pres't to send you the money borrowed of Colo. Griffen for Major Davis: but you may be assured that out of the first monies I can lay my Hands on, this Debt, which was contracted on a very special occasion when our Treasury was exhausted, shall be discharged. Be pleased to inform Colo. Griffen of this & that he may rely on my using every means to repay him his money, with Interest. I am &c. [G. C.] [To Major Jno. Keese.] [No. 3625.] Vermont Reaching Out for More Territory and Providing for the Defence of Her Frontier. State of Vermont, Windsor April 10, 1781. Agreeable to the Order of the Day, the Governor, Council and General Assembly of Representatives met, and formed into a Committee of the Whole, for the Purpose of taking into Consideration the several Petitions hereafter specified. His Excellency Thomas Chittenden, Esq; in the Chair. After some Debate on the Subject, a Sub-committee of nine was appointed to consider said Petitions, and make Report; which is as follows, viz. Your Committee, to whom was referred the Consideration of several Petitions and Letters of the Inhabitants of Granville, Cambridge, &c. requesting this State to exercise Jurisdiction over them, for the Reasons therein specified-beg leave to report, viz. That the Legislature of this State, do recommend to the People inhabiting that Part of the former Government, over which Gov. Skeene was to preside, to which this Legislature at their Sessions in February last, laid a jurisdictional Claim, to appoint Members to attend a Convention at Cambridge, on the second Wednesday of May next. That the Legislature of this State, appoint a Committee, to meet said Convention, at said Time and Place-That said Convention and Committee, take into Consideration the Defence of the Frontiers; and if they can mutually agree on Articles of Union, that then such Convention proceed to resolve to raise their Quota of Men, for the Defence of the Frontiers, with a proper Proportion of Officers; which shall be returned to the Board of War and commissioned in the same Manner, that the Troops heretofore ordered to be raised for the present Defence of this State are, and do Duty in the same Manner-That in Case said Convention and Committee do agree on Articles of Union, raising Men, &c.-then such Articles of Union shall be transmitted to the several Districts in said Claim, when the People of said Districts are requested (provided they agree to such Articles of Union) to choose Members to attend this Assembly, except such Districts had instructed their Member or Members, in Case Articles of Union were agreed on, that then their Members should be impowered to take Seats in this Assembly. That in Case two Thirds of the Districts in District meetings, choose Members as aforesaid, that then such Members shall take their Seats in this Assembly.That this Assembly adjourn to the second Wednesday of June next, at Bennington. John Fassett, Chairman. Windsor, April 11th, 1781. In Grand Committee, April 11th, 1781. Joseph Fay, Clerk. In General Assembly, April 11th, 1781. * See document 3646, page 787. Roswell Hopkins, Clerk. Read and approved. In Council, April 11th, 1781. Joseph Fay, Sec'ry. In General Assembly, April 11th, 1781. Resolved, That a Committee of Six, to join a Committee from the Council, be appointed to meet a Convention, to be held on the second Wednesday of May next, at Cambridge, for the Purpose specified in a Report of a Committee of both Houses, of this Day's Date; and that a Majority of such Committee, are hereby empowered to transact the Business pointed out for the said Committee, in said Report, and make report of their Doings, to the next Sessions for their Approbation. The Members chosen, Mr. Walbridge, Mr. Porter, Mr. Williams, Mr. Prentice, Mr. Curtis, and Mr. Child. Extract from the journals, Roswell Hopkins, Clerk. In Council, Windsor, April 11th, 1781. Resolved to appoint a Committee of Three, to join the above Committee. Members chosen, Ira Allen, John Fassett, and Jonas Fay, Esquires. Attest, [No. 3626.] Joseph Fay, Sec'ry. Governor Clinton to Captain Dodge in Relation to Exchange of Military Prisoners. Poughkeepsie, 11th April 1781. Sir, As I am informed the Enemy in Canada have lately permitted a Number of the Inhabitants of this State who they had captured on our Frontiers, to return to their respective Homes on Parole to be exchanged, it