He replied that he believed it was
for nflc.guns that he had fcnt him. On which this cxaminant obfervcd
that It mull be GMcrl Foria. the gunfmith ; and that this cxaminant
faid he did not take him for fuch a fellow. Mr. Mallhtvs Hud that he
was alfo much furprifed. Examinant faid he would fpcak to Forbes
That cxaminant afterwards faw Forbes, and aflced him whether he had
an account againll Governor Tryon ,■ to which he anfwered no. Th-t
examinam aflced him if he had not il-nt things to the Governour; to
which he faid no. That examinant then faid he thought he had heard
the Mayor fay he had received money for him from Governour 7'ryon
Forbes then confciTed that the Governour owed him money. Examinant
then lelt him witho.it further quellions. That fon;c time afterwards cx-
aminant received a kw lines from Mr. Mayor, with fome money
informing this examinant that he was going out of town, and recjuelling

him

{ 94 )

him to deliver it to Forbes, which exatninant did. That this examinant
does not remember that the Mayor defired iiim to difTuadc Forbes from
the profecution of any dcfigns againft America ; but that this examinant
did, as aforcfaid, of his own accord, call upon I'orbes, and fo difluadc
him as above related.

This examinant moft folemnly declares that he never entertained or
was concerned in any dcfign whatever againll the intcrcft and fafety of
America.

George Brewerton.

Taken before us the 25th oi June, 1776.

Philip Livingston,

GOVVERNEUR MoRRIS.

Know all men by thefe prefents, that we, George Brewerton and Jacob
Brewerton of the City of New-Tori, Efquires, are held and firmly bound
unto John Haring, Efq., Prefident of the Congrefs of the Colony of
New-1 ork, in tne funi of five hundred pounds, lawful money of the
Colony of New-Tork, to be paid to the faid Jol^n Haring, his executors,
adminiftrators, or afligns ; for the payment whereof we do bind ourfclves,
our heirs, executors and adminillrators, jointly and (everally by thefe
prefents. Sealed with our feals, and dated the 2;ih day of June, 1776.

The condition of this obligation is fuch, that if the above bounden
George linwerlon fliall, upon reafonable notice unto him given, or left
at the ufual place of his abode, attend the Provincial Congrefs, or a Com-
mittee of the faid Congrefs, at fuch lime and place as he Ihall be
required, then the above obligation to be void, elle to remain in
force.

George Brewerton,
Jacob Brewerton.

Scaled and delivered in the prefencc of

Philip Livingston,
Gouverneur Morris.

Whereas George Brewerton, Efquire, ftood charged before us with

oeing

( 95 )

being pnvy to c.r,a.n dangerous dcfigns and treafonable confpiracies
agamft the ngh.s and libcr.ies of America , and whereas. aft„ ftria „
qu,ry ,nto the feveral allegations againft the faid George Bre^er.l I
are of op.n.on that the faid charge is not well founded : We. .ZlT.
mjuft,cetothe faid George Bre.erUn,A. here- certify the tl'
Andasthe a.d G«.,. Bre.er.„, together with jJtBre^lZ
have g.ven bond to the Pref.den. of the Congrefs of this Colony for ';
appearance of h„„. the faid George Bre.er,on, before the Congrefs

■s Colony whenever called upon, for his good behaviour as a' Hend
Ipon us ""'• "" "'""''' '"" '-- ^" ^""^" --dance

Given under our hands the 2;th day of June. 1776
To Mr. WV...X v.. Z^Nnr. . LieuUnm in Colonel Usher's

Whereas AW., C,,«.^, of ,he City of Neu,.rork, Innkeeper

fold to tl^e fa.d Hugh certam quantities of gunpowder, which there i,
gjea^reafontofufpeathe faid NUhol. obtained fro. the enelel
^-.r...andforthepurpofeof injuring its caufe; and whereas it i,
reprcfcntedtousthatthefaidA^^W. is notorioufly difaffcaed to h
^™ caufe : We do. therefore, in purfuance of'a certain refolve o
the Congrefs o the Colony of Ne.-Tork, authorize and require you to
apprehcn the fa.d Nicholas Connery, and n,ake diligent fearch „ 1
d vcll.ng-houfe and other buildings for gunpowder, and other i.ple.ents
o war. and the fame in fafe cuftody to keep, and the faid Nicbol forth-
w, h to brmg before us. to the end that we may inquire into the premifes
and make fuch order in the premifes as may be necefl-ary ; an mlc'
yo^rns to us of the manner in which you fl,alf 'e Jte iu

Given under our hands this 25th day of June, 1776.

John Jay,

GOUVERNEUR MoRRlS.

