passage and much molestation from the rebel Vessels for the last 3 weeks, one of which attacked us near Bermudas, but was, after a pretty close engagement of an hour and a half, beat off with much loss, tho' she damaged our masts and rigging so much that we could not pursue her. My Surgeon is shot thro' the leg, and 5 others slightly wounded; a trifle considering her great superiority, for she had more than double our compliment of men and carried 14 six pounders and swivells against our 12 three pounders. My Officers and the Indians behaved very well and were very usefull at small arms The General had been arrived here some time with the troops from Halifax, and from him your Lordship will doubtless receive an acco' of affairs here. I however think it necessary to inclose your Lordship a copy of the best and latest intelligence I could procure, respecting the back country and the Indians, and I have good hopes that my Officers there have discharged their duty and conducted the Indians agreable to my instructions and the promises of the latter. At present every thing waits the Grand Operation, and on its issue our future measures must depend. I think the prospect is favorable and that the Declaration for an Independency must totally silence any advocates they had in England At all events I flatter myself I shall discharge my duties as far as time and circumstances will admit; in good hope that I shall soon be enabled to meet our friends to the Northward, when I shall endeavour to merit His Majesty's favor and your Lordships patronage by a zealous attention to the trust reposed in This moment an inhabitant of the Mohock River has found means to reach our Camp, and informs that he had heard Sir Jn° Johnson had reached General Burgoyne, that a Col. Dayton1 with 600 men was repairing Fort Stanwix & that General Schyler had opened a Congress at the German Flats, but that only some of the Oneidas and Oughquagys attended it, & adds that the rebels had carried off my negros & and demolished every thing on my estate. The Indians that attended Schyler have been long under the influence of N. England Missionaries and I found some difficulty with them last year. me. I beg to be honored with your Lordships commands and I am with very great respect, My Lord The Righ Honorable Lord Geo. Germain Your Lordships most obedient and most humble Servant G. JOHNSON. (Copy) Declaration of Deputy-Commissary Gumersall. Declaration of Mr Thomas Gumersall Dep. Assis' to the Commissi General of That he left the Mohock River about the beginning of June of the present year, & had been for several weeks in that Country, where he was acquainted. That Sr John Johnson thro' 'Major-General Eljas Dittos was S natire of New Jersey, and commanded one of the regiments raised by that State at the commencement of the war. He commanded at Johnstown and Fort Schuyler in 1776, and after serving through the war, was appointed Brigadier-Oeneral in 1788, and died at Philadelphia in July, 1807, aged 70 years. Allen.— ED. intelligence he had recd partly by means of Mr Gumersall, found it necessary to leave his home & withdraw to Canada, to effect which he procured 3 Indians from the adjacent village as guides thro the woods, & was accompanied by about 130 Highlanders & near 120 other inhabitants of the country attached to government, with whom he proceeded from the house of Mr McDonnell called Collaghy on or about the I3ih of May last for Oswegatchy in Canada. That the said Mr Gumersall who was instrumental to him on the occasion, accompanied him a few miles further on his rout & then took his leave; after which with much difficulty after secretting himself & marching by night about 5 weeks he arrived at Staten Island (where His Majesty's troops were) on the 19'h of July & was by Gen1 Howe's favor, thro' the accommodation of John Small Esq Major of Brigade, appointed to his present office, in consideration of his sufferings & service, having been oblig'd to abandon a very advantagious branch of trade in which he was largely concerned. Mr Gumersall further declares that he was credibly informed that John Butler Esq. who was left at Niagara by Coll. Johnson Superintend' of Indian Affairs, with other officers, to encourage the Indians to joyn His Majesty's troops this season, recd several letters from Mr Schyler a rebel Gen1 inviting him down & promising him protection & but at the same time employed the messenger (an Indian) in case he refused, to bring his scalp, for which he was to have a reward of one hundred dollars. That about 3 days after Sr John's departure, Lady Johnson recd a letter from John Butler, Esq addressed to Sir John, acquainting him that he had, agreable to Coll: Johnsons instructions, assembled a considerable body of Indians ready to go