has become necessary that you shoud pay attention to their Case & endeavour by every mean in your Power to have their Exchange perfected & at the same Time improve the Opportunity which the Present Occassion mày afford, to negotiate a more Extensive one. For this Purpose, 1 now inclose you a List of Prisoners of War at Albany & of Inhabitants who have requested to be exchanged & to which I have consented and also a List of one hundred & fifty nine Women & Children who were permitted to join the Enemy in Canada last Fall, with a Copy of Lieut. McDonald, of the British, his Receipt for them. These can with Propriety be placed ag't an equal Number of our Women & Children now returned from the Enemy, which as there can be no good Reason offered against it & I have written very fully to Gov'r Haldi man on the Subject, I presume will not be objected to by the Enemy. Genl. Stark to whom I wrote some Days since, will give you every necessary assistance; & Capt. Bevier, late of the 5th New York Regt. offers his Service, if it shoud be wanted to conduct a Flagg on this Business. Colo. Willet informs me, that a Brother of Lieut. Samons of his Regt. is now a Prisoner in Canada & is remarkably cruelly treated, and that he will send a Prisoner from Tryon County to Albany to be give in Exchange for him. It is my desire that you do every thing you can consistently with Justice to others to have him liberated. The Commissioners of Conspiracies in Albany, will give you every aid in their Power to facillitate the Duties of your office to the Northward. William Shepard & Joshua Bloore, both confined in Albany Gaol, have requested to be exchanged, but the former being Bondsman for the Exchange of Doct'r Smith & the later for Parson Stuart, I cannot consent to their Exchange untill Smith & Stuart shall have effected theirs. I am &c. Capt. Henry Dodge. [No. 3627.] [G. C.] Jacob Cuyler Makes Return of Provisions Purchased. Albany 11th April 1781. Sir, Agreeable to your Excellency's Order of the 13th Ulto. I have the Honour to inclose you the Return requested; it was not in my power to have it ready so soon as the Law directed. Indeed its with great difficulty I have it now compleat and I believe pretty exact, excepting what has been procured by Capt. James Reed of Amenia Precinct between the periods of March and August and tho I have had an Express there, I received an evasive answer, perhaps your Excellency may be able to get him to do it, It will be necessary, Sir, to inform you that in my Order, I directed that it should be particularized what had been voluntary sold or procured by an authority of the State to which I have been generally answered, that it was impossible to be done. I am your Excellency's Most Obedient Humble Servant George Clinton Esqr. Gov'r &c. &c. &c. Jacob Cuyler. A Return of Wheat and Flour procured in the State of New York, under the directions of Jacob Cuyler late D. C. G. Purchases, from the 1st December 1779 to the 31st July 1780. Three Spies Sentenced to Death by Court Martial. Proceedings of a General Court Martial. Colonel Abraham Brinkerhoff President. Members: Captains Thomas Storm, Stephen Hendrickson, Israel Veel. Lieutenants Johannes DeWitt, Jun'r, Christian Dubois, Jacobus Van Debogart, Jacobus Freer, Eliphalet Platt, Theophilus Sweet, Job Tanner, Cornelius Adriance, John Cooper. John Copp acting as Judge Advocate. His Excellency, Governor Clinton's Orders for the Court to sit were produced by the Judge Advocate, being read, are as follow "In Pursuance of the Act entitled an act subjecting all Persons who shall come out from the Enemy and secretly lurk in any Part of this State to Trials by Courts Martial as Spies," a General Court Martial is appointed to meet at Poughkepsie, on Thursday the 12th Instant, for the Tryal of Henry Wickes, and such other Offenders as may be brought before them, Colonel Brinkerhoff to be President and the Members to be taken from General Swartwout's Brigade, Captain John Copp to act as Judge Advocate." &c. Head Quarters Poughkepsie April 7 1781. April 12th. The Court assembling agreeable to Orders, the President Members and Judge Advocate being sworn-The Judge Advocate prosecuting in the Name of the People of the State of New York-The Court proceeded to the Trial of Henry Wickes against whom the following Charges was exhibited vizt. "For adhereing to the