required by Congress) you say " and this being the Case I should hold myself criminal in diminishing their number even should other calls for their Services be ever so urgent and pressing." I am informed that the enemy of late have with small parties burned the evacuated Houses in the upper parts of Tryon County and that we have not men sufficient to go and drive them off but are obliged to keep in their little forts; if so, how will they get in their Harvest (the best that ever was in the County); if it is in, how will they preserve it from being distroy'd (I dont mean the whole, some part must go); I could wish that some measure could be fallen upon to save it. I can imagine how you feel when the object seems to be to get New York. But I mean that these should be done, provided it can be so done as not to leave the other undone. The expedition of Genl. Arnold when Genl. Burgoin came down, was formed by Gen Schyler upon this plan and it answered. These people feel themselves neglected and must sit as the forlorn Hope. We have broke up and disconserted a set of Tories that were to go off from Helleberg this day (Doctor Mead may give you the Particulars) to the enemy; 25 are taken up and are to be brought to gaol; what shall we do with them. They dont believe the French fleet is or will come; supposeing they were sent their I think that should be done or those from the South should be sent to the North and those from there to the Southern army the gaol will not do. The Doctor waits. I give you joy with your Daughter. I wish you Health, for God knows I believe you have. so many applications & so much Business that you stand in need of it. I am your very Hu. S't His Ex'y, George Clinton, Esq. Ab'm Yates, Jun. Pokeepsie 26th July 1780. Dear Sir, I am favoured with yours of the 20th Instant. I perfectly agree with you that every Man taken from the Frontiers whether Militia or Levies is diminishing the Strenghth of the Frontiers; but you very strangely impute to my orders what is really the Effect of the Law. Surely a Moment's reflection will convince you that it is the Law that directs the raising of every fifteenth Man for Reinforcing the Army of the United States. That points out the particular Service they are to [be] imployed in & that extends the present Drafts to every Regiment in the State not exempting any on account of their Situation without leaving anything to my Discretion. My orders. are barely calculated to carry the Law into Execution. I likewise agree with you that the Militia of the Neighbourhood attacked do not generally act with the same Energy as if they were not perplexed with the immediate Care of their Famillies, but at the same Time I insist that the Frontier Militia are not only generally better marksmen & having a general Knowledge of the Woods & Geography of the Country, far better adopted for the Frontier Service that the Militia of the Interior Parts of the Country? This I have often heard you remark with respect to the Militia of Tryon County. By my orders it did not follow that they were to be stationed in the neighbourhoods in which they were raised. My Intentions were very different; For you well know my Sentiments are to keep our Guards advanced to all our Settlem'ts & in this Case your Objection ag’t the Frontier Levies for that Service is fully obviated. I am certain it woud ease the Inhabitants in procuring their Levies & this with me was a great object. me to counteract a possitive Law. Surely you woud not wish to apply any of the present Levies to the Frontier Service without replacing them with an equal Number & should consider it as Criminal stretch of Power. Believe me, Sir, we shall after all the Pains I have taken, fall short of the number of men required of us to reinforce the Army, and I am very apprehensive I shall be oblidged very soon to convene the Legislature to make some further & more ample Provission for this Service; & I am sorry to say the Deficiencies will be in Genl. Ten Broeck's Brigade cannot be that the..... Regiment ought to furnish but 27 Men. [No. 3091.] Levies Raised in Colonel Cantine's Regiment, Detached to Replace the Seven Months' Levies Enlisted in Continental Army. List of the Levies raised out of Colo. Cantine's Regt. and detained to replace such of the 7th months men as enlisted by [No. 3092.] Return of Levies from Colonel McCrea's Regiment. Fort Edward July 21the 1780. A Return of the levis from Colo. Mac Cray's Regt. Capt. Dunnin Capt. Woodworth Capt. Dunham Gorg Parmer John Andris Capt. Boldin Maj'r Dickason Insine Groman David Biddewill Capt. Dunham William Grean Men's Names. John Guy Timmethy Guy Isaac Storms William Benit Richard Antony James Allin Roger V Soik John Bensen Siris Knap Abner Fish William Nortin Jonathan Millet Robbard Miller Phinneas Wead Saul Smith Daniel Parks Nathan Chitterster Samuel Dunham Moses Hunter Charles Robbeson Emry Umfry A return of the Levies raised from Saraghtoga Regt and now in actual Service at Fort Ann under the command of Capt. Sherwood. August 11th, 1780. [No. 3093.] John McCrea, Colone. John Williams Informs Governor Clinton of the Situation in Vermont-Ethan Allen's Threat. White Creek, July 21st 1780. Hon'd Sir, I am sorry my writing you hath been so long omitted, but the sentiments of the people hath been such, that I scare knew what to write. I have been on the Grants, as much as once a week since your Departure from the frontieers, so that I have acquired the knowledge of most of their Proceedings, and I believe your presant proceeding, hath given a severe check to their new system. Collo. Warren, Major Allen, and other their officers, as well as their men, acknowlidgeth your benevolence, and says it was far beyond what they ever mett with or that they could expect. The former hath laid down his commission, having lost the use of one of his hands and having a chargable family, which renders him incapable of officiating in that important post, & says as he was a captain commanding a company at Ticonderoga, and then acknowlidging the Jurisdic |