Motives of private Interest or Disaffection to the common Cause of America, may have been led to swerve from their Duty, I have thought it expedient to address you as a magistrate, immediately concerned in support of the rightful authority of Government, on this occasion and to request that you will be pleased to make inquiry into this Matter and report the Result to me as soon as possible and in the mean time to encourage the People in your Quarter to a perseverance in their Duty; apprizing them of the inevitable Ruin which will be brought on those who may be found trifling with their allegiance. That they may be left without Excuse and should there be any Meetings or Conventions appointed to be held in your District to promote the above dangerous Measures, you are to report the Time & Place thereof to me and use every lawful means for Defeating them. I am &c. &c. &c.

[No. 3660.]

This is a draft of the document of which No. 3659 is a copy.

[No. 3661.]

Governor Clinton Corrects an Erroneous Impression on the Part of Colonel Dubois in Regard to the Assignment of the Levies.

Cats Kill, April 27, 1781.

Sir, In our present dangerous situation, I find myself under the necessity of applying to your Excellency for advice & relief. Last Sunday ev'ning Captain David Abeel, his son and two of his negroes was taken off & his House plundered; one of the negroes has since returned and by his Information they intend

to fetch several more, some of whom they have named, the others are gone to Niagara, We have with different parties, taken several routs in order to take them but to no purpose, The people at Kisketamanatia and other parts of our Frontiers, are all Disaffected and instead of discovering those parties, conceal and harbour them, and tho we cant make it appear, yet we have all the reason imaginable to believe, that some of those people have assisted in taking off and plundering Capt. Abeel.

move, what will become of

The good people here are all under the disagreeable necessity of moving off over the river, & what adds to their uneasiness is a report which at present prevails, that the nine months drafts raised for the defence of the Frontiers, are to march to the southward. Tho I cannot believe such a report, yet I see the bad consequences which attend it, The Tories here are now a majority and if a part of the Whigs the rest? The answer is obvious. They will by two & three at a time be carried to Niagara, and by that means the enemy mean to carry their point. I sincerely wish that your Excellency would order as many of the Drafts which are first raised (with proper officers) as you shall deem sufficient to this Quarter, They will find all the assistance in every respect that we in our circumstances can give; mean while we shall use every exertion in our power to prevent any further Damage. And anxious for relief shall think the time long till I receive your Excellency's answer. But unless there is help for us very soon (altho there is no Law that will justify such a proceeding) we shall be under the necessity for the good of the cause and our own safety to send every Disaffected person to Albany Goal, or some other place of Confinement, in order to prevent them in future from

harbouring those plunderers. I am, with respect, yr. Excel

lency's most Obed: & very h'ble ser't,

His Excellency Geo. Clinton.

Cornelius Dubois, Lt. Coll.

Sir, I have received your Letter of the 27th Instant. It will be impossible to prevent small Parties aided by the disafected to take off the good People in your Quarter unless proper patrolling Parties are constantly kept out from the Militia & the Tories are moved from your Frontiers without whose assistance & support can only enable the Enemy to reach your Neighbourhood. The former every Commanding Officer of a Regt. by Law is authorized to do. The latter I will give orders to justify, the Moment you Magistrates & Principal Officers, furnish me with a Return of the Names of those whose continuance at their present Places Residence is dangerous, which may be as soon as possible. I am surprized that your People shoud Credit the Report respecting the Levies raised in your Regt. the least Penetration might discover it to be the Production of the Disafected. Capts. DuBois & Conine, & Leuts. Van Valkenbergh are appointed officers in the Levies & I wish them to collect those of your Regt. & keep them out on your Frontier until they receive orders from Colo. Willet, who is directed the best Security our Circumstances will admit, to all the Frontier settlements of your Country. I am &c.

[G. C.]

1 rec'd accounts last night of a Party of the Enemy having appeared at Minisinck & done some misschief which makes it necessary to keep a vigilant lookout.

[To Lieutenant Colonel Dubois.]

[No. 3662.]

Governor Trumbull Points Out the Mode of Redress for Persons Plundered on Long Island.

Lebanon, 27th April 1781.

Sir, I am this Day hon'd with your Excellency's Letter of the 16th inst. respecting the Suffering of some of the Inhabitants of the County of Suffolk in State of N. York. The Com issions lately granted by this State for the Purpose of preventing illicit Practices & comerce between the People of this State & the shores of Long Island, have been carefully guarded by Instructions given the comanders of the Boats, calculated to prevent the Practices you mention, accompanied by Bonds which have been invariably taken with good Sureties in the sum of £2000 L m'y conditioned, for the strict compliance with their Instructions, & engaging to make good all Damages for any illegal Practices they may be guilty of in contravention of their Instructions.

If any such Practices as you mention have been entered into, the People who are Sufferers have good right to enter their complaints & there is no doubt, but that on proper Proofs, Prosecutions will be made & full Justice may be obtained in due course of Law on the Bonds.

The real Design of the late comissions was intended to effect very valuable Purposes, a Suppression of the most dangerous Intercourse perhaps that has ever yet been devised by our Enemies. I fear, however, that in some Instances this good Intention has by evil men ben contravened, in which Instances I shall be happy, as your Excellency, that such Perpetrators should be bro't to effectual Punishment. With great Esteem

& Regards, I have the Honor to be, your Excellency's most

Obed't hu. Serv't

His Excellency Gov'r Clinton.

Jon'th Trumbull.

[No. 3663.]

Colonel Udny Hay to the Board of War on the Purchase and Transportation of Flour.

Philadelphia, 27th April 1781.

Sir, Agreeable to the desire of the Board, I now do myself the Honor to give my Opinion on the advantages, which must accrue to the Public, from making Contracts with Individuals, in the State of New-York, for the delivery of Flour, at any part, on the Banks of Hudson's River, most contiguous to the place of Consumption, and not exposed to the Enemy; for illustrating of which with the greater perspicuity, it becomes necessary to Calculate, in Specie, what a Ton of Flour, lying at Philadelphia, Costs in being Transported to the nearest Landing on Hudson's River. The distance, including the Expense of the Water Transportation to Trenton, say,

150 miles @ 2/

is £15

Wastage and payment of Officers on the Road,

with the Expense of Water Transportation

to the place of consumption, say

making in the whole

3

£18

Suppose then the Individual in the State of New York, should be allowed an equal Quantity of Flour, lying at Philadelphia, for whatever Quantity he should deliver at such Place, on the Banks of Hudson's River, as the Public Officer, appointed to