on service, & only waited to receive news from Col. Johnson or orders to proceed; and Mr Gumersall believes and has heard that the Indians had proceeded agreable thereto, & that Lieu' Gray late of the 43d and Mr Gumersall help'd to raise the men who accompanied Sr John, and Mr Gumersall advanced them money on that occasion. I have been honoured with Your Lordship's several Dispatches by the Sandwich, Lord Hyde, & Halifax, Packet Boats, to N° 4 inclusive. I am happy to learn my endeavours to promote the interest of the present great national cause, has been so well accepted by his Majesty, I wish the strength of my constitution could keep pace with my inclinations to serve my Prince: broken and impaired as the former is I am nevertheless not without the hope of having a share in the restoration of the publick tranquility. The confederate Colonies have declared themselves independent States: Enclosed is a printed copy of their Declaration of Independency, which was published through the streets of New York the middle of last month, where the King's Statue has been demolished, as well as the King's Arms in the City Hall, the established churches shut up, & every Vistage of Royalty, as far as has been in the power of the Rebels, done away. The persons of the Mayors of the Cities of York and Albany, Judges, Counsellors, Magistrates and principal gentlemen of the Country that are not in rebellion seized and secured, and even down to the meanest planters persecuted and tyrannized over. The whole armament destined for this part of America, except the last division of the Hessians, being now assembled here, I expect, by the courage and strength of this noble Army, tyranny will be crushed and legal government restored. As the Military and Naval operations do not lye within my department, I shall leave the relations of them to those gentlemen who have the honor to guide them. I am with all possible respect, My Lord, Lord George Germain Your Lordship's most obedient Servant, Wm TRYON. 15th Aug 1776. P. S. Yesterday evening Sr Peter Parker brought into the Hook a Fleet of Twenty five Sail from the Southward; Lord Dunmore1 and Lord Wm Campbell are on board that fleet. Lord George Germain to Governor Tryon. [New-York Papers (State Paper Office) CXXVII1. ] (N° 6 ) Governor Tryon. Sir, Whitehall 22d August. 1776. I am very glad to find by Your letters of the 8th July, which I received by Lieutenant Colonel Blunt, that Your information of the disposition of the inhabitants of the Province continues to give you ground to expect that when the pressure of the Rebel Force is removed, and Protection held forth by the King's troops, they will in general give testimony of their fidelity to his Majesty and attachment to the Constitution. *Lieut. Col. Hakby Bluot was appointed 1st Lieutenant in the 23d, or Royal Welsh Fuzileers, 28th August, 1766; Captain, 28th October, 1761; Major, 28th August, 1771. The 23d regiment served as the garrison of Fort St. Philip in Minorca ia 1756, when reduced by Spain; was part of the expedition against St. Malo, in 1758, but did not come to America until 1775, when it took a part in the battle of Bunker Hill. Major Blunt became Lieut.-Colonel of the 4th or King's Own, 20 Sept., 1775, and continued to serve in America until July, 1776, when on account of his private affairs he had leave to return to England, where he quit the army in 1777. Army Lists; Beatson's Naval and Military Memoirs; 6 American Archives, L, 106.-ED. The steady loyalty of the people of Staten Island cannot be too much commended, & their affectionate reception of the troops under General Howe cannot fail to recommend them to the particular favor of Government, and I have the pleasure to acquaint you that it is his Majesty's command that you do signify to them, in the most public manner, His Majesty's very great satisfaction in their conduct, and in the proofs they have given of their loyalty and affection, & to assure them of His Majesty's paternal Regard and constant Protection. The next advices we receive from General Howe will I trust make it necessary for me to give you some Instructions respecting your Government, In the mean time I have the satisfaction to repeat the assurances I have been before authorized to give you, that your perseverance in the line of conduct you have adopted upon such laudable motives is very much approved by the King I am &c* Geo. Germain. P. S. Mr Knox having, by my directions transmitted to the War Office that part of your letter N° 7 respecting Lieutenants Grant and Campbell, inclosed I send you a Copy of the answer thereto. Governor Tryon to Lord George Germain. [New-York Papers (State Fapcr Office) CLXVIII. ] (N° 15.) My Lord, New York, 24"' September 1776 On the 21 Ins' Lieut. Governor Colden