C/Vy «/ New York, ss :

HolyE,.„gel,rts.dodepofe, that they, together with Miebael Tromper

and

( 96 )

and Abraham Broteer, fomewhcre about the 2d or 3d day of May, were in
company at the houfe of Mr. Elliwortb at Paului-Hmk ; that while there,
Jtha Taylcr came in, and after calling for wine, and prefling them to
drink, pulled out a good many bills, declaring that he had then five hun-
dred pounds about him, which he had received for lands fold by him in
Morru County ; that he had been up there twice before, and received in
all upwards of feventeen hundred pounds, and that he expefted to go up
again and receive more. That thefe deponents were much furpriled to
hear the faid Taylor make fuch declarations, as they took him to be in
low circumftances, and knew him to be a man of infamous charafter.
That the faid Taylor was then armed with piftols and a cullafs, and gave
as a reafon for carrying thofe arms that he was afraid of being infulted
upon the road And the faid James Campbell further faith that he be-
lieves the faid John Taylor to be greatly difaffefted to the American caufe,
as the faid Taykr is intimate with Gilbert Forbes and others of the like
(lamp. And further he faith, that, at the time above-mentioned, the faid
John Taylcr pulled out a purfe, in which was gold and filver, about three
inches deep and three or four inches in diameter ; and further '.hefe depo-

nents, or either of them, fay not.

James Campbell,
Alexander Anderson.

Sworn before us, the 25th day o(June, 1776:

Philip Livingston,
John Jay,

GOUVERNEUR MoRRIS.

City-Hall, New-York, June 26, 1776.

The Committee met purfuant to adjournment ; and, for want of room,
adjourned to Scott's Tavern: Prefent, Mr. Philip Livinglion, Mr. 2'red-
teell. Colonel Graham, Mr. Randall, Mr. Ganfet'oort.

The gendemcn prefent unanimoully chofc Leonard Ganfevoort, Efq.,
Chairman pro tempore.

The Committee refumed the confideration of the cafe of Doctor Samuel
Mitrlia. The proceedings of yefterday as to Mr. Martin were read ;
and the Committee refumed the queftion, the determination of which was
poftponed yefterday, and the fame quelUon was put by the Chairman.

And

( 97 )

7ZIT '""""''-"' '-- t-c place of hi, prefent refidTn ,
there ., not .„y proof offered or known to thi, Committee that he ha

of this Colony on the 1 7th day of Fe6ru<,r, laft.

RefiM unanim^yfly. That Dr. Martin's parole be taken that he will
not. d,rc«ly or .ndireaiy. oppofe or contravene the meafures of the Co!

nental Congrcfs or the Congrefs of thi, Colony, and .ha, hi^;,
together wuh the above mentioned bond, i, fufficicnt fecurity

ckre upon my honour, that I will not. direftl. or indiredly. oppofe or

:;:; ci:;;^^'^" °^ ''- '-^--^ ^-«^^^'- -^^-^ cLgre^;

Samuel Martin.
A certified copy of which Parole was given to the faid Sa.ue/ Mar,„
Mr. ^.r ,. ,hen rcqucfted that feme certificate might be given to him to

Thereupon a Certificate .vas given to Mr. Marn„ in the words follow-
*»'5» VIZ ,

In a Special Committee of the Colony of New-York, i
\xn. n June 26. 1776. \

;He.to ^o behave Hi.fc.f peaceabi;:!;:::;::^j: /^r

fures o the Con.men.al Congrefs of the United Colonies or of the "n

wh t\:7 °' ^^■'■'''' "^ ''' '""'^^'^ -""^ fo to do and

whereas .he fa. W ;^,,,, ,„„ „, ,^^ ,^,^ ^ ^° •

ra,d Congrefs of ,h.s Colony ,ha, he will not. direftly or indireftly opp fl
or contravene the meafures of the Continental Congrefs or of L Cot

of the Un,ted CoIon.es. and to all other perfons whomfoever. on, to mo-
left.

TOrnirti

{98 )

left, interrupt, or diftiirb the faid Samuel Martin while he coniinuej 10
fulfil the condition of his faid bond, and to obferve and keep his parole of
honour.

Ordered, That Summons do ifluc, &c.

Adjourned to nine o'clock to-morrow morning.

Know all men by thcfc prcfents, that wc, Jmes Mattbeua, of Mal-
Ibewsffld, in the PrecinO oi Cornwall, in the County of Orange, gentle-
man, inA Nathaniel Strong, of Blooming-Grove, in the Precinft and
County aforefaid, Efquires, are held and firmly bound unto John Uaring,
Efq., Prefident of the Congrefs of the Colony of New-Tori, in the fum of
five hundred pounds, lawful money of New- fori, to be paid to ihc faid
Join Haring, his executors, adniinillrators, or afligns; for the payment
of which fum wc do bind ourfelvcs, jointly and fcverally, firmly by thcfe
prcfents. Sealed with our feals, dated the 26th day o( June, 1776.

