is hereby appointed, Captain-Lieutenant of a Company of Artillery in this Colony.

Colonel Samuel Drake, of the Minute Regiment from the County of Westchester, attending at the door, was admitted. He informed the Congress that four months, the time for which many of his men had inlisted, was fully expired, and that they demanded their pay; that, if he is enabled to pay them, many of them may probably inlist anew. As Colonel Drake has not a Muster-Roll of his Regiment with him, the Congress agreed to advance him three hundred Pounds, on account.

Thereupon Ordered, That Peter V. B. Livingston, Esq., as Treasurer of the Provincial Congress of this Colony, advance to Colonel Samuel Drake the sum of three hundred Pounds, on account of the pay of his Regiment of Minutemen, and take Colonel Drake’s receipt for the same.

Colonel Lott informed the Congress that, by order of the Committee of Safety, he had purchased a large quantity of Bread; that the Bakers of whom he purchased desire that it may be removed; and that he is in advance for the purchase of said Bread; and requested some money on account.

Ordered, That Colonel Lott procure a Store, and have the said Bread stored therein; and the Congress approves of the Stores of Mr. V. Ranst, on Cowfoot-Hill, for that purpose.

And Ordered, That Peter V. B. Livingston, Esq., as Treasurer of this Congress, advance to Colonel A. Lott the sum of five hundred Pounds, on account, in part of the price of the Bread purchased by order of the Committee of Safety, and take a receipt for the same.

Mr. Smith, according to order, reported a draft of a Letter to the Continental Congress, to cover the list of gentlemen recommended for Field-Officers of the four Battalions raising in this Colony; which was read and approved, and is in the words following, to wit:

In Provincial Congress, New-York, February 28, 1776.

SIR: In obedience to the resolution of Congress, we have now the honour to transmit a list of gentlemen nominated by us as, Field-Officers for the four battalions ordered to be raised for the defence of this Colony.

In this nomination we have endeavoured to pay due attention to the merits of those officers who served in the last campaign, and are willing to continue in the service. To these we have added a number of gentlemen who now tender their services to their country. As soon as the Field-Officers are fixed by Congress, we beg their commissions may be forwarded. The other officers are appointed, and are recruiting in different parts of this Colony.

It may not be improper to mention that some of the Captains and subalterns who served in our regiments last year are now in Canada. Those gentlernen we have not been able to provide for in the four battalions now raising, as we were uncertain when they would return, or whether they were not provided for in the Canada Regiments. We were apprehensive, if we provided for them in our battalions, it might impede the raising the troops, and thereby injure the service. In justice to those gentlemen, we thought it our duty to mention this, and to enclose a list of their names; and doubt not but that, their services will be duly considered by Congress, and that proper provision will be made for them, if they are not already provided for.

We have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient servants. By order.

To the Honourable John Hancock, Esq., President of the Continental Congress.

The gentlemen nominated out of which to elect Field-Officers for the four Regiments to be raised for the defence of this Colony, are those that follow, viz:

For Colonels.— Alexander McDougall, James Clinton, Rudolphus Ritzema, Peter Yates, Cornelius D. Wynkoop, Philip Cortlandt, John Lasher, Seth Warner.

For Lieutenant-Colonels.— Herman Zedtwitz, Peter Gansevoort, Jun., Barnabas Tuthill, Henry G. Livingston, Peter P. Schuyler, John Hathorn, Egbert Dumont, Governeur Morris.

For Majors.— Frederick Van Weisenfels, John Fisher, Daniel Griffin, Henry B. Livingston, Marinus Willett, Cornelius Pan Dyck, John Nicolson, Joseph Benedict,

A draft of a Letter to the Delegates of this Colony, on the subject of the appointment of Officers, was read and approved, and is in the words following, to wit:

In Provincial Congress, New-York, February 28, 1776.

GENTLEMEN: We have, by this conveyance, transmitted to Congress a list of the Field-Officers nominated by us for the four battalions intended to be raised in this Colony; and in order to show that we have paid a proper attention to those gentlemen who served in the last campaign, we have enclosed a state of the former regiments raised in this Colony, that you may produce it in case it should be called for by the Continental Congress.

We are, with esteem, gentlemen, yours, &c., &c.