departed this life at Flushing. This makes a Vacancy in the Council; the following is the present state of the remaining Eleven. Mr Chief Justice Horsemanden (very old and feeble); Mr Oliver De Lancey; Mr Charles Ward Apthorp; Mr Axtell; and Mr Henry Cruger; at liberty to attend the summons of government. Mr William Smith, withdrawn to his plantation up the North River, and not been heard of these five months; Mr Hugh Wallace & Mr James Jauncey, prisoners with the Rebels; Mr John Watts, Col Morris, and Mr Henry White, in England. By this State Your Lordship will observe I have but five Councellors I can summons, and Judge Horsemanden's infirmities will probably prevent his attendance; therefore Your Lordship will view the necessity I shall be under of appointing other Councellors if the Gentlemen in England do not return to take a share in the re-establishment of Government, or that those in captivity are released. Mr Thomas Jones1 one of the Judges of the Supreme Court, and Mr David Matthews, Mayor THOMAS JONES, eldest son of David Jones and Ann Willett, of Fort Neck, L. I., was admitted to the bar 4 April, 1755, and on 4th February, 1757, was appointed Clerk of Queens County. New-York Commissions, V., 84, 118. He married Anne, daughter of Lieutenant-Governor De Lancey, and was appointed Recorder of the city of New-York, in 1769, and promoted to a seat on the Bench of the Supreme Court 29th September, 1773. Commissions, VI., 91. On the 24th November, 1776, he was seized by a party of Americans and carried to Norwich where he remained until December, when he had liberty to return home on parol. In November, 1779, a party of Whigs of Connecticut again carried him off in retaliation for the capture of General Silliman, and he remained in their hands until May, 1780, when the General was exchanged for him. Judge Jones' property was confiscated, and he retired at the peace to England, where he died. Thompson a History of Long Island, II., 603; Babins's Loyalists, 404. — ED. of the City of New York with many other gentlemen of the Country, are in the hands of the Rebels. I am with all possible respect, My Lord, At the same time that I have the happiness to acquaint Your Lordship that on the 15th Ins* General Howe, with the forces under his command, by admirable skill, spirit and conduct, made himself master of the City of New York, and one-half of the Island; It grieves me to inform You that on the 21", about two in the Morning, the Western part of the Town was set on fire by a number of Incendiaries, and which raged with such violence as destroyed, it is thought, one fourth part of the City, before the flames could be extinguished. Many of the incendiaries are now in prison, and two or three were killed as they were detected in their hellish design. Many circumstances lead to conjecture that Mr Washington was privy to this villainous Act, as he sent all the bells of the churches out of town, under pretence of casting them into cannon, whereas it is much more probable to prevent the alarm being given by ringing of the Bells before the fire should get a head beyond the reach of Engines and Buckets: besides some Officers of his army were found concealed in the City, supposed for this devillish purpose. The town was thought to be saved more by a sudden change in the wind (which blew strong), and pulling down intermediate houses, than by water. It is afflicting to view the wretched and miserable inhabitants who have lost their all, and numbers of reputable shop keepers that are reduced to beggary, and many in want for their families of the necessaries of life. The fire broke out in sundry places nearly at the same time, but was first discovered at White Hall Stairs, and has burn't the whole body of the buildings that lyes between George Street and Broad Street, as high up as the City Hall, and all the buildings on the North of Fort George, lying between the North River and Great George Street as far up as King's College, excepting a few houses and St. Paul's Church, and almost all the houses on the Church Estate, with Trinity Church, is totally consumed; It really seems the conflagration was directed against the interest of the Church. The Ship Docks, Warehouses, and the Commercial part of the City is as yet safe, and every measure pursued by General Robertson, Commanding Officer in New York, assisted by myself, to establish such regulations and police as may ensure its future security. I was at Flatbush at Mr Axtell's four miles from the City for the recovery of my health and strength when this dreadfull event befell this devoted City. As this Country is in the present period too much convulsed for the civil Government to act with any good effect. It is the opinion of both His Majesty's Commissioners for restoring |