The condition of the above obligation is fuch, that if the above bounden
^ames Matthews fliall, on rcafonable notice to him given, or left at the
ufual place of his abode, attend the Congrefs of this Colony for the time
being, or a Committee thereof hereunto duly authorized and appointed,
and anfwer fur' matters as may be alleged againll him, and, in the mean
time, fhall r icher dircflly nor indirectly contravene or oppofc the mca-
fures of the Continental Congrefs or the Congrefs of this Colony, but, on
the contrary, Ihall approve himfelf a good friend to the American caufe,
then the above obligation fhall be void, otherwife remain in full force and
virtue.

SeaL'd and delivered in the prefencc of

James Matthews,
Nathaniel Strono.

Philip Livingston,
GouvE»%ei-n Morris.

I, James Matthews, Efquire, of Orange County, in ti\e Colony of S'm
fori, do mod folemnly declare that the claims of the £i'iup I'arliaiiicnt
to bind, at their difcretion, the People of the United Colonics in America
in all cafes whatfoever, are, in my opinion, abfurd, unjuft and tyrannical ;
and that the hoftile attempts of their fleets and armies to enforce fubmif-
fion to thofe wicked and ridiculous claims ought to be refilled by arms ;

and

( 99 )

f red. ,0 defend by arm, thefe United Colonies .gaintt ,he faid hott,lc

the Congrefl-es or future General AITemblie, of thi, Colony have. orft..Il
for that purpofe. make and eftabliib. ve. or mail.

New York. June ,6. ,776. J-« M.„„.w,.

iITT""" being fwo^n, faith : That when he was firft put into the
Ja.1 of ,h,s e.,y. vz: about fix weeks ago. he wa, confined there in the
ftp,e roon, w.th rW A-.,,,, of the city of N.u, Tork. hoftler; tha,
e fatd /.,.,„ ,fl,,d .his deponent where he came fro. ; deponent told
hm, h was oorn and brought up in QW. County ; he a/kcd this de-

he fa d A;..„.„ thereupon fpoke very freely to thi, deponent on the fub-

« o.po,.,c , and faid he would be da,nned if the fleet did not come

oon and let the,, all out ; he confefTed to this deponent that he had fcveral

nrnes een on board the D.U,,Uf.a.r,.n. wLre he had feen y^' W

HuUt.., rw. CW/.. that he alfo feen Governour Tr,.n often, and

hat the Governour would talk very free with ,he,n ; tha, they had on board

le:';;:^^'''"^'"'"^'''"*"'^''"'"^'''-''^™-''^-^

fld h T"°" '''^ "'"'"-^ '''''''' '"' '"°->' -'^ -hat he ex-

Pcaed the next day ,„ receive it; that the next dav the faid Thom.s
reccved a letter which he faid was from the Governou, and alfo fome
water.w.rk money, which he faid they counterfeited on board the Duube,
and he hnnielf had feen them printing it off, that they had a cheft oH '
Th,s deponent fay, that the money aforefaid refembled .he faid water-
work money fo much thathefl,ould have taken it for genuine bu 1.
he paper leemed to be rather thicker. The faid A'. Jf„„he to

And this deponent further faith : That the faid Ver.on told him thev
«.re ,nl,mng men in the King's fervice. and that a Captain in Col nTl
M.^.^^/. Reg,me„t. whofe name this deponent cannot recoiled, had
a comm-flion from Governour Tr,.n for that purpofe ; that a man, w'hont
the fa,d Vnn.n told th,s deponent was the faid Captain, came one day

^p i iji..,jjM; i . ii ....."..

iiSS3S?r?5S^»"

( loo )

10 the doc . of the room in whicli this deponent and the faid Vtrnan were
confined, ana converfci with the faid Vernon through the hole of the
door, but this deponent did not overhear them ; that when he went
awav, Vnnon told this deponent that was the Captain w*io was in-
liiting men for Governour Tr/on, and that he had got a hundred. The
faid Vernon alfo told this deponent that he had, by Governour Tryeiff
order, engaged with Dau/kim, an engraver, who had been taken up on a
charge of counterfeiting money, to go on beard the Duubejs and cut
money plates for the Governour, and that the Governour was to give the
faid Dawkim a hundred pounds for his trouble ; and that 'he faid Vernon
was to have carried him on board had not Dawkim got drunk and told
iiim tliat he (the faid Vernon) was going to carry him on board, which being
made known to him (the faid Vernon), he was afraid to attempt carrying
him off at the time appointed, and thai Dawkins immediately iftcr difap-
peared. The faid Vernan further told this deponent that hc-wat in Jail with
Datokins before, that Dawkim left his chcft open, and that he, (Vernon)
intending to take fomething out of his cheft and make hii.i treat him for
giving it to him again, opened the chcft and found in it a plate to ftrike
Penn/ylvania money, and kept it near a week ; that Dankins when he
mifled it, was very uneafv, and he {l\\c faid Vernon) again delivered it to
him.

