as to render him unable to Travel, & there is Reason to believe the Chancellor declines serving, I have not the least Hope of a Complyance. Unless, therefore, you give your attendance it is to be feared we shall remain unrepresented until the next Meeting of the Legislature. I have the Honor to be with great Respect, Sir, your most Obed't Serv't

The hon'ble John Morin Scott, Esqr.

[G. C.]

[No. 3684.]

Mr. David Gardiner and Nathaniel Fanning Denounced and their Goods Condemned and Seized in Consequence.

Middletown, May 3, 1781.

S'r, The Bearer, Mr. David Gardiner, will wait on your Excellency in order to obtain Permission to remove from Long Island with his Family & Effects into our state; some of his Effects are the remaining Goods not taken from him by Governor Trumbull's Commission; he has been a trader ever since the year 1772, and has always bore the Carecter of a Friend to the Cause, & has done a number of friendly acts during the war. The Goods taken from him were tryed & condemned yesterday on the Principal of his being a Subject of Great Brittain, altho his attachment to the County was fully proved; one instance in particu lar was that he gave information last year to the Lieut. Governor of this state, of a Plan formed by the British last year to take him of, who lives near the sea shore; they produced an ex parte affidavit, that he had sold nine months ago, some articles to a person not named, who the deponent said belonged to Connecticut. This was sufficient with the jury to make him a British Subject & to forfeit his Estate; he has appealed to

Congress & I hope that court will do him justice & the others who have had their Goods condemed in simular circumstances.

At the same Time were condemned the Goods of Nathanel Fanning, son to Colo. Phinehas Fanning, which were Cloathing peculiarly adopted for the use of the army and purchased with an intent that the Troops of New York state should have the Benefit of them without pay till after the war; this was fully proved & not contradicted by their Council and that his Carecter had always been friendly, but an ex parte affadavit, that he has parted with goods some time before to some People, names not mentioned, belonging to Connecticut, was sufficient to destroy his Carecter make him a British subject & condemn his Goods; he also has appealed; he tels me he must remove, he cannot pay for the Goods, and is apprehensive of a discovery for the use they were intended; he has some Goods secreted & thinks he could have more provided he could get permission to bring them of; their Design in getting a Permit from your Excellency is that they may more easily obtain one to come into & pass thro this state, from Governor Trumbull; whether they can succeed here or not I am not able to determine, if they cannot, they will not be worse of than they are.

Our Friends on the Island are in great Distress at present. They think the present conduct of this state is only a beginning of what they may expect; have you seen the late ordinance of Congress of the twenty seventh of March last? to me it is dark and intricate.

This much I will venture to predict, that except Congress wili make some explanation the inhabitants of Suffolk County, will be universally plundered & distroyed in their Interest. Many, very many in this state take the ordinance to give such Liberty

& stand ready to execute what they say is intended. They doubt whether it can be done now or they must wait till after the first Day of November next; it was argued in Court that the present Commissions were consonent to the views of Congress by their late ordinance. I think our state ought to take some care of those unhappy People, which I trust the assembly will do at their next meeting. I write to you so often & so lengthy that I fear you will be tired of receiving my Letters. I am, s'r, with great Esteem & respect your Excellency's most obed't Serv't

His Excellency Governor Clinton.

Ezra L'Hommedieu.

.

[No. 3685.]

Colonel Robert Cockran Submits a Plan to Surprise Buck Island. Fort Schuyler, 4th May 1781.

Sir, I am of the opinion, that an expedition against Buck Island, if successful, might be attended with good consequences, to our frontiers. I beg leave to lay before your Excellence, my plan, as follows; if two or three hundred of our best regular troops, well officered, was to be sent to this post, with a number of boats, sufficient to carry them, and to proceed down the Wood Creek, with one scaleing Ladder in each boat, and to enter the Onyda Lake in the night, the men to have their provision cooked, and not to make any fires, whilst advanceing; if this plan, was well conducted, I make no doubt, but they might arrive undiscovered, and as the garrison, is not strong, there would be the greatest probability, of carrying it by surprise; in this case the oars must be muffled, with green hides or old clothes; but no preparations, of this kind, ought to be

made, untill the boats arrived at this post; the only objection, to our arriveing undiscovered, is that we must pass the Osweago Falls in the daytime; but I think, it would be ten chances to one, if ever we was discovered, as no enemy, resides near that place; if a plan of this kind, should meet with your appro bation, I wish you to solicite, the Commander in chief, for my haveing the Command; a good gide or two, would be necessary, as I never was there. I am, with the greatest respect, your Excellence's most obedient humble Servant.

Robt. Cochran.

Governor Clinton.

[No. 3686.j

Captain Doughty Makes a Firm Demand for Clothing for Lamb's

Regiment.

Sir, We have been informed that a Quantity of Cloathing is collected at Poughkeepsye for the Benefit of the officers belonging to this State. I am requested by some of the officers of Coll. Lamb's Regiment, who are much in want of that necessary article, to enquire of your Excellency whether the Fact is so or not; & if so, when it will be issued; what are the articles, & who will be entituled to receive them; whether the particular officers who were Inhabitants of the State, or the Regiment at large as it is become the Quota of the State since the arrangement of January last. Our Reason for being thus particular, arises from our great want of every article of Cloathing, & we would, therefore, wish to know the particular articles of Cloathing, if any, that the State will be enabled to supply us with, that we may make use of means to procure what may be wanting.

Capt. Lt. Hubbel our Reg. Clothier, has procured an order from Mr. Black upon Gilbert Levingston, for some donation clothing for the soldiers; he will wait upon your Excellency to know the Terms upon which they are to be received by the men, whether as a state gratuity, or as part of their Continental cloathing for the present year; if the former, the officers of the York companies would beg leave to suggest to your Excellency, that as their Companies have never received any Donations of cloathing, & as the Connecticut companies who form part of the Regt. have repeatedly been supplied from their State, they think that the one has a fairer Demand for the present supply than the other, especially as it is but small. I have the Honour to be, with the greatest Respect, your Excellency's most Obed't Serv't

Park of Artillery 4 May 1781.

His Excellency, Gov'r Clinton.

Jno. Doughty.

[No. 3687.]

Sheriff Nicoll, of Orange, Gathers in Nine Torys-"A Set of Cursed

Villings."

Goshen, May 4th 1781.

Dear Governor, Since I saw you I have bin imployed in takeing up Toreys, and have now nine in actual custody; they are a set of cursed Villings, which have from the first of this ware, bin purswading peopal to go to the enemy, harbering expresses to and from the Indians, and conducting peopal to New York, which you will se by the inclosed examminations, which I have borrowed of the Jestices for your purrusial, which you will be pleased to send back by the Bairer, Mr. Wells. There is one