“To the President of the Congress of New-York.”

Thereupon, a draft of a Letter to the Committee of King’s County was read and approved, and is in the words following, to wit:

In Provincial Congress, New-York, March 6, 1776.

GENTLEMEN: General Lee having informed us that Colonel Ward will want wood and timber to enable him to carry on the fortifications now erecting in your County, we recommend to you to assist in furnishing him with these articles; for which the proprietors of the lands from whence those articles may be taken may rest assured they will receive the like satisfaction as will be allowed to the proprietors of lands in the City and County of New-York, who have furnished those articles for the fortifications erecting in and near this City. The known zeal of the inhabitants of King’s County, to promote the publick cause, we doubt not will stimulate them to promote this necessary work.

We are, gentlemen, your very humble servants.

By order.

To the Chairman and Members of the Committee of King’s County.

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

The Congress then proceeded to hear the examinations of the persons concerned in spiking the Cannon beyond King’s Bridge, and which were taken in the Committee of Safety, fully read.

Thereupon, Ordered, That Colonel Waterbury be requested to send down William Lownsberry and the other persons confined in the upper Barracks, for making Spikes and spiking up the Cannon beyond King’s Bridge, in Westchester County, to this Congress, at the City-Hall, at five o’clock this afternoon, under a proper guard.

The Congress adjourned to four o’clock, P. M.

Die Mercurii, 4 ho. P. M., March 6, 1776.

The Congress met pursuant to adjournment.

Present: General Woodhull, President.

FOR NEW-YORK.—Mr. Cortlandt, Mr. Beekman, Captain Denning, Mr. Rutgers, Mr. Van Zandt, Colonel McDougall, Major Stoutenburgh.

FOR ALBANY.—Mr. Gansevoort, Mr. Yates, General Ten Broeck, Colonel Nicoll, (on service.)

FOR SUFFOLK.—General Woodhull, Mr. Gelston, Mr. Hobart.

FOR WESTCHESTER.—Colonel Joseph Drake, Major Lockwood, Colonel Gilbert Drake, Mr. Thomas, Colonel Cortlandt.

FOR ORANGE.—Colonel Hay, Colonel Allison.

FOR ULSTER.—Mr. Rhea, Mr. Lefever, Colonel Palmer, (on service.)

FOR KING’S.—Mr. Polhemus, Mr. Covenhoven.

FOR DUTCHESS.—Colonel Ten Broeck, Colonel Graham, Major Schenck.

FOR RICHMOND.—Mr. Adrian Bancker.

FOR CUMBERLAND.—Colonel William Williams.

FOR CHARLOTTE.—Colonel John Williams.

FOR TRYON.—Mr. Moore.

Mr. Benson (one of the Secretaries) informed Congress that he had waited on General Lee with the regulations for supplying the Ships-of-War and the Governour’s Ship with Provisions; that General Lee was pleased to give, for answer: “That he was to resign the command here to Lord Stirling this night; but that if he were to continue, he would not consent to supply them with any Provisions, as they were at open war with us; that he hoped Lord Stirling would be of the same opinion; that his instructions from the Continental Congress were, to use every means in his power for the defence of the City.”

A draft of a Letter to Edward W. Kiers was read and approved of, and is in the words following, to wit:

In Provincial Congress, the glorious 6th March, 1776.

We are informed by Colonel Hay that you have in your possession a quantity of gunpowder, which you refuse to sell to such of the inhabitants of your place that would wantonly sport it away. We highly approve of your conduct; but, as we now are in expectation that the Ministerial Troops at Boston will soon abandon that town, and attempt to land in this city, we request that you will sell to Colonel Hay’s Regiment one-half pound of powder to every man when they are ready to march, and return to the Colonel the names of such persons as you have supplied.

We are, sir, yours, &c.

To Edward, William Kiers, Esq., Merchant, Haverstraw, Orange County.

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

William Lownsberry, and the other Prisoners, pursuant to the order of this morning, were respectively brought to the bar, and examined. The examinations are as follows, to wit:

William Lownsberry says: That the first mover, or movers, of spiking the Cannon, were Joshua Gidney and Burrell; that they had seventy or eighty spikes made, and went down, and found so many Cannon, that it Was not worth while; that he had no conversation with any person on shipboard on that subject; that he does not know who spiked up the large parcel of Guns. Asked what business he had to the house of a gentleman of fortune in his County the day before the Cannon was spiked; answered, that he went to Colonel Phillips’s the day before, to know whether he would set up again as a Representative; that he set off from home with an intention to spike the Guns, or disarm them; that the following persons were with him, viz: Joshua Gidney, William Haines, Josiah Burrell, Thomas Haines, and James Haines, Jun.; that they took sledges to knock the arms off; that his reason for disabling the Cannon was, that, as the New-England people had done several acts which he thought harsh, he wanted to prevent the Guns being used on any Fortifications that might be built near King’s Bridge, as they would then be between two fires; that he never was promised any reward for that business; that he engaged only with Joshua Gidney; that Joshua Gidney engaged the other persons; that he was in bed when the other persons escaped;