This deponent further fays : That when Thomas Rickey and Michael
Lynch, o^t\\c General's Guards, were apprehended for money-making, they
were confined in the fame room with this deponent ; that they then curfcd
and fwore a great deal and damned thcmfclves if they would ever fight any
mort for America ; thit this deponent talked Tory with them, and by
that means they came to confide in him ; that Ilickey and Lynch faid
there were near feven hundred men inlifted for the King, and that the
night before the fleet arrived they were to have notice of it, that they were
to repair towards Kings Bridge and join them ; and that fome of the
fleet were to go up the North River, and another party up the Eafl
River, and fo furround the Ifland. Deponent underftood from them that
they were both inlifted, and their names fent on board the man-of-war.
They alfo faid that the Jrmy was very corrupt, and fpoke very flightly
of Colonel MrZ)o«^(7//V Regimen:. That when the news came to their
room that the plot was difcovered, and that the Congrcfs had taken up

fome

( 'OI )

Sworn the .6th d.y of 7*«. ,776. ^""'' ^°"''°*-

John Jay,

GODVERNEL MoWUS.

J'^^;['\^"l^'^''^»''-''^<^i.f^r.^^rr.Uh: Th« he know,

■n town. f.,ucnt„ a. M. O^ry, and Mrs. l:£''h ' h ^i; "of"
o d,er. .ea„ a „,or. .rown h.n.ing coat and a dou J/^ 7,:j;;
hc^amc co,o„., . ,.He .fed to w.lt o» a M. M,,r. who lives dg«

m Mr. G,uvfr«our's houfe on R,tu>, Row.- that Sercr^nf r A f

f".i„, .„d ,.M ,M. „.„„.„. r„„ ,^, G,v L Ih . ' "'y*

h? t Id 7™;;- "' """'"' "" «""■"■' ■»'' "•'' ■!»«

J. r °" ?■'"'• '" ""'^""" " »'■"'■ !•• " ™"«~d

thax

( I02 )

they were immediately to attack the battery on the hill near the ferry
whtch the Sergeant faid would be eaf.ly done, as no embrafures were
. made or cannon fixed on the back fide of it; that this latter battery, when
m their pofl-eflion, „„uld command the works on G.«r«.,.rV Ifland
which ,hey would keep between two fires, vi^ : the battery laft men-
tioned on the one fide, and the fhipping on the other; that then the
fl>.pp.ng. with the remainder of the Army, were to divide, one divifion
was to run up the North Rn.er and land at or near about CMe^s farm,
and march diredly to E„ck„l,ergb Hall, and fortify there; the other di-
vifion was to run up the Eajl Rhcr and land in fuch manner as to gain
a footmg on Jona's Hill, from whence .hey expefted to command and
filence the battery on Bayard's Hill; that (hould they gain pofleffion of
Che places above-mentioned, their next objedl would be the grounds ad-
jacent to King\ Bridge, where they intend to ered ftrong works,
fo as to cut off the communication between the city and country.

Gilbert Forbes, being further examined, faith : That fome time before
the man-of-war removed from the town to the Narrows, one Webb, a
burr-millllone maker, told examinant that if he had any rifles to fell he
might get a good price for them by fending them on board the man-of-
war, and that a young man who lived with James Bivington told him the
fame; that this examinant had then nine rifles, which he made, but they
were bad and would not flioot ftraight. and eleven fmoo.h narrow-bored
guns ; that he fent fome of them to one Mrs. Beck's, a tavern-keeper, near
the Fly Market, with orders to fend them on board, which flie according
did, and that the faid Webb carried the remainder; that the faid Webb
told this examinant that Governour Tryon would give him three guineas
apiece tor them ; that at the time when an exchange of prifoners took
place with the man-of-war. and Lilly was. among others, exchanged, the
Mayor, viz : Da^nd Matthews, Efq., fent for this examinant and told him
he was going on board the Governour's fliip. and that he would get the
money due from the Governour to this examinant for the rifles aforefaid ;
that on his return the Mayor told this examinant he would pay him in a
few days ; that this examinant never did receive any money from him
for the faid fire-arms ; that this examinant told Charles lienjon that he
was about inlifting men. and that he told this examinant it would do.

CiiLBERT Forbes.
Examined

( ^03 )

Exa^-ned by and before me, this .9th ./.,.. .776.

Philip Livingston.

The Con,n,it,ee „,e, a^ the Citv IT'^^'^'n" ^""^ ''• '''^^
ruan, to adjournment. ^ ' '" '^' ^°""^" Chamber, pur-

Prefent : Leonard Ganfevoort V(r, nv •

'"iflon, Mr. w.//. m; r;/u, rr"/" '""""- ""'■ '■'''■

H<h- c ::^^^^^^^ -^ :r-' '^'— -trthe

he was who M before his Co.'' " °' ""= '"^'"'^ "P™- "'«

which was offered to hU- 33 17 '■ ^ t' "«"'"« °' '^= ''"°'<^
ftrued on ,he other fide of th. '"'"' """^ P""''^ '"'g'^' ^e con-

forfeit his eftateVherf "' " " °"" '^" ='"'^ -'»= "<•= ^^ to

Mr. .rfjf/i-// further fav? fhr.f 1,., •
-y a«i.e par, again;*^ 'n;'^;: ^ 'I ''' f ^f^'^ -' ''^ ^^^=
'he duty of a good citizen. '"^''''"^ '"™"'"'«'="' *'"'

