appointed from Queens county, and 175 privates, including sergeants and corporals, at the rate of three of each to every 75 men. John Morin Scott* appointed brigadier general of the forces to reinforce the Continental army at New-York. * Sept. 16, 1784. Died-Hon. J. M. SCOTT, Secretary of State, member of the Continental Congress, and member of the State Senate. During the war, brigadier general of the militia, and very eminent as a lawyer. He was a king's justice in 1766, and had a country seat at Greenwich. New-York, June 11, 1776. SIR: From the inclosed you will see that you, in conjunction with the committee of your county, are to select volunteers or drafted men of the militia, to make a part of the 3000 militia of this colony destined to reinforce the Continental army at New-York, the command of which I am honored with. * * * As it would tend much to our disgrace, should our brethren of the neighboring colonies be more expeditious in their levies and marches than ourselves, and that when the object is the defence of our own colony, I need assign no other argument to urge you to the utmost dispatch. The enemy is hourly expected. The occasion is pressing, and will admit of no delay. Your detachment must come well armed and accoutred, with their cartouch boxes filled with loaded cartridges. Their pay will commence from the day of their march: and for their subsistence on the march they are to be allowed one penny, lawful money, per mile, at twenty miles per day, coming to and returning from New-York. Their pay is 5s. 4d. per month. Your detachment is to begin its march on the 17th inst. at latest, and as much sooner as possible. Be pleased to take care that the commanding officer of your detachment comes provided with a proper roll or return, to be delivered to me. I am your humble servant, To Col. SANDS. JNO. MORIN SCOTT. [All stragglers were apprehended. Hence the bearer of these letters had a pass, endorsed on them as follows: "On the service of the United Colonies. "Please let the bearer hereof, who is an express sent by me on Continental service, pass without interruption. "JNO. MORIN SCOTT, Brig. Gen'l."-Ed.] To the Commanding Officer of the Militia and to the Committee of the County of Queens. Per Express. New-York, June 13, 1776. GENTLEMEN: If there was reason to urge your brigade to a dispatchful discharge of the duty imposed on them, and described in the letter I lately sent by express, there will appear from a perusal of the inclosed papers most abundant reason to increase that dispatch. I therefore earnestly beseech you, by the honor of the colony and by that zealous attachment which the brave and free ought ever to demonstrate for the defence of the capital of an insulted colony, that your militia detachments, regardless of the day to which the last dispatches permitted them to retard their march, may hasten to New-York with that alacrity which will convince their American brethren, that they scorn to take advantage of any indulgence which former circumstances induced the equity of the Congress to grant them. Let them fly, for God's sake, to enable us to make that defence which every friend to liberty ought to think himself happy in contributing to at the expense of the last drop of his blood. I am, gentlemen, with respect, Your very humble servant, JNO. MORIN SCOTT, Brig. Gen. 63. Such of the militia of Queens county as were loyalists, or from prudential considerations wished to remain neutral, refused to train, and secreted themselves. Many repaired to the recesses of swamps. Several expeditions were set on foot to drive them thence, as appears by the following orders. Queens County, June 19, 1776. To Mr. THO'S MITCHELL, Lt.— You are hereby required to march your company into Capt. Peter Nostrand's district, and divide them into as many parts as you may think proper, for the purpose of aiding and assisting him to bring forthwith 283 defaulting persons belonging to that company, or such of them as you can find, and forthwith send or bring them to Samuel Nicolls', and there safely secure them until further orders.* Given under my hand and seal. JOHN SANDS, Col. * Capt. Daniel Nostrand received like orders to march into Lt. Robt. Coles' district, and apprehend 63 defaulters; Capt. Philip Valentine to march into Capt. Seaman's district, and apprehend 70 defaulters; Lieut. Robt. Coles to march into Capt. D. Laton's district, and apprehend 16 defaulters. 64. June 21, 1776. Information respecting Charles Arden, &c., at Jamaica.-(Witnesses indicated by a *.) Doct. Cha's Arden was the person who instigated the tories to sign against having a Congress or a Committee. *Benj.. Smith, (son of Sam'l Smith, Esq.) *Robt. Hinchman. *Thomas Smith, (son of Thomas,) whom he threatened to hang if he would not sign a paper. *Isaac Lefferts-bought widow Betts' farm. He wrote the affidavit of Roelof Duryea about Parson Keteltas, and carried Justice French to Duryea's for that purpose. Capt. Benj. Whithead, late supervisor, repeatedly refused to communicate to the town of Jamaica certain letters from the general committee of New-York, requesting the town to be called together to elect members of a committee or Congress. *Waters Smith, or either of the persons above named, or Capt. Jacob Wright. Alexander Wallace-resides at Jamaica, in Waters Smith's house. Bethune.