IMAG535.htm

"To the Committee of Safety, in recess of the Provincial Congress, in New-York."

The Committee took into consideration the case of Godfrey Hains, lately apprehended and sent here by the Committee of Safety of New-Jersey. Are of opinion that his many and mischievous machinations are so dangerous, that he ought to be kept in safe custody and close jail; and that, by the Resolutions of the Continental Congress, of the 2d day of January instant, they are fully authorized, and that it is their duty to the country to have him confined; and as the said Godfrey Hains lately broke the jail of this; city, and escaped, when he was there confined as a prisoner, and, continuing his evil practices, set off to navigate; a vessel loaded with provisions to supply the Ministerial army and navy at Boston, they conceive it will be very dangerous to keep or convey the said Godfrey Hains to Ulster County Jail, unless he is fettered or manacled.

Therefore, Resolved and Ordered, That the said Godfrey Hains be conveyed to Ulster County Jail, to be there confined in safe and secure custody in close jail, until the further order of the Continental or Provincial Congress, or of this Committee.

And Ordered, That the said Godfrey Hains be sent, manacled or fettered, under guard, to Ulster County Jail, and that Colonel McDougall be requested to procure an Officer, with a proper guard of the Militia, or Minute-Men, of this city, to guard the said prisoner, and the other prisoners heretofore ordered to jail to Kingston, in Ulster County.

Thereupon, a draft of a Letter to the Committee of Kingston, in Ulster County, which was formerly drawn and read, and approved of, in the Committee, on yesterday, was again read, and is in the words following, to wit:

In Committee of Safety, New-York,

January 23, 1776.

GENTLEMEN: By a determination of the Provincial Congress, with the consent of the Deputies from your County, then present, the jail of your County, at Kingston, was determined on to be the jail for such prisoners whose wicked practices forbid their being permitted to go at large.

In pursuance thereof, we send you, by this guard, three prisoners, to wit: John Blackler, who was ordered to be there confined by the Provincial Congress, and Azor Betts and Godfrey Hains, sent by us. We pray you to direct that they be kept in safe custody, to prevent their escape, and that very particular directions for this purpose be given as to Hains, as he formerly broke the jail in this city, and made his escape.

Take care to secure such part of the jail as you shall have them confined in, at your absolute command, and secure any person who may attempt to procure their escape. Appoint some person, whom you shall think proper, to supply them with the necessaries of life, at their own expense, if they can pay for them, and, if they cannot, then, at the publick expense. If any, or all of them must be supported at the publick expense, let the accounts be laid before your Committee, and when you find them just and reasonable, let the person to whom the money is due make oath to the account, and let a certificate of your Committee, or Chairman, that the account is reasonable and due, be added, and the accounts sent to this Committee, or the Provincial Congress, that they may be ordered to be paid.

We are, respectfully, gentlemen, your very humble servants.

By order of the Committee.

To the Chairman and Members of the Committee of Kingston, Ulster County.

Ordered, That a copy thereof be engrossed, and signed by the Chairman, and transmitted.

charged against them concerning the Cannon that have been spiked up, beyond King's Bridge, in Westchester County; and

Ordered, That Mr. Allen call on Colonel Joseph Drake, at New-Rochelle, or on any other Officer of the Militia or Minute-Men in Westchester County, for any assistance he may want; and all the Officers of the Militia and Minute-Men of the said County are hereby requested to give all necessary aid of men, or otherwise, to Mr. Allen and his party in the aforesaid service.

And Ordered, further, That the said John Fowler be kept in safe and secure custody, at the Upper Barracks, until the further order of this Committee, and, in the interim, that no person be suffered to speak to him, but in the presence and hearing of the Officer of the Guard; and that no letters, or paper writings, be permitted to pass between the said John Fowler and any person out of the Barracks, and, that he be denied the use of pen, ink, and paper, and that Colonel McDougall cause this order to be duly executed, with directions to treat the said John Fowler with as much courtesy as may be consistent with this order.

Mr. John Berrien and Andrew McCormick, by request, attended the Committee, and informed them of the state of ground within, or to the northward of, the line of Fortifications mentioned in Mr. Thomas Grenell's Letter of the 19th instant, and of such other matters relating to the timber and materials there as the Committee requested, and they could inform or explain, in order to enable the Committee to give an answer to the said Letter.

3 ho. P. M., Die Martis, January 23, 1776.

The Committee met pursuant to adjournment.

Present: Mr. Joseph Hallett, Chairman, Mr. Brewster, Mr. Tredwell, Mr. Clarke, Mr. Sands, Colonel McDougall, Colonel Brasher.

Joseph Woolcombe, Mate of the ship Blue-Mountain-Valley, was brought before the Committee. He says he bad not any other Letters than those taken from him when searched; that he was mate of the ship; that twenty-five or twenty-six transports sailed with their vessel, which was the whole number then in the Downs: there were other transports taken up; that their ship was loaded with porter and coals; that two transports, with horse, came out and went to the West-Indies for winter-quarters; that he had no verbal instructions, but to deliver the Letters on board of the man-of-war; that the ship was to stand-in, in the night, for him, which would be about twenty-four hours after he left her, and, if he did not arrive in four hours after, the ship was to put off for Boston.

Joseph Woolcombe says he chooses to go on board of one of the men-of-war. Thereupon, he was discharged, and the Letters found with him were delivered to him, and a permit was given to him, in the words following, to wit:

Ordered, That Joseph Woolcombe be permitted to go on board either of His Majesty's ships-of-war, now lying in the Harbour of New-York, unmolested.

Colonel McDougall informed the Committee that Captain Benjamin Ledyard has unavoidably been at sundry expenses, by reason of his having the care and charge of Prisoners committed to the Guard-House in this city.

Ordered, That Peter V. B. Livingston, Esq., as Treasurer of the Provincial Congress of this Colony, pay unto Captain Benjamin Ledyard, of Colonel McDougall's Regiment, the sum of eight Pounds, to reimburse him for sundry expenses he has necessarily been at, by having the charge of several Prisoners confined in the Guard-House in this city.

A Letter from the Committee of Richmond County, of the 19th instant, was read and filed, and is in the words following, to wit:

"Richmond County, January 19, 1776.

"GENTLEMEN: Whereas, the Committee for this County have caused, by advertisement, the freeholders to be convened on this day, in order to elect two Members to represent this County in Provincial Congress; accordingly a poll was opened for that purpose, without any opposition, at the close of which it appeared, by a majority, that Messrs. Adrian Bancker and Richard Lawrence were duly elected to represent this County in Provincial Congress, until the second Tuesday in May next, winch we hope will be agreeable to the rest of that body.

"We are, gentlemen, your most obedient and most humble servants,

"CHRISTIAN JACOBSON,

MOSES DUPUY,

"LAMBERT MERRELL,

DAVID LA TOURETTE,

"JOHN TYSON,

DANIEL CORSEN,

"PETER MERSEREAU,

HENRY PERINE,

"GEORGE BARNES,

JOSEPH CHRISTOPH.