Mr ^.,,//. at the requeft of the Committee, withdrew.
1 he Committee then took Mr ytjft,//', „ .■ ,
a.ion , and after fome time fpc! "thl"^ h'e " " '"^ """'"■
particular fituation of Mr. ZJslZ' "'"" ^^""^ ^'^" "^^

opinion of this Commit^.. ' P'°P'"^ ''' '■''^*' ''' '" "«:

which it is not in ;:: : : rr eo ^^"""'^ ^^°^'^°" ■■- ^'= «^-

fore, .his Commiuee wiHrtat ST " T^ ""'" ''''" "'"^•

CongrefsofthisCoIony rX; la T "' '" ""'^^ " ""=

mean .ime. difcharge Mr ".^;;on h, '" ''"'"'■'■"' '"'^' ''" ''''

on receipt of a Jr or nolXltXKe '' ^"^"^ "'' ^°^---

orJ!e^ti:\::"t;ra"'f?'^' -'"^^ P^erent determination
any time on req.^'; ' ' ''' ''''""''"'"' "" "'-<^ "'- again af

-•t would be diirtab e7'hi: " '""'' ''"'''' '° '""^ ' ^^ ''>-

agreeable^to h,m ,0 remove out of ,he Colony. Mr.

Ax/e//

•y -'-j ii. i i»M ii. . i

( i04 )

Axu// farther fays that if all the eftatehc was porefledof was in America
only, he would not hefilate to determine the matter and fully exprefs his
.fenfments, which, in his opinion, it i, not proper for him to do in his
prefcnt Htuation.

Ordered, That Summonfes ifl-uc againft the following perfons of
equivocal charafter. returnable on Saturday, the 29th inllant. at ten
o clock m the forenoon of the fame day, vi7.: Ci^r/es NUoll, Dcnald
MeCltan, and Peter Graham.

Which faid fummonfes. figned by all the Members prefent as afore-
faid, were delivered to the Secreury. with direftions to give them to the
Meflenger to be fervcd.

Ordered, That Summonfes iflbe againft the following perfons as in-
imical to the caufe and rights of America, returnable on Monday, the ift
day of July, next, at ten o'clock in the morning of that day. viz : Theo-
pbiha Bache, Charles Arden. John More, Sen., and Benjami^ Williams.
Which faid fumraonfes. figned by all tl.e Members prefent as afore-
faid, were delivered to the Secretary, with direftions to give them to the
Meflenger to be ferved.

Ordered, That fummonfes iflLe againft the following perfons as inimical
to the caufe and rights of America, returnable on Wednefday, the 3d
day of July next, at ten o'clock in the forenoon of the fame day. viz :
Frederick Philipfe and Samuel Merrit.

Which faid Summonfes, figned by all the members prefent as aforefaid
were delivered to the Secretary, with diredions to deliver them to the
Meflenger to be ferved.

Ordered, That a Summons be iffued to Richard Morris, Efq., as a
perfon of equivocal charaft^r, returnable on Wednefday, the 3d Ly of
July next, at ten o'clock in the forenoon of that day.
■ Which faid Summons, figned by all the Members prefent as a orefaid,
was delivered to the Secretary, with direftions to deliver it to the Mef-
fenger to be ferved.

Ordered, That a fummons be iflucd to Solomon Fowler, as a perfon of
equivocal charafter, returnable on Thurfday, the 4th day of July next, at
ten o'clock in the forenoon of that day.

Which faid Summons, figned by all the Members prefent as aforefaid,

( '05 )

OrJrreJ That Summonfcs iflbc agairft the following pcrfons as inimi
o .he cau e and ngh.s or J.„,.. ...able on 7.41>. he a '";

Wh.ch fa,d Summonfes. figned by all the Men.bers prefen, as afore-

OrW. That Su„,monfes bo iflbed to the following perfons.as i.i„,ical
.0 he caufe and r.ghts of A„.ru., returnable on Frily, the c.h day o

atf;::';;.;;:r '"""^"-"^ '^-- -•• -- -^

Which faid Sun,mo„fes, figned by all the Members prefent as afore-
fa. were dehvercd to the Secretaiy. with dircflions Z deliver them
to the Meffengcr to be (brved.

c.u''T'^' ?"' ,^"'^°'""" ">■- "S^'-'ft 'he folbwing perfons as inimi-
al .0 he caufe and rights of A..r,.. returnable on W.,. the'h

WU VT": '" "'"^^ '" "-^'-noonof ,hcfa.„eday.viJ
W,//,am Barker, Jojhun Purdy, and Abfa/om Gidnr,.

