4to ho. P. M., Die Martis, March 19, 1776.

The Committee met pursuant to adjournment.

Present: Mr. Joseph Hallett, Chairman.

FOR NEW-YORK.—Mr. Scott, Colonel McDougall, Captain Rutgers, Mr. Sands, Major Stoutenburgh.

FOR SUFFOLK.—Mr. Gelston.

FOR WESTCHESTER.—Mr. Paulding.

FOR KING’S.—Mr. Polhemus.

FOR ULSTER.—Mr. Cantine.

FOR ORANGE.—Colonel Allison.

FOR TRYON.—Mr. John Moore.

FOR DUTCHESS.—Colonel Morris Graham, Colonel Petrus Ten Broeck.

FOR CUMBERLAND.—Colonel William Williams.

The Chairman laid before the Committee a Letter from Mr. Moses Ogden, of Newark, requesting an advance of one hundred Pounds, to pay for Coal to cast the Shot which Mr. Hallett had agreed with him for by order