Enemy, and coming out from the Enemy & secretly lurking within a Part of this State." The Prisoner Henry Wicks, appearing before the Court plead not guilty to the Charge. Tabor Bently (sworn). Question. Were you present Mr. Bently when the Prisoner before you (Henry Wickes) was taken? No. Where did you see the Prisoner first? Behind a Log. Did it appear to you that he lay behind the Log with Intention to conceal himself? It did. Q. Will you please to inform the Court what was the Cause of your discovering them? I was felling a Tree which was inclining towards them, or as they (Abraham Wickes, John Vermillier and Abraham Ackerly) told me, they would not have discovered themselves to me. On Account of the Danger they were in from the Falling of the Tree, I was surprised with a Pistol at my Breast by a certain Earl, one of the Gang who afterwards got off, and after some Conversation I promised to bring them some Victuals which they demanded of me. Q. Do you recollect what passed between you and the Prisoner in the Conversation you mention? He said there were some such Men as I was, who pretending to be their Friends, might betray them, and likewise told me that I should suffer if I should, & I reply'd that if I brought them out, they might scalp me. They ask'd me how far it was to Jonathan Denniston's, Quakerhil & Colonel Van Deburgh's and whether Colonel Vandeburgh was a Friend to his Country. Q. Did the Prisoner inform you where he came from? From within the British Lines and said that he belong'd to De Lancey's Corps. One of the Party said that he would be damned if some particular Persons should not suffer before they returned, and to the best of my Knowledge Wickes said that some should suffer, by God. One of them (I am not certain who) ask'd me if I did not expect the Enemy, I answered that they had been expected for two or three years past; Either Wickes or Ackley swore, by God, we should be relieved soon and we might depend on their coming through this Summer. Colonel Van Deburgh swore, That he took Henry Wickes himself, endeavoring as he thought to make his Escape, and after he presented his Gun at the Prisoner, he call'd for Quarter. That he confess'd that he belong'd to De Lancey's Corps. That he came from within the British Lines and intended to return, if he had not been taken in eight or nine Days from that Time. Abraham Ackerly, appeared before the Court; The Judge Advocate prosecuting as in the foregoing Case and the same Charges being exhibited against him. The Prisoner plead not guilty. Tabor Bently being sworn. The 1st 2d 3d and 4th Questions that were ask'd him, being nearly similar to those put to him in the Case of Wickes, were answered in the same Manner. Question. What did Ackerly say to you after your being surprised by Earl? That they had been driven off, and that he would be damn'd if some particular Persons did not suffer for it before he return'd to New York. Q. Did the Prisoner signify that he was in the Service of the Enemy? It was the Voice of the Whole of them that they belong'd to De Lancey's Corps. Q. Did he tell you how long it was since he left the British Lines? Near a Fortnight, and that they were about returning when they were taken. Q. Did the Prisoner in particular tell you this? Not that I recollect, I took it to be the Sense of the Whole of them. Q. What was the Occasion of your leaving them? A Boy that lives with me appearing, I told (Ackerly, Wickes and Vermillier) then, that they might probably be discovered. They immediately concealed themselves where I first saw them, behind the Log, and I left them to alarm the Neighbourhood. Col: Vandeburgh swore That the Prisoner told him that he belong'd to De Lancey's Corps & that he expected to be exchanged soon. Henry Van De Burgh, Being Sworn: Quest: Was you present Mr. Van Deburgh when the Prisoner was taken? I was. Q. In what Manner did you take them? Running from a Place where it appear'd by the Position of the Logs and Collection of Leaves the aforementioned Persons had been lurking for a considerable Time, and which by the Description of Mr. Bently was the very Place where he discovered them first. Q. Did the Prisoner acknowledge that he came from within the British Lines? He did, as did Vermillier and Wickes also, That they respectively belong'd to De Lancey's Corps, & that they had been out eight or nine Days. |