Which faid Summonfes. figned by all ,he Members prefent as afore-

c"M7C::be::i""""^'"" ^-^^-^ '° ^--^-^^

..^"'■"•.^.'f ''^^ Tf-a. a Summon, be iilix.d to ^. Honourable
d T.T.' " " ^"'"°" "*' '='J"»°"'-haraaer. returnable on 6W-
d^y,^ the 6>h day of July ne,t. at ten o'clock in the forenoon of the fame

Which faid fummons. figned by all the Members prefent as aforefaid.
was dehvered to the Secretary, with direaions .o deliver it .o the Mef
fenger to be ferved.

this Colony for their direflion in the premifes.
Adjourned to nine o'clock to-morrow morning.
A cafe ftated by the Committee appointed by the Congreft of this

Colony

( '06 )

Colony to carry into execution iheir Rcfoiuiions of the ?th day of Jyne
inftant, relative to pcrfons inimical to the caufe and lights of Jmeric/,,
and thofe of equivocal charafter: A. B.. holding an honorary office
from the King of Great-Britain, and being a gentleman of fortune, was
fummoned to appear before your Committee, and appeared at the time
and place for that purpofe appointed.

On his appearance before your faid Committee, the Chairman informed
him of the Refolutions of this Congrefs as to perfons of equivocal cha-
rafter, and defired him to give evidence of his being a friend to the
American caufe. The gentleman appealed to the uniform tenour of his
conduft, which he faid, had never been unfriendly to his country.
Being then alked whether he approves of the American oppofition. he
replied that he did not on the whole, and figniiied a difapprobation of
the Canada expedition. On being afked whether the Parliament of
Great Britain, in his opinion, have a right to bind thefe Colonies in all
cafes whatfoever, he faid that, in his opinion, they had not ; that he fully
approved of the firll part of the .Aflbciation refolved on by this Congrefs
on the 20th day of June, inttant. On being afked whether a refillance,
by arms, to the hoftile attempts of the Britijk fleets and armies to en-
force and execute their claims and demands was juftifiable, he declined
to give an anfwcr. but declared that the bulk of his fortune was in Great
Britain and the Weft Indies, and that he did not mean to take an aftive
part on either fide.

Your Committee thereupon refolved that he is not fuch a friena to the
American caufe as is dcfcribed in your faid refolutions of the 5th inftant ;
that his removal from his prefcnt place of refidence was unncccflary ; and
that his parole, in the words dircftcd by your faid refolutions, was fuffi-
cicnt fecurity.

The gentleman affigned objeftions to givo his parole, ind faid he would
fubmit to fuch a difpofition of him as your Committee fliould make. He
then had two days allowed him to confider of the faid parole, at which
time he returned to your faid Committee.

On his return to your Committee the gentleman was of the fame
opinion as before, and faid he could not confent to give his parole " not
to oppofc or contravene the meafures of the Continental Congrefs or the

Congrefs

( I07 )

Congrefs of this Colony " „, I,;. • •

I he gentleman offered to vn,.,- r^„ •
'^k-nyaaivepartagainft hi c T '° «"^ "' P""'"^ "ot to

"^<^ du.y of a good cEn ""'' " '° ^"^"''"^ --««-' wi.h

-ve with his fa.i, to :„ C .; in^h C f"" ^J ^ -"""« '°
^%-d ,0 hin,, but intiited .h'a t wj.d teTf M '^" """'^

■■emove out of ,he Colony. He alfo Z , ^.fagrecable to hin, to
his whole eftate was in the^/^w r f °™ ^°"' *^°"""'"'^<^ '^"^ if
to determine the mati ani r TT"'^ *"= ^""''^ "^ '^=«-«^
opinion, it is not p.ope fo.Lt;'''^^ . '""""^""' ^'"'^'^ '" "'=
affairs. ^ "" '° ^° '" '^"^ P^='"'^nt fitua.ion of his

Vour Committee believe the gentleman to K»
«nd integrity ; and have no, the Lftdol h , . " "'" °^ '''«' ''°"°"^
wiil confent to give, he .ill ho d t.d a ^ ;^ '"' T" ^''"' ''
your Committee again on notice But in th • '" ="^'="''

rolvcs the, have no. no ahernale a 1™:^°' "^ "" ^'-
gentleman, and confinement. The policv o 7 r "^""'^ ""=

-"---ongre.andre,ue^::L:::;;t---
il/r. Nathaniel UNOEiiHiLL •

Congrefs. were au.hori JaL^Z ; J^"'^' ^ ^^-™«- "f the .id

condu. had been reprefented o e^M C^Zr ^"•'" ''^'™^' ^'°''
and rights of ^„,.^,. (of which numbe' " '"'"""' ^° ""^ ""'""=
-at fuch time and pi c J.^lZ'Z 7 "' °"^ " ''PP^" ''^''^^'^
-wer f h matters^and things^ :tJ:^Z^:X, T ''"' '"
ftow caufe. ,f any they have, why ,hev fl,„u)d h. ^rf ' ""'' '°

-/'ay.