-He maintains an intimacy with Benjamin Whithead and Dr. Arden. (See 30.) Martin, from Antigua, dwells in Ob. Mills' House, opposite the meeting house, at a high rent. He associates chiefly with J- - D (See 60.) Charles McEvers-resides in John Troup's house. Thomas and Fleming Colgan frequently go to Creed's Hill to look out. That two Dunbars, John Livingston, Jr., and one of the Colgans, were there lately looking out for a fleet. That the Dunbars, John and William, shut themselves up and refused to train or pay their fines. Geo. Folliot-lives with Jaques Johnson, at Fresh Meadows, about one and a half miles from Jamaica. Theophilact Bache, of Flatbush-comes to Jamaica to Alexander Wallace's. J———— D————————— lives next to Wm. Betts. pursued several times, but can't be taken.) dangerous Tory. (His son has been He is said to be a 65. Stephen Rider, with some Jamaica minute-men, went to Hempstead to hunt defaulters. A party of nine were in two sedge-boats concealed in the swamp at the head of Demott's (now Dorlon's) mill pond. (On the approach of these hunting parties, it was usual for the miller to hang out a white cloth as a signal, when the defaulters would retire to their huts on the little islands in the swamp. Their pur suers would sometimes fire a few random shot in the bushes to scare them out, and then go off.) On this occasion Rider climbed an oak to reconnoitre, when a ball whistled by his head. He saw by the smoke whence it came. A loaded gun was handed him, which he fired. The ball passed through the body of George Smith, just below the shoulderblade, as he was leaning over the side of his boat to get out. Drs. Searing and Seabury dressed the wound, sucked out the blood with a tube, and inserted a tent before and behind, the blood oozing out at every breath; but as Smith was vigorous and only eighteen years old, he soon recovered.* After the British got possession of Long Island, Rider was arrested and thrown in the provost, where he suffered great hardships, and after a confinement of a year, a month and a day, and the payment of a heavy fine, was set free. *June 22, 1776. Examinations relative to the wounding of George Smith. Joseph Smith says "Last night he and brother Daniel Smith, Rich ard Smith and Benjamin Pettit, went to the head of the mill pond and remained there in a house till this morning, when the fray happened. They went there to prevent their being taken. There was one more boat in company with them, which belongs to Anthony Demott, with three persons in it. The persons in the other boat had more than one gun to his knowledge. The first gun fired, he believes, was to bring them to. He was along with one of the men in the other boat, and see him fire at the persons [minute men] in pursuit. Last night the persons in the other boat declared that they would not be taken; and some of them said they would shoot the first man who would take them. Anthony Demott was in the other boat." Benj. Pettit says " The night before last he went to the head of the mill pond with some strangers, and was there all day yesterday. Last night he staid there in a house with nine persons, viz., Anthony, Michael and David Demott, Daniel, Joseph, George and Richard Smith, and one stranger. They had five guns with them in the house. One belonged to Demott, or one of his sons; the stranger claimed three. They all quit the house and went out in the pond this morning, some in one boat and some in the other. One stranger in the boat he was in. He did not see the person who fired first. If there was a gun fired from the pond first, he believes it must have been the stranger that fired it, for when the-" 66. In Committee, Queens County, June 24, 1776. 1. It was resolved that all persons under recognizance to Congress, taken by Col. Heard, be sent for by Congress, and be more safely secured. 2. That application be made to Congress to send 500 of the continental or provincial troops immediately into Hempstead, to put the resolves of Congress and of this committee into execution, and to be billeted on the disaffected and deserting persons, at the discretion of the officers of the 2nd regiment of Queens county. 3. That application be made to Congress to prescribe some mode to secure all persons disaffected and dangerous, as well above fifty as under, in Queens county. JOSEPH ROBINSON, Dep. Ch'n. Lt. Birdsall, of 2d regiment, of Queens county, appears in Congress and says the committee of Queens have resolved to make up their drafts out of the tories in Hempstead, and want Congress to confirm it. The committee want assistance to hunt them out of the swamp. He thinks |