RETURN OF OFFICERS FOR THE TOWNSHIPS OF ROCHESTER, MARBLETOWN, AND NEW-PALTZ, NEW-YORK.

A roll or list of the Officers of the respective Companies of the Regiment whereof Levi Pawling is to be the Colonel.

Of the Township of Marbletown.

First Company: Cornelius E. Wynkoop, Captain; Charles W. Brodhead, First Lieutenant; Moses M. Cantine, Second Lieutenant; Jacob Chambers, Ensign.

Second Company: Frederick Schoonmaker, Jun., Captain; Benjamin Louw, First Lieutenant; Jacobus Rosekrans, Second Lieutenant; John C. De Witt, Ensign.

Of the Township of Rochester.

First Company: Petrus Schoonmaker, Captain; Philip Hoornbeek, First Lieutenant; Cornelius Hardenbergh, Second Lieutenant; Dirck Westbrook, Ensign.

Second Company: Andrew Bevier, Captain; Richard Brodhead, First Lieutenant; Reuben De Witt, Second Lieutenant; Johannes A. De Witt, Ensign.

Third Company: Joachim Schoonmaker, Captain; John Depuy, First Lieutenant; Cornelius Van Wagenen, Second Lieutenant; Zacharias Rosekrans, Ensign.

Of the Township of New-Paltz.

First Company: Lewis J. Dubois, Captain; John A. Hardenbergh, First Lieutenant; Mathew Lafever, Second Lieutenant; Mathusalem Dubois, Ensign.

Second Company: Jacob Hasbrouck, Junior, Captain; Abraham Deyoe, Junior, First Lieutenant; Petrus Has brouck, Second Lieutenant; Samuel Bevier, Ensign.

The Third Company of New-Paltz is returned in Congress.

RETURN OF THE OFFICERS FOR THE TOWN OF KINGSTON, ULSTER COUNTY, NEW-YORK.

A roll of the Officers (being elected) in the several Districts or Beats in the Town of Kingston, Ulster County, agreeable to the Resolve of the Provincial Congress, viz:

Beat No. 1. Evert Bogardus, Captain; Daniel Graham, First Lieutenant; Anthony Frere, Second Lieutenant; Johannes Persen, Ensign.

No. 2. Moses Cantine, Jun., Captain; Philip Swart, First Lieutenant; Abraham G. Vanaken, Second Lieutenant; Hendricus Tarpenning, Ensign.

No. 3. Matthew Dedrick, Captain; Evert Wynkoop, Jun., First Lieutenant; Petrus Eygenaer, Second Lieutenant; Hendrick Myer, Ensign.

No. 4. John L. De Witt, Captain; Petrus Ooster houdt, First Lieutenant; Tobias Myer, Second Lieutenant; Petrus Brink, Ensign.

No. 6. Hendrick Schoonmaker, Captain; Edward Schoonmaker, First Lieutenant; Edward Whittaker, Second Lieutenant; Isaac Burhans, Ensign.

The above is a true copy of the Returns made to the Committee of Kingston.

JOSEPH GASHERIE.

RETURN OF A COMPANY OF HORSE IN THE TOWN OF KINGS TON, IN ULSTER COUNTY, NEW-YORK.

Philip Hooghteeling, Captain; Silvester Salisbury, First Lieutenant; Petrus Myndertse, Second Lieutenant; Cornelius C. Newkerk, Cornet; Cornelius J. Dubois, First Quartermaster; James Roe, Second Quartermaster.

RETURN OF MILITIA OFFICERS FOR NEW-WINDSOR PRE CINCT, ULSTER COUNTY, NEW-YORK

New-Windsor, October 5, 1775.

GENTLEMEN: These are to certify that John Belknap was legally elected Captain, Silas Wood First Lieutenant, Edward Falls Second Lieutenant, and James Stickney Ensign, for a Company of Foot, in the Second Regiment of Ulster County, being in the Precinct of New-Windsor, in the presence of two of the Members of this Committee. By order of the Committee:

SAMUEL, BREWSTER, Chairman.

To the Honourable the Provincial Congress for the Colony of New-York, now convened in the City of New-York.

BENJ. BAKER TO MESSRS. YATES, GLEN, AND SILVESTER.

Albany, October 25, 1775.

GENTLEMEN: Your favour of the 12th instant came to hand the 23d. It gave me satisfaction to understand that my intended process for the production of nitre had, by the Provincial Congress, been so far approved of as to authorize you to correspond with me on the subject. You desired to be informed what quantity I could make in three months, what in six months, and so on. I cannot, in justice, say more than I wrote in the latter part of my last letter, except a little more explanation. Saltpetre cannot, from its origin, be made to profit under nine or twelve months; yet at the same time a considerable quantity may be had in much less. For instance, a compound is put together for transmutation: it, in consequence, from the first day, must, by gradual ascents, undergo the change, and so on until the whole mass is, by its attractive quality, impregnated or laden with the nitrous particles; therefore, if the commixture is made use of before a sufficient change has taken place, we not only stop the vegetation, but be stow cost and labour to little or no profit. You further ask me to write my terms, and in case the Congress should lend me money, whether I could find security for the same. It cannot appear, from my writing before, that self-interested views was any ways my motive; but, on the other hand, purely to serve the Country—therefore, I really think it ought not to be expected for me to make propositions. In respect to security, I beg leave to inform you, that under the consideration of being a stranger, and at the same time in a part of a country where the people of it can have but a slender idea of the practicability of such a manufactory, can have faith enough to become bail for the return of cash advanced under these considerations. Please to excuse me—I cannot think of looking for it; but at the same time observe, that for any sum advanced, can find good security that it shall be disbursed for the purpose intend ed, and any capital (provided not too small) may be employed.

Now, gentlemen, upon a re-examination of what I wrote before, as well as now, I hope my repeated overtures will be looked upon as sufficient. My first was to the Commit tee of Albany, and forwarded to the New-York Congress; wherein I offered my service without any limited fee or reward, doubting not but publick services might meet with publick reward. And in my second, as well as this, have, for your mere satisfaction, been more open than is altogether consistent with safety to the art; and, notwithstanding all that I have said, will yet, for your better idea of the reasonableness of my process, give you the East-India method of making saltpetre, in which you will find an affinity between their method and mine, because the sameness is in all vegetables whatsoever, when reduced by fire, viz:

“The manner in which nitre is originally obtained in the East-Indies, is (I have it, says the author, on the authority of a person of unquestionable veracity, who made it his particular business to procure a just information) according to the following account: There is a very tall kind of grass growing in the country where the nitre is produced, which being burnt customarily in the autumn, forms beds of very large extent, covered with such salts and earths, resulting from the incineration, as the most proper matrices for the formation of the nitre. These lying all the winter on the sides of hills, exposed to the winds, consequently collect the nitrous spirits from the air, in the same manner as when spread by art with that intent, and produce great quantities of nitre. After this, a rainy season ensues, where the solution, partly absorbed by the earth, and partly flowing above it. is exposed to the heat of the sun; that makes an evaporation of the humidity, and leaves the salt in a dry state, either commixed with the earth, or on the surface of it, and this is sometimes artificially, by turning the rills of water, as they descend from the higher grounds, by proper tanks, into places where the absorption of it by the ground is prevented; and where, therefore, the fluid, drying away by insolution, produces a strong solution of the nitre, which being taken out and purified in that state, is afterwards reduced to a crystalline form by evaporation.”

Upon the whole of what has been said, if it is intended to have a work established, may appoint trustees; and I, for an adequate consideration, by way of superintendency, am willing, to the best of my abilities, to construct and

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