return of all provisions which shall hereafter be furnished by the States. That a copy of the letter of Colo. Blaine & its enclosures, be transmitted without delay to the several States, who are hereby requested to take into their serious consideration the present want and distresses of the Army; That they furnish & forward by means the most efficacious, the supplies requested from them respectively, and that this subject from the advanced season of the year, the critical state of our affairs; and the calamities consequent on the disolution of the army ought in the opinion of Congress to engage the unremitted attention of the States. Extract from the minutes. Chas. Thomson, Sec'y. [No. 3303.] Colonel Webster Reports the Movements of the Enemy on Lake Champlain. White Creek, Oct'r 24th 1780. D'r Governor, Ever since the 10th Instant we have been all armed and embodied. Ever since our return from Fort Edward the alarms came both from the westward and north. I keep out Scouts betwen Fort Edward and Skeinsborough and shall continue till otherways provided for. I received last night a letter from General Allan, a copy of which I should a sent your Excellency, if the want of paper had not prevented me, but this much he says: the enemy my scouts have discovred them and been reconitring their motions from Saturday; yesterday eight days ago their shipping lay off Mount Independence; they moved down the Lake lay awhile at Putnam's Point. A large body of them at the same time occupied the westward shore, as appeared from their fires and passing to and from their shipping; they moved from thence to Buluagge and Grog Bays, Rayments Mills and its Vicinity; the last scout informs that they reconitred those bays and other parts of the lake from the beutifull relm in Panton, but discovred none of the enemy on their shipping, tho 5 of their Vessels had been discovred in those bays the day before; they further add that they herd a brisk firing of small arms down the Lake but it being foggy they could not see the enemy; this contains the particulars. Date Oct'r 22nd 2 of the Clock P. M. 1780. Sir, as I have wrote to you before and have received no answer and as we jointly joined officers and principle Inhabitants in Council and sent Major McCracken and Squire Russel with our resolves to your Exellency, and as they by hearing of your being at Schenactedy only wrote and sent the resolves, I can only add I do my best to keep the people from moving off and act upon the defensive till I here from your Excellency; being in great heast [haste] most begg to be excused, and remains your Excellency's Very Ob'dg Humble Servant His Excellency George Clinton. Alex'r Webster. [No. 3304.] Disastrous End of an Expedition Sent to Destroy the Enemy's Boats on Onondaga Lake. Extract of a Letter from Capt. Jona. Lawrence, Jun'r., to Colo. Saml. Drake, dated at Fort Schuyler, Oct'r 24th, 1780: "On the 22d Inst. agreable to Orders from the Gov'r & Cool. Malcom, a Party of 2 2 4 & 50 Privates commanded by Capt. Vroman, Joshua, the other Capt. was sent out in order to harrass the Enemy's front & flank & if possible to destroy the Boats in Onondaga Lake, which could it have been effected, would have been the means of the whole of their force falling into the Hands of Genl. Rensselaer who was following them in their Rear. On their arrival at Canasheaga, the found the Enemy had just moved off, & that 7 men of the Party had deserted, & finding the Enemy to be numerous by their Tract & the militia not pursuing their Rear so close as they had Reason to expect, the Officers agreed to retreat back to the Fort; they had returned three miles destroying the Indian Settlements when unfortunately, my unhappy friend with the Party were surrounded by about 500 who they discovered not until the Enemy gave the Indian Shout. Two of the Party, after the Enemy begun to disarm them, pushed thro' them, who fired several Shots, but fortunately they escaped; one of them was my man, who Joshua, had taken as a waiter; he arrived about an Hour since." [No. 3305.] Inhabitants of Schenectady Petition That Their Regiment be Allowed to Remain at Home to Protect Their Own Frontier. To His Excellency, George Clinton, Esqr. Governor of the State of New York &c. &c. &c. And, whereas, the present situation of this place is become a frontier Town, which we have reason to believe the Enemy aims to destroy, and which we your memorialist are a good deal concerned about, particularly when we Consider the Different Settlements round about us, if we turn our eyes to the north, we find a Settlement called Galloway, and another called Peasly, who are all enemies to the Country and even Balls Town a great part of them; To the southwest from us we have the Hellebergh, which are likewise mostly Tories, at which places the enemy may lay conceald untill they find an opportunity to destroy this place. And one half of our Regiment are joining to these Settlements. We, your memorialist, therefore, humbly pray that your Excellency will take our Situation in Consideration and grant that our Regiment may remain at Home to defend this place. And as Balls Town is likewise exposed to great Danger of an other attack of the enemy we lying nearest to them might on occasion be a great assistance to the good people of that place. And we your memorialists as in duty bound shall ever pray Schonectady Octob'r 14th 1780. Gerret G. Lansing, Mindert Wemp, Claus Hall, Lancaster Conner, William White, Hendrick Brouw or, Ab'm G. Lansingh, Jno. G. Lansingh, jur.