I have lately received instructions from General Washington, consistent with which I cannot disperse my Troops, unless ordered by him or the Continental Congress; therefore think it necessary that the order of the Continental Congress, upon which yours is predicated, should be sent to me before I can determine whether to order a Company to the Highlands or not.

I have no objection to employing my Troops in any service that shall be judged of publick utility, consistent with my orders.

I am, Sir, with truth and regard, your most obedient humble servant,

DAVID WOOSTER.

Peter V. B. Livingston, Esq.

A true copy from the original:

JOHN MCKESSON, Secretary.

To Brigadier-General WOOSTER:

SIR: In answer to your favour of yesterday, we enclose you the order of the Continental Congress respecting the marching of the Troops under your command into the Colony, and the disposition of them after their arrival, by which you will see that it was expected that those Troops should occupy such posts in the Colony as the Provincial Congress should judge necessary to be taken.

We are, with great respect, Sir, your most humble servants. By order of the Committee of Safety:

JOHN HARING, Chairman.

A true copy. Examined by

JOHN MCKESSON, Secretary.

Camp at Harlem, September 17, 1775.

GENTLEMEN: I received your favour of yesterday, enclosing the order of the Continental Congress, and say, in answer, the order was given the 16th of June, which was before the Continental Forces were properly organized. Since that time the Congress have ordered about two-thirds of my Troops to the northward; and should I divide the remaining few into detached parties, scattered about the country, and any disagreeable consequences should follow from it, as my orders from General Washington are to be here, it might possibly be difficult for me to vindicate my conduct. I have authority to say that no Provincial Congress can, with any propriety, interfere in the disposition of Continental Troops, much less control the orders of any General Officer. If the Continental Congress or the Commander-in-Chief, think proper to employ the whole or a part of the Troops under my command, in erecting and defending batteries, at the Highlands or elsewhere, I shall expect their orders direct, and no man will with greater alacrity obey their lawful summons.

I am, with great respect, your most obedient and humble servant,

DAVID WOOSTER.

To the Committee of Safety, New-York.

A true copy from the original Minutes. Examined by

JOHN MCKESSON, Secretary.

Report to the Honourable the Committee of Safety at NEW-YORK, on the intended Fortifications in the Highlands.

I beg leave first to refer this honourable House to Plan No. 1, a description of the ground, which is as follows:

A, the highest hill. B, the next highest. C, the next eminence. D D, the summit of the bluff. E, a field. F, a field. G, the point called Martyr’s Cliff, or Martelaar’s Rock. H, the only accessible place on the north side. II, direction of the ridge next above the field F.

E and F are the only two places where a landing might be effected. Some gentlemen, not well enough versed in the science, and allured by a less stony appearance, have thought that the field F would be a preferable place for the battery. But, beside the small command it has of the river, (as appears by the course of the ridge II,) it is commanded by all the surrounding heights; it must therefore be left unoccupied, as the batteries 1, 2, and 3, and the block-house in Plan No. 3, can completely and effectually prevent any attempt to land here, as does likewise the block-house A, and the easternmost two guns of the battery A, in No. 2.

The batteries and block-houses B and C, No. 2, are completely sufficient to baffle all such attempts at E, in No. 1; on hill A, in No. 1, which commands all the ground around, I would recommend a block-house, with four four-pounders and twenty swivels, to be erected; perhaps at H, in No. 1, a small lookout is necessary.

Should a landing be effected, and the batteries Nos. 2 and 4, in No. 3, be taken or surprised, they are commanded by batteries 3 and 5, and the block-house in the higher works, which rake battery 4, and consequently would provide an enemy a warm reception there. Plan No. 2 shows the lines of extreme command of each gun, whereby it appears that no spot in the whole reach remains out of the command of the greatest part of the guns at once, and a ship would find hot work for a great way.

In said plan, at A, I would mount four four-pounders in the block-house, and four nine-pounders in the battery. At B, four six-pounders in the block-house, and six nine-pounders on the batteries. At C, four four-pounders in the block-house, and three six-pounders on the battery. At D, the cannon ought to be as expressed in the twenty-eight embrasures, Plan No. 3, and in the block-house four four-pounders. At E, No. 2, four four-pounders and twenty swivels. In all, sixty-one guns and twenty swivels.

This is the most frugal plan that can be of any service here; a less or more imperfect plan would only be beginning a strong hold for an enemy.

I must beg this honourable House to pardon the coarseness of the drawings, they being done in an inconvenient place, and at a distance from my instruments.

B. ROMANS.

NEW-YORK COMMITTEE.

Tuesday, September 19, 1775.

The Committee met. Present: Henry Remsen, Chairman, and thirty-seven Members.

The Committee having taken into consideration the great distresses the poor of this City will be exposed to, and the propriety of making some provision for them against the approaching season, think it proper to recommend it to the Friends in this City to raise a contribution for that purpose, and to put it into the hands of the Committee, or such others as they may think proper, to be disposed of.

Thursday, September 21, 1775.

The Committee met. Present: Henry Remsen, Chairman, and thirty-five Members.

Agreeable to a Resolve of this Board of the 13th inst., the following persons were agreed on as an augmentation thereto, and to be held up for the approbation of the publick, viz: Peter Clopper, William Hyer, Jeremiah Brower, Henry Roome, Richard Ten Eyck, Peter P. Van Zandt, Anthony L. Bleecker, Garret Abeel, John Ramsay, Patrick Dennis, John Pell, Samuel Johnson, Isaac Stoutenburgh, Leonard Lispenard, Jun., Abraham W. De peyster, John Ray, Jun., Anthony Abrahams, Andrew Breasted, Richard Norwood, and Daniel Wickham.

GUERT SPT. DE WINT TO THE NEW-YORK COMMITTEE OF SAFETY.

New-York, September 19, 1775.

DEAR SIR: Enclosed you have a few lines, as a request to yourself and the honourable members of the Committee of Safety; which request I beg you will oblige me so far as to present to the said Committee.

I am, Sir, your most obedient servant,

GUERT SPT. DE WINT.

To John Haring, Esq., at New-York.

To the Honourable the President and Members of the Committee of Safety for the Province of NEW-YORK:

SIRS: Whereas I was, on the day ordered by the honourable Congress for choosing officers for the Militia of this City, chosen Captain of the sixteenth beat of this City, I have taken said affair into serious consideration, and find, from the situation of my affairs, that it will be totally out of my power to serve in that station in the manner I could