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wish. I therefore hope and pray that you will, out of your goodness, order a new election for a Captain of said beat in my stead, and I shall ever hold myself bound to serve you in any manner that may be required. I am, Sirs, your most obedient servant, GUERT SPT. DE WINT. THOMAS HAZARD TO NEW-YORK COMMITTEE OF SAFETY. New-York, September 19, 1775. GENTLEMEN: The officers of the Companies which constitute the Second Independent Battalion, some considerable time since, presented a nomination to the Congress, of such persons as they desired for Field-Officers. They therefore beg leave again to present the same nomination, with the addition of a Second Major as undermentioned, at the same time requesting your speedy confirmation of the same, or of such others as you may esteem more suitable, the discipline of the Battalion being much affected thereby, and are prevented from making an immediate return of Captains and subalterns for said Battalion, as some of the Field-Officers nominated belong at present to particular Companies of the same. Your speedy determination of the above request will oblige the officers of said Battalion. Signed per order: THOS. HAZARD, Chairman. To the Honourable Committee of Safety. Officers nominated.—Mr. William Hyer, Colonel; Mr. Christopher Bancker, Lieutenant-Colonel; Mr. William Malcom, First Major; Mr. Samuel Broome, Second Major. TRYON COUNTY COMMITTEE TO NEW-YORK CONGRESS. Tryon County Committee Chamber, September 19, 1775. HONOURABLE GENTLEMEN: Your favour of the 6th inst. we received yesterday, wherein we apprehend that, agreeable to the resolve and directions of the Continental Congress, there is one Major and a Quartermaster, by each of our Regiments, yet wanting, the voting of which we would have performed without delay, if the members of our Committee were not so much distant from one another in their abodes. Therefore, not to delay the expedition of the commissions in general, without which we cannot act much here with authority, we beg that you will please to send us the commissions for those four Majors and Quartermasters blank, which we would afterwards fill up at the next meeting of our whole Board, according to the majority of votes, and shall then make a return thereof to you immediately. But in case this our request would be disagreeable, and you could not consent to it, the subscribed Chairman, with eight Members of our Committee, made a choice of such officers, according to their abilities, and enclose hereby the nomination of them, not doubting that those so nominated might get the majority of votes at the whole Board. We recommend them to you, and expect the commissions for our militia officers will be despatched as soon as possible, not knowing how soon we shall be in want thereof for the defence of our American cause, in our exposed frontiers, and besides mixed with a great number of Tories, ready with arms against us: we mean the enemies in Kings-borough. In regard to our resolve in civil matters, we have not as yet transacted any thing, and shall also, agreeable to your order, repeal the same at our Board. We are urged to remember again the utmost want of ammunition, and in particular of powder. We applied lately, therefore, to the Albany Committee for some assistance, but got a refusal. We remain, with much esteem, honourable Gentlemen, your obedient humble servants. By order: NICHOLAS HERCKHEIMER, Chairman. To John Haring, Esquire, Chairman of the Committee of Safety of New-York. P. S. We also annex a return of the Field-Officers of our Minute-Men, amounting to one Battalion in our County, although the enlisted men have not as yet, in full, performed their choices for the Captains, Lieutenants, and Ensigns of their respective Companies; the return of which officers we will send to you immediately after performance. Return of four Majors and Quartermasters for the four Battalions in the County of TRYON, and also of the Field-Officers for one Battalion of Minute-Men in our County aforesaid. MOHAWK DISTRICT: Major, John Newkirk; Quartermaster, Abraham Van Horn. PALATINE DISTRICT: Major, Henry Merekill, Jr.; Quartermaster, Jacob Ekert CANAJOHARIE DISTRICT: Major, William Seeber; Quartermaster. John Pickard. KINGSLAND and GERMAN FLATS: Major, John Eisenlor; Quartermaster, Rudolph D. Staley. Field-Officers of the Battalion of Minute-Men. Colonel, Geo. Herchkeimer; Lieutenant-Colonel, Samuel Campbell; Majors, John Fonda and Jacob J. Clock; Adjutant, Samuel Gray; Quartermaster, John Franck . By order: NICHO. HERCKHEIMER, Chairman. GENERAL SCHUYLER TO CONTINENTAL CONGRESS. [Read, October 9, 1775.] Ticonderoga, September 19, 1775. SIR: Since my last of the 8th instant, which I had the honour to write from Isle-aux-Noix, my disorder (proceeding from a bilious fever, and violent rheumatick pains) increased so much, and reduced me so very low, that it was thought necessary that I should return to this place, to try, if possible, to recover; which I hope, with the assistance I have here, will be soon accomplished. In my last I gave you an account of our operations to the date thereof; I shall now continue it till the day on which I came away. On the 9th, I received a letter from Canada, without signature, but which I knew to be written by Mr. James Livingston—copy enclosed, No. 1. As I had, through other channels, a corroboration of the intelligence contained in the former part of this letter, I resolved, as I had not yet my artillery, to despatch five hundred men into Canada, and gave orders, on the 9th, for their embarkation on the 10th, with an additional number of about three hundred, to cover their landing and bring back the boats—copy of my instructions to the commanding officer, No, 2. For the event of the intended expedition, see No. 3, which was drawn and delivered me by one of the party, and, from what I can learn, is just. This body returned on Monday, the 11th. On Tuesday, the 12th, I found I had upwards of six hundred sick—Waterbury’s Regiment being reduced to less than five hundred. General Montgomery (for I was too ill to leave my bed) perceived, however, with pleasure, that the men were unable to bear the reproach of their late unbecoming behaviour; and taking the advantage of this happy return to a sense of their duty, on the 13th I issued the orders in the paper No. 4. The 14th proved rainy, and retarded the embarkation of the cannon. On this day Colonel Allen arrived, and made the report No. 5; and I found myself so much better, that I had hopes of moving with the Army; but by ten o’clock at night, my disorder reattacked me with double violence, and every fair prospect of a speedy recovery vanished. Great part of the 15th rainy; the embarkation much retarded by it. On the same day I received a letter, of which No. 6 is a copy. On the 16th I was put into a covered boat, and left lsle-aux-Noix; and as it rained part of the day, I do not suppose that General Montgomery could move until the 17th, which proved fair. The mode of the intended attack on St. John’s, &c., as judged best both by General Montgomery and myself, is as follows: To land as near the fort as we did the first time we went down; the two row-gallies carrying a twelve-pounder each, well manned; the sloop and schooner, and ten batteaus, with picked men, to lie in the river, ready to attack the enemy’s schooner, (which is completed and carries sixteen guns,) in case she should attempt to destroy our boats, or get to the southward of them, and thereby effectually cut off all communication between this place and the Army. After this naval arrangement, (which will take three hundred and fifty men,) five hundred men to be sent as a corps of observation, to intercept any succours between St. John’s and Chambly, and to keep as near the former as possible; two hundred men, in a breastwork at the proposed landing, to cover the boats, and secure a retreat for the men in the vessels and boats, should the enemy’s vessel be too many for them; the remainder of the Army to invest the place, make the approaches, and erect the batteries.
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