( io8 )

Z'e h' ''''''':' ^"'y "-'- « '- °f 'he clock in ,he forenoon of the
fame day. Dated .he 27,h day or y,„,, ,776.

Leonard Gansevoort, Gouv'r Morris.
Phil. LivmcsroN. Thomas Tredwell,

Thomas Randall. Lewis Graham.

Wonreswe^alfo iTucd againft ,he following perfons : W,,„„
fX Mr'7 / w" f r"' ""'''''"' ^'"•'^""'^^r. Mr. CMy/.,^,.
IheophlusHMook, Mr. >i„ ^M„,,. m, s,„-„„,.„ j^^^^ J
r.ri or FM,JbJ D..U B..uy, (H.mp^Uad, Long l^dj lL

To Mr. Solomon Fowler, at East-Chester :

Sir : By virtue of ,he authority vcfted in us by" certain refolutions of the
Congrefs of the Colony of Ne^-Tork, of the ;th day of 7*... in the year
of our Lord .776. reciting, that whereas there are in this Colony divers
P^r^s who by reafon of their holding offices fron, the King of'c J.
Bra.,n- fro,, the.r having ncgleded or refufed ,0 aflbciate with their
fellow c,t.ens for the defence of their con,mon rights-fron, their ha
g never n,a„,fcfted by their conduft a .eal for. and an attachment

trahty have been confidered by their countrymen in a fujicious light
whereby .t hath become necefl-ary, as we.lfor the fafety as L t ^
aftion of the people, (who, in times fo dangerous and critical, are
naturaUy led .0 conf.dcr thofe as their enemies who withhold from them
he,r a,d and tnfluence.) that certain perfons in the faid refolutions named
of who.^ you are one.) who are generally fuppofed to come under th
bove delcrtptton. (hould be fummoned by a certain Committee to ft,ow
cau^.f any they have, why they n,ould be conf.dered as friends to the
A^eruan cau^. and as of the number of thofe who arc ready to rifle
thetr ves and fortunes in defence of the rights and liberties of America
agamlhhe ufurpa.ion. unjuft claims, and cruel oppreffions of the Britijh
Parhament whtch rights and liberties and which unjuft claims and
cruel oppreffion.. are fpecified and ftated in divers addre(res. petitions, and
remonftrances.of the prefent and late Continental Congreflbs. and di-

reeling

( '09 )

ca.„gcerta,n proceeding, i„ ,he faid refolution. fpecified to be by the

ftal not adjudge and determine to befriends to the A..ru,„ caufe • We
o therefore. .„ purfuance of the faid refolution, fu..on yo to app!^

J-'ly next, at ten o clock ,n the forenoon of the faid day. to Lw caufe

fortune m defence of the right, and libertie, of J.en., ,».inft the

wh,chngh„ and hbertie, and which unjuft claim, and cruel oppreffion
are, a, afore a.d fpecified and ftatcd in divers addrefles. peti o tnd

Leonard Gansevoort. Lewis Graham,
Philip Livingston, Gouverneur Morris.

Thomas Tre.wfll. Thomas Randall.

To Co/cue/ WiLL'AM .Allison :

Whereas it i, reprefented to us that D.viJ Baldmn of B,r.en Countv
m A;«..7.>, but now in the City of Ne^.Tork, can give' ery uf ,'
nd .mportant .ntclhgcnce refpe^ing the late difcovered conspiracy aga ft
the nght, and hbert.es of America : We do. therefore, in purfuance fa
re,o ve of the Congrefs of this Colony, .uthorizeand requeft you to b in
he fa.d D..i B.U.ir. forthwith before us. that he may be xami d
touchrng the faid confpiracy. "aminea

Given under our hands this 29th June, 1776 :

Philip Livingston,
John Jay.

TheinformationofMr. David Baldmn: Saith he has had reafon, for

P op le o. R.„.f, and the men-of-war. as well from the temper of the
people as from many words dropped from time to time. He favs t^a
about the .7.hi„ftant he was told thn L.r.r... ,.„ Bu^^X

miller

( "o )

miller at Ramape, Abraham Van Buflcirk, and a fchoolmafter, and Thomas
Van Buflcirk, at Saddle River, were going on board the man-of-war ; that
fomething prevented all but the fchoolmaftcr, who he verily believes did
go, and that there is one Peter Van Bujkirk living at or near the Hook
or mouth of the Kills in Bergen County, who, it is frequently faid, has
followed trading with the men-of-war, who has reafon to believe, carries
people on board whenever rcquefted, and has a fufficient craft for that
purpofe ; and that this informant came to New-York on purpofe to let it
be known ; that on his way he flopped at Erls's in Bergen woods, where
he was drinking tody, in company with Francis Stephens, late a refident
of this city, who took him (the faid Baldwin) to be friendly to the Tory
fide, when faid Stephens told Baldwin that there were fifty fail of King's
fiiips near the Hook and that there would foon be one hundred and fifty
fail at New-fork ; that Eris faid rum came from on board the man-of-
war this week ; that Stephens charged the inforinant not to mention it to
fome certain friends of his in New-York.
Sworn the 29th June, 1776, before us.