-And'w McFa[ Abraham Fonda, Corn's Z. V. Santvoord, Jesse D. De Graaf, John Sters, Saml. Thorn, John Marsalis, Albert Meebie, Gerrit Joh, Lansing, Arent Vedder, Alex'r McMichael, Ch's Miller, Ant. Bradt, Henry Kortright, Dav. Burns, Alb. S. Veader, Abram Groot, Simon Degraff, Nicolas Degraf, Jesse Peak, Cornels Dae Graaf, Ham. Mynderse, Eldert Ament, Hendrik H. Veeder, Simon J. Antwerp, Thaddeus St. John, Joseph Yates, James Stuart, Reuben Simonds, Ab'm Yates, Simon Vroman, Barnardus F. Schermerhorn, [...] Van Denbogart, [No. 3306-3307.] THREE SPIES CONVICTED. Two Sentenced to be Hanged and the Third Reprieved by the Governor. State of New York. General Orders-Octo. 25th 1780. A General Court Martial whereof Lieut't Colo. Command't Weissenfels is President and Lieut. Colo. Livingston, Major Davis, Major Price, Capt. Norton, Capt. Magee, Capt. Marcelis, Capt. Heermanse, Lieut. Hyatt, Lieut't Van Hoevenburgh, Lieut. Andrew Heermanse, and Lieut't Bloodgood are members, is to meet immediately at such Place as the President shall appoint for the Trial of all such offenders as shall be brought before them. John Lansing, Jun., Esqr. to act as Judge Advocate. State of New York. At a general Court Martial convened by order of his Excellency Governor Clinton, at Albany the 25th Day of Oct'r 1780 for the Trial of all such offenders as shall be brought before them. Lieutenant Colonel Command't Wiesenfelts, President. The president, Members and Judge Advocate being duly sworn, Jacob Schell was brought before the Court and charged by the Judge Advocate with being a Spy, under the Act of the Legislature of this State entitled "An act subjecting all persons who shall come out from the Enemy & secretly lurk in any part of this State to Trials by Courts Martial as Spies." To which Charge the prisoner plead Not guilty. Leonard Gansevoort, Esqr., Sec'y to the Commissioners of Conspiracies sworn. permission to go and see his Family; that he was ten Days travelling from Onondaga to the Helle-Bergh; that Sir John Johnson charged him to tell the Inhabitants (meaning as the witness believes the Inhabitants of the United States) that if they remained quietly at Home they would not be injured; that when he the prisoner came to the Helle Bergh upon inquiring whether Capt. Van Aernum was at Home, he was informed he was not; that he, thereupon, sent word to Capt. Van Aernum's wife that he would surrender himself whenever the Captain returned; that upon being informed that Captain Van Aernum was returned he surrendered himself as a prisoner of war; that upon being particularly interrogated whether he conceived himself a Deserter he answered, that he was no Deserter, and if he might be permitted to remain at Home he would behave himself peaceably & quietly. Quest. Do you know whether the Helle-Bergh, the prisoner mentioned, is in the State of New York? Ans'r. I have frequently heard there is such a place in the County of Albany in this State and know of no other place of that Name. The prisoner being requested to make his Defence, alledges that his Inducement for coming into the Country was, his having left a distressed Family who stood in Need of his Assistance; that he could not take Arms in Favor of the Americans because he was not clear of the British Army; that he meant, if he was detected, to surrender himself prisoner of war and intended to behave himself peaceably if he might be permitted to remain in the Country. The Judge Advocate suggested to the Court that Capt. Guy Young was a material witness on the present occasion, with the Nature of whose Testimony he was entirely unacquainted till after the prisoner had made his Defence, he begged the Court would permit his introduction as a witness. Thereupon the Court orders that he be admitted accordingly. Capt. Guy Young sworn. Question. Did you hear the prisoner confess whether he intended to remain at Home or not upon his Return? Ans'r. He informed me yesterday, that if the Militia had not been flocking in, he would have got clear and that he intended to return to a place appointed for that purpose; that he thought it was better to surrender himself a prisoner of war than to be killed on the way. Quest. Do you know a place called the Helle-Bergh. Ans'r. I do. It is about 15 Miles from the City of Albany. I believe it is in the State and it is the place of Residence of Capt. Van Aernum the person who brought the prisoner to Albany. The prisoner then being again called upan to proceed in his Defence repeated his former Allegations. The Court upon considering the Evidence are of the opinion that the prisoner is guilty of the Charge exhibited against him & sentence him to be hung by the Neck till he be dead. Then the Court adjourned till to Morrow Morning 9 O'clock. 26th Oct'r 9 A. M. Court met according to Adjournment. John McMullen was brought before the Court & charged by the Judge Advocate with being a Spy under the above mentioned Act. To which he plead Not guilty. Samuel Stringer one of the Aldermen of the City of Albany sworn. Quest. Do you know the prisoner. Ans'r. I do. The Judge Advocate then delivered Mr. Stringer a paper purporting to be the Confession of the prisoner and asked Mr. Stringer whether he recollected having signed that paper as a Magistrate. Ans'r. I signed it as a Magistrate. The prisoner made the Confession before me contained in it voluntarily, and after its being read to him he acknowledged it to be right and subscribed it. The paper marked No. 1 is annexed to these proceedings. Quest. Do you know whether Stilwater is in the State of New York? Ans'r. There is a place called Stilwater in this State about 24 or 26 Miles from Albany, I know of no other place of that Name & believe that to be the place the prisoner alluded to in his examination. Quest. Did the prisoner on his examination confess that he had enlisted the six Meu mentioned in his Confession before or after his arriving in this State? Ans'r. I understood that he was sent to St. John's to enlist, and that he had enlisted the six Men at that post. |