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WALTER LIVINGSTON TO PRESIDENT OF NEW-YORK CONGRESS.
Albany, April 3, 1776.
SIR: I have been informed that Mr. John Williams has reported to Congress that Colonel Warner’s Regiment left Canada because I neglected to forward the clothing sent to me by order of Congress for that battalion. I wish the gentleman had spared his censure till he was convinced his tale was founded in truth. If he is a member of your House, be pleased to desire the Secretary to deliver him the enclosed; if not, commit it to the flames, for I know not where to direct to him.
The clothing, tents, &c., which came consigned to my care, were either delivered out here, or immediately sent forward to Fort George. My orders from General Schuyler were, to deliver such articles as I had in store to the troops who were on their march, paying no regard to what corps they were directed, unless they were in Albany, and stood in need of them. This order, I suppose, (for it was none of my business to inquire,) was given because the troops were exceedingly wanted at that time at St. John’s. If I had not complied, I should not only have been guilty of a breach of orders, but, perhaps, the cause of that fortress not being reduced. This would have been a sufficient justification for my delivering the clothing sent for the Green Mountain Boys, to another regiment, who stood in need of them; though I had not an opportunity of doing this, for Mr. Curtenius did not ship them till the 18th of October. They were not detained, as alleged, but sent forward to Fort George, the 31st of the same month, unopened.
Captain Heman Allen’s Company was the only one, belonging to that battalion, which went through this city, and they marched from this the 10th of September—six weeks before I received the clothing. If Mr. Williams had applied to me, and been made acquainted with these circumstances, I believe he would have spared his reflection. As the accusation was made to your House, I hope I shall not be deemed troublesome in stating the fact, to obliterate any prejudice which misrepresentation may have caused in the minds of the members.
I am, sir, with great esteem, your very humble servant,
WALTER LIVINGSTON, Deputy Com’y General.
To Colonel Woodhull.
LOSSES OF THE INHABITANTS OF RHODE-ISLAND.
Account of the Losses sustained by Inhabitants of RHODE-ISLAND, by the destruction of their Property, by the BRITISH, in 1775 and 1776.
Abstract of the several persons’ Accounts, duly attested, that have had their property taken, burnt, or otherwise destroyed, by the Ministerial Ships-of-War; collected by the subscribers, by order of the General Assembly of the State of Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations, and transmitted to the most honourable the Continental Congress at Philadelphia.
1775—June. Samuel and William Vernon's Brigantine Royal Charlotte, from Jamaica, loaded with rum and sugar, taken by James Wallace, of the Rose, and sent to Boston, valued at £2,350 sterling, is, lawful money, |
£3,133 |
6 |
8 |
October 3d. Champlin & Ross, their Sloop Nova-Scotia, robbed of stores, by James Wallace, |
170 |
8 |
0 |
November 15th. Moses Seixas, robbed of a Negro, by ditto, |
75 |
0 |
0 |
| |
|
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£3,378 |
14 |
8 |
| |
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JAMESTOWN burnt by WALLACE, and the Fleet under his command, DECEMBER 10, 1775. Sufferers as follow:
John Howland, house, barn, &c., burnt, |
£604 |
15 |
3 |
Benjamin Barker, furniture, &c., &c., |
90 |
2 |
5 |
Richard Bush, furniture, provisions, &c., |
