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Which being unanimously agreed to, Ordered, That Mr. Lamb, Mr. Brasher, Mr. Ritzma, Captain Fleming, Captain Sears, Mr. S. Broome, Mr. Duane, and Mr. McDougall, be a Committee for the above purpose. The Chairman having acquainted this Board that four gentlemen from Philadelphia were desirous of a conference with some of the members, on the subject of our publick affairs at this alarming juncture, Ordered, That the Committee consist of the following gentlemen for that purpose, viz: Mr. P. Livingston, Mr. Remsen, Mr. Lewis, Mr. J. Jay, Mr. Yates, Mr. Low, Mr. Young, Mr. S. Broome, Mr. P. V. B. Livingston, Mr. Van Zandt, Mr. A. Walton, Mr. Buchannan, and Mr. Pintard. A Letter, dated New-Windsor, 29th April last, signed by James Clinton and others, inhabitants of Ulster County, was presented to this Committee by Mr. Robert Boyd, Jun., requiring our advice and assistance in procuring Arms and Ammunition for their poor. Resolved, That this Committee do earnestly recommend it to the gentlemen who have subscribed the said letters, and to their fellow-subjects in general, to adopt and sign an Association similar to that which has so cheerfully and generally been entered into by the inhabitants of the City, and to perfect themselves in military discipline as soon as possible; that with respect to purchasing Arms, this Committee will give all the advice in their power, but it will be necessary to raise money for that purpose by voluntary contributions in their County for equipping their poor inhabitants. The Committee appointed to wait on the Postmaster to inquire whether he had discharged the Eastern Post-rider, Report, that they have waited on him accordingly, and upon asking the Postmaster whether he had discharged the said Post-rider, he answered he had, and assigned the following reasons for doing it, viz: That the four last mails between New-York and Boston have been stopped, the mails broken open, many of the letters taken out and publickly read, some of which were detained and others sent open to the General Post Office in this City, and that the riders informed him that it was not safe for them to travel with the mail; in consequence of which, they were dismissed by him until they could carry the mail with safety as heretofore. And we report also, that on Mr. Foxcroft’s request, we left with him the order of this Committee, which was certified by the Chairman. Ordered, That the subject-matter of this Report be referred to the Committee of Correspondence and Intelligence, and that they make a report thereof at the next meeting of this Committee. The Committee adjourned to to-morrow morning, nine o’clock. The Committee met, by adjournment, Thursday morning, nine o’clock, 4th May, 1775. Present:
Ordered, That Captain Sears, Captain Randall, and Captain Fleming be a Committee to procure proper judges to go and view the ground at or near King’s Bridge, and report to this Committee, with all convenient speed, whether it will answer the purposes intended by it. Ordered, That the Accounts against the Committee of Sixty be procured by Mr. Pettit and the Secretary, and that a return thereof be made to this Committee. The Committee adjourned until to-morrow morning. New-York Committee Chamber, May 3, 1775. The Postmaster having, for the present, discharged the Eastern Post-riders, the General Committee have directed us, their Sub-Committee of Intelligence, to devise the best ways and means for continuing a correspondence with the Eastern Colonies: It is, therefore, our opinion, that the present Eastern Post-riders be employed to depart from this City on the usual days, and to go the usual stages; and the publick is hereby informed that Mr. Ebenezer Hazard has undertaken to receive and forward Letters from this City. From information received by the Committee from Connecticut, it will be necessary (in order to prevent Letters from being opened by the Committees on the road) that they be inspected here by some well known member of the General Committee, and by him endorsed with his name, as one of the Committee of New-York. P. V. B. LIVINGSTON, GENERAL GAGE TO GOVERNOUR TRUMBULL. Boston, May 3, 1775. SIR: I am to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 28th April last, in behalf of the General Assembly of your Colony, relative to the alarming situation of publick affairs in this Country, and the late transactions in this Province. That this situation is greatly alarming, and that these transactions are truly unfortunate, are truths to be regretted by every friend to America, and by every well-wisher for the peace, prosperity, and happiness of this Province. The intimate connexion and strong ties of friendship between the inhabitants of your Colony and the deluded people of this Province, cannot fail of inducing the former to interpose their good offices to convince the latter of the impropriety of their past conduct, and to persuade them to return to their allegiance, and to seek redress of any supposed grievances in those decent and constitutional methods, in which alone they can hope to be successful. That Troops should be employed for the purpose of protecting the Magistrates in the execution of their duty, when opposed with violence, is not a new thing in the English or any other Government. That any Acts of the British Parliament are unconstitutional or oppressive, I am not to suppose; if any such there are, in the apprehension of the people of this Province, it had been happy for them if they had sought relief only in the way which the Constitution, their reason, and their interest, pointed out. You cannot wonder at my fortifying the Town of Boston, or making any other military preparations, when you are assured that, previous to my taking these steps, such were the open threats, and such the warlike preparations throughout this Province, as rendered it my indispensable duty to take every precaution in my power for the protection of His Majesty’s Troops under my command against all hostile attempts. The intelligence you seem to have received, relative to the late excursion of a body of Troops into the Country, is altogether injurious, and contrary to the true state of facts. The Troops disclaim with indignation the barbarous outrages of which they are accused, so contrary to their known humanity. I have taken the greatest pains to discover if any were committed, and have found examples of their tenderness, both to the young and the old; but no vestige of their cruelty or barbarity. It is very possible that in firing into houses, from whence they were fired upon, that old people, women, or children, may have suffered; but if any such thing has happened, it was in their defence, and undesigned. I have no command to ravage and desolate the Country; and were it my intention, I have had pretence to begin it upon the sea-ports, who are at the mercy of the fleet. For your better information, I enclose you a narrative of that affair, taken from gentlemen of indisputable honour and veracity, who were eye-witnesses of all the transactions of that day. The leaders here have taken pains to prevent any account of this affair getting abroad but such as they
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