By order.

To the New-York Delegates in Continental Congress.

Ordered, That copies of the said two Letters be engrossed, and signed by the President, and transmitted.*

A Letter from Major-General Schuyler, dated the 21st instant, requesting Arms, Clothing, Blankets, Pitch, Turpentine, and Oakum, was read and filed, and is in the words following, to wit:

“Albany, February 21, 1776.

“SIR: Mr. McKesson’s letter, by your order, enclosing the resolutions of Congress of the 5th instant, I yesterday received.

*A Letter was also written to Mr. Duane, one of the Delegates, in answer to the fifth paragraph of his Letter to the Provincial Congress, dated February 25:—

IN PROVINCIAL CONGRESS, New-York, February 28, 1776.

SIR: Should anything that follows enable you to answer any matters objected to the care or conduct of the present Representatives of this Colony, it will apologise for my giving the trouble of this narrative.

On the 15th of January, the resolutions of Congress, that the troops in Canada should be formed into a regiment, and to raise a regiment for the service in Canada, with the gentlemen of Albany for Field-Officers, came to hand. On the next day a copy was forwarded to General Schuyler. Some time after, the Committee of Safety were informed that General Schuyler had a prior copy of that resolve, and had issued warrants. Sundry resolutions of Congress, passed at different times, from the 8th to the 20th of January, inclusive, among which is the direction for raising four regiments, came to hand on the 23d, in the evening; and copies were that night prepared, and next morning despatched to General Schuyler. The Committee of Safety, few in number, could not fix on proper persons for officers in each County, nor determine the numbers the respective Counties would probably raise, and was uncertain. To wait the meeting of the Convention, would cause great delay. Therefore, as fast as they could be prepared, letters were despatched to the County Committees, directing them, with the advice of the County Deputies, where it could be obtained, to recommend proper officers, and report the number of men who could be raised for the service in their respective Counties; and on the 27th the terms of pay, &c., instructions for inlisting, and warrants for the officers, were printed and ready.

On the 31st of January the twelve thousand five hundred dollars passed into the Colony Treasury. The Committee, having had the information above-mentioned as to General Schuyler’s warrants, and for many reasons, (exclusive of economy,) being of opinion that the regiment would be most easily raised in the northern parts of the Colony, on the 6th of February despatched the money for that regiment to General Schuyler. On the 12th of February, a letter was received from the General, dated on the 6th, mentioning the companies he had ordered to be raised for garrisoning Crown-Point, Ticonderoga, Fort George, &c., and that the Committee would probably receive instructions from Congress that they should form part of that regiment; and soon after, the resolve of Congress of the 5th February, directing the General to complete the appointments in that regiment, came to hand. From this slate of fuels, sir, you will see that only three weeks elapsed from the first notice received by the Committee about Colonel Van Schaick’s Regiment until it was taken out of their hands. They would willingly undertake any duty to relieve General Schuyler; but, few in number, at a great distance, in the midst of winter, without any member from Albany, or the northern parts of the Colony, (in which alone a regiment for those gentlemen could be raised,) they had nothing in their power.

The season of the year, the distance, and the assembling County Committees, required time for answers. On the 15th of February, the Convention being assembled, amongst other things, resolved that a sufficient number of officers should be appointed in each County to command the men to be raised in the same; and that, in the appointment of such officers, those who served their much-injured country in the last campaign ought to have the preference.

The Convention considered the returns of those which had made returns; apportioned the four regiments; and issued warrants to the officers, or despatched them, with the said resolves, to the County Committees. On the 22d instant was received the resolution of Congress of the 15th, that such of the officers who served faithfully in Canada the last campaign as are willing to continue there, be preferred in the new levies of the Colony of New-York to others.

The resolution for forming two regiments of the troops in Canada (however difficult to be executed) remained in full force, and not superseded: and this occasioned the letter of the 22d from the Provincial Congress, to know who of them were provided for before they appointed Field-Officers.

Colonel McDougall on the spot in a constant tour of duty, and Lieutenant-Colonel Cortlandt, in Westchester, ready when required, allowed the more time to determine. I expect the officers will, in some places, recruit fast; and, should a few of them fail, some gentleman have offered full companies, for whom there are at present no vacancy.