125 |
13 |
10½ |
Stephen Bennington, furniture and stock, |
46 |
13 |
8 |
John Gardner, house, barn, stock, &c., &c., |
450 |
10 |
0 |
John Martin, (shot by Wallace himself,) furniture, stock, &c., &c., |
355 |
11 |
2 |
James Carr, house, &c., &c., |
92 |
14 |
0 |
Joseph Clark, two dwelling-houses, barn, crib, &c., &c., |
590 |
0 |
0 |
Mary Franklin, house, furniture, &c., |
399 |
7 |
4 |
Gershom Franklin, house, |
150 |
0 |
0 |
Thomas Fowler, furniture, stock, &c., &c., |
412 |
7 |
9 |
Benjamin Nichol, sundries, |
13 |
17 |
6 |
Niles Helm, furniture, &c., |
75 |
12 |
4 |
Benjamin Elery, two dwelling-houses, barn and stores, |
501 |
3 |
4 |
Samuel Slocum, house, furniture, &c., |
320 |
4 |
0 |
William Greenman, furniture, &c., |
34 |
15 |
6 |
Samuel Tenet, house, furniture, &c., |
248 |
19 |
2½ |
Abel Franklin, furniture, &c., |
13 |
12 |
6 |
Samuel Archer, furniture, &c., |
47 |
6 |
8 |
John Bennington, furniture, &c., |
50 |
1 |
0 |
Daniel Underwood, dwelling-house, workhouse, furniture, &c., &c., |
195 |
17 |
0 |
Damaries Fowler, furniture, |
34 |
5 |
9 |
Benjamin Terrel, furniture, |
45 |
19 |
1 |
Sylvester Fowler, furniture, |
28 |
3 |
5 |
Wager Hull, dwelling-house, |
400 |
0 |
0 |
Christopher Fowler, furniture, &c., |
61 |
9 |
6 |
Mary Hull, dwelling-house and furniture, |
289 |
7 |
6 |
Hazard Knowles, sundries, |
|
8 |
5 |
| |
|
| |
£5,686 |
14 |
9 |
| |
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Loss sustained on the Island of PRUDENCE, by JAMES WALLACE and his Fleet, at several times, viz:
1775—June 8. Ebenezer Materson, sundries, by a tender, |
£6 |
10 |
10 |
November 17. John Shelden, furniture, &c., by a tender, |
61 |
10 |
10¾ |
1776—January 12. William, John, and Nathaniel Fairbanks, furniture, burnt by James Wallace and his fleet, |
86 |
16 |
4 |
Williams Allen, house, &c., |
74 |
3 |
8 |
Joshua Allen, furniture, &c., |
8 |
14 |
0 |
Ebenezer Allen, house, crib, provisions, &c., |
170 |
14 |
9 |
Estate of John Tillinghast, deceased, three dwelling-houses, crib, barn, &c., |
624 |
0 |
0 |
John Allen, house damaged, and provisions, |
21 |
12 |
0 |
Samuel Littlefield, sundries, |
6 |
0 |
0 |
Job Durfey, robbed of stock on Hog-Island, |
92 |
8 |
4½ |
Christopher Durfey, robbed of stock on Hog-Island, |
82 |
15 |
6¼ |
Silas Niles, robbed of stock on Point Judith, |
30 |
12 |
0 |
1775—October 2. John Oldfield and Robert Binney, Schooner Bedford, robbed by Captain Ayscough, of the Swan, |
53 |
6 |
0 |
1776—January. Mary Easton, widow, robbed of clothing and furniture out of the Sloop, John Warren master, in the river, by Captain Ayscough, |
70 |
4 |
9 |
Abigail and Sarah Sweet, of clothing, furniture, &c., out of said Sloop, by Ayscough, |
40 |
7 |
0 |
March 23. Thomas Earl and John Stadner, of Newport, owners of the Sloop Betsey, burnt at Virginia, by the Otter sloop-of-war and tender, |
300 |
0 |
0 |
February, Samuel and William Vernon, and James Tanner, owners of the Brigantine Venus, one hundred and seventy tons burden, burnt in the harbour of Newport, by the Bomb Brigantine and tender sent by Wallace, valued, |
1.333 |
6 |
8 |
Samuel and William Vernon, sundry goods on board her, |
44 |
3 |
6 |
Lucy Lawton, furniture, clothing, &c., destroyed by Wallace, at Prudence, January 12, |
21 |
11 |
0 |
| |
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£12,194 |
9 |
8½ |
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In obedience to the order of the General Assembly, we have collected the foregoing accounts of losses sustained by inhabitants of this State. Many others have been sufferers,
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