MEETING OF THE FREEHOLDERS OF SOMERSET COUNTY, NEW-JERSEY.

At a meeting of the Freeholders of the County of Somerset, in the Province of New-Jersey, assembled at the Court-House in said County, on Friday, the 28th day of July, 1775, pursuant to advertisements of the late Committee of Correspondence, Hendrick Fisher, Esq., Chairman, John Leferty, Secretary.

The said Freeholders being informed that the late Committee of Correspondence for this County expired the 15th day of July instant, and being convinced of the necessity of choosing a new Committee of Correspondence for the County, do Resolve, That a new Committee of Correspondence, to consist of seventeen persons, be chosen for this County by ballot.

Adjourned for an hour.

Met according to adjournment; when the following gentlemen were elected a Committee of Correspondence for this County, viz: The Rev. Dr. John Witherspoon, Jacob Bogart, John Gaston, Gisbart Bogart, Gabriel Ogden, Garret Voorhees, Cornelius Van Muliner, Thomas Berry, Stephen Hunt, Rowland Chambers, Matthew Ten Eyck, William Annin, Ruloff Van Dicke, Jacob Bergen, Hendrick Van Middlesworth, Lucas Voorhees, and Ebenezer Tingley.

Resolved, That it be recommended, and it is hereby recommended to every Township in this County, to assemble as soon as possible, and choose for their respective Townships nine persons, to be a Committee of Inspection, to take cognizance of all violations of the measures recommended by the Representatives of the people in their District. And this County do further recommend, that every Township Committee do choose from among themselves three persons, who shall meet when called upon, with an equal number of persons from every Township Committee, and form a General Committee of Inspection for the County, in case of an appeal, or when matters of importance require the sense of the County, or when a Township Committee choose not to decide on a case by themselves.

Resolved, That the Chairman of the late Committee of Inspection for each Township do notify a meeting of the inhabitants of their Township, for the purpose of choosing the aforesaid Committee of Inspection.

Resolved, That the County do earnestly recommend to, and they do hereby instruct their Committee of Inspection, to be vigilant and active in the discharge of their duty, in taking cognizance of every person of whatsoever rank or condition, who shall, either by word or deed, endeavour to destroy our unanimity in opposing the arbitrary and cruel measures of the British Ministry; and so deal with him or them as to the particular Committee of Inspection where the offender resides, or to the General Committee of Inspection, (if an appeal or other reason require the same to be called,) shall seem most conducive to prevent any injury to the glorious cause of American freedom.

Resolved, That the Committee of Correspondence above chosen, and the Committees of Inspection to be chosen for the different Townships of this County, do continue until the first Monday in may next; after which, the Chairman of the Committee of Correspondence shall within three weeks call a meeting of the County. And in all cases when it shall be thought necessary to have the County assembled, the Secretary is hereby authorized and directed to give as publick notice thereof as possible; and this County do agree to defray the expenses thence arising.

Ordered, That the foregoing Resolves and Proceedings be published in one of the New-York newspapers.

A true copy from the minutes:

JOHN LEFERTY, Secretary.

GENERAL, SCHUYLER TO CONTINENTAL CONGRESS.

[Read September 14, 1775.]

Ticonderoga, July 28, 1775.

SIR: I am happy to enclose you copies of two papers that corroborate the accounts we have had of the friendly sentiments of the Indians. Every instruction I have given to people who were likely to fall in with any of them, enjoins an attention to that capital point.

Your favour of the 21st instant, enclosing a resolution of Congress of the preceding day, is duly come to hand. My last letter will evince that I keep in view the object which was the subject of your orders of the 29th ult., and which, I hope, notwithstanding the difficulties I have to struggle with, to carry into the wished-for execution.

The fourth paragraph of the letter from the Committee of Albany may need an explanation. On my arrival at Albany, I found that a great number of the gentlemen who had warrants sent them from the New-York Congress to entitle them to commissions in the troops to be raised, refused to accept them. I therefore advised that the Albany Committee should endorse on those warrants the refusal, and nominate such other gentlemen as they thought proper, which I hoped would be satisfactory to the New-York Congress, as ultimately the officers must be recommended by the Deputies from Albany.

It would tend to facilitate matters and promote the service, if some honourable mention was made of the Albany Committee in the instructions to the Commissioners of Indian Affairs. I mention this merely on account of their assiduity to promote the publick weal.

The Troops here begin to be sickly, occasioned by their being crowded too close in barracks. I wish their tents were come up.

I am, Sir, most respectfully, your obedient and very humble servant,

PHILIP SCHUYLER.

To the Honourable John Hancock, Esq.

P. S. I have taken the liberty to desire some of the Caughnawaga Indians to meet me at this place. Thompson’s, mentioned in the speech sent me by the Albany Committee, is about thirty miles below where Fort Stanwix was erected.

ALBANY COMMITTEE TO GENERAL SCHUYLER.

[Read before Congress September 14, 1775.]

Albany Committee Chamber, July 26, 1775.

SIR: We have just received yours of the 22d instant, enclosing a packet to the President of the Provincial Congress; and be assured that we shall implicitly follow your directions in forwarding it.

Your information of the intention of the Canadian Indians is corroborated by the intelligence we yesterday received from two Sachems of the Oneida nations, with whom we had a short conference, (copy of which proceedings you have here enclosed,) which was concluded by some presents in token of our friendship.

You may rest assured, that nothing will be wanting on our parts to encourage the levies of the companies to be raised in our County; as nothing could (at this time) afford us more real happiness than to see our Regiment in complete order.

We have, agreeably to your request, filled up the arrangement of officers, and transmitted it down to the Provincial Congress by our Deputies, who are gone to attend the same.

We have the pleasure to inform you that the apprehensions of the inhabitants of Tryon County, respecting the Indians, is entirely removed; and the unhappy dispute between the inhabitants of the upper part of the County with Sir John Johnson and the Sheriff of that County, amicably accommodated upon the two following points:

First: The Sheriff is to leave the County, and not to return to it again. And

Secondly: Sir John Johnson is not to take any active part against the people, in the disputes at present subsisting between Great Britain and the American Colonies.

We last Sunday received the powder which has been so long expected from the Continental Congress, which we have stored, and shall be forwarded to you as soon as a guard can be obtained to accompany it to Lake George.

We are, Sir, your very humble servants. By order of the Committee:

ABRAHAM YATES, Jr., Chairman.

The Speech of ONEYNYOAGAT and THUEGWEYNDACK, two ONEIDA INDIANS.

[Read in Congress September 14, 1775.]

BROTHERS: We were not sent down as messengers this way, but were sent to the German Flats to undeceive the people in a report that prevailed among the inhabitants of