Phiup Livingston,
John Jay.

Jojeph Baldwin, oppofiie the King's ftores, tallow-chandler, is brother
to the within informant, and will go on any expedition.

Li)l 0/ prij'oners J'ent by Lieutenant-Colonel Q\vi to Brigadier-General
Greene, June 29, 1776.

Jofeph Dorlant, and John Ilutcbins from Jamaica jail.

John Carman, received powder, and abfcondcd in the woods.

Andrew Allen, diflafFcfted perfon, taken in the woods.

Jacob Lamberfon, found with his gun charged.

Benjamin Pedet, in the fwamp in the fight, and had powder from
man-of-war.

Ezekiel Rainer, in the woods hid.

Richard Smith, in the fwamp battle, and had powder from the AJia.

Jeremiah Bedle, a diflafFcded perfon.

Daniel Smith, in the fwamp battle.

Elijah Rainer, hid in the fwamp.

Jc/eph

( III )

J^feph Beale, fame, diflaffefted perfon.

N.tb,„ Smith, received powder from the AJia, abfconded in the
woods, and appears to know much of the fcheme.

Town/end Wicks, a damned rafcal, and the greateft Tory.
William McKo,n, Thomas Fleet. John Fleet. Peter Wheeler. Samuel
Uwnfend. declared that they would fooner fight for the Kirtg than the
Congrejs, and totally deny the authority of that body.

James Coggejhall. gun-ftealer, or informer, from Newport.
Henry Dearling. faid General Wajhington was more concerned in the
confpiracy than any one.

To Brig. Gen. Greene. Head-Quarters, Ltng-IJland.
Hempftead, June 29, 1776.

Ji^'io. 1776-Rcferredtothe determination of the Congrefs of
this Colony. °

T. Mifflin, Brig. Gtn.

He. JS.

^6,

Edition of 250 Copies.
Of which 75 Copies are in quarto,
and 25 Copies in folio, tinted paper.

i!^

>«K>aKiiilH

■ mn i iiiimn,»,.. ^

NAMES

OP THE

SUBSCRIBERS TO THE QUARTO COPIES

JUlNt/TKS OF A CONSPIRACr, DISCOF^HED IN NRtfr YORK
IN 1776.
Edition of 75 Copies Printed.
No. .. Jabi!z Fisher ; Philadelphia.

2. Wu.MAM .'V. Whiteman ; Philadelphia,

3. Francis S. Hoffman, 3 copies ; New York.
6. Francis B. Hayes ; Bofton.

7- J. M. Mays ; Pliiladclphia.

8. RicHARi> W. Roche ; New York.

9. T. A. EMMfirr, M. D., 2 copies j New York.

11. W. Elliot VVoodwaro; Roxbury, Mafs.

12. John H. Wright; fiofton.

13. Gkorge VV. Wales; fiollon.

14. William F. Fowle, 2 copies; Bofton.

16. J. P. Putnam; fiolbn.

1 7. William L. Andrews ; New York.

18. Charles E. Laurjat; Bofton.

19- Henry B. Dawson ; Morrifania, N. V.

20. John K. Wiggin, 10 copies j Bofton.

30. Joseph Sabin, 10 copies; New York.

40. J. Carson Brevoort ; Brooklyn, N. Y.

41. Frank Moore; New York.

42. Horace W. Smith, 5 copies; Philadelphia.

47. Robert L. Stuart; New York.

48. S, L. M. Barlow ; New York.

49. John S. H. Fogg. M. I). ; Bofton.
i°- <-'• f- Bushnell; Ne„, York.

( 114 )

No. ;i. Erastus Corning ;
-52. Robert Lenox Banks;

53. Freeman M. Josselynj

54. E. French 1

55. George Clasback;

56. A. W. Griswold j

57. Charles B. Richardson, 5 copies ;

62. Frank H. Little ;

63. Francis S Pruvn;

64. Alfred Wild ;

65. J. MuNSELL, 2 copies;

67. Charles E. West;

68. James Earxe ;

69. S. W. Phcenix;

70. Wm. H. Piper & Co. ;
7ii John V. L. Pruyn ;

72. Thomas I. Lee;

73. T. H. Morrell;

74. Augustus Toedtberg ;

75. John Campbell ;

Albany, N. Y.
Albany, N. Y.
Bofton.
New York.
New York.
New York.
New York.
Albany, N. Y.
Albany, N. Y.
Albany, N. Y.
Albany, N. Y.
Brooklyn, N. Y.
New York.
New York. ,

Bofton.

Albany, N. Y.
Bofton.
New York.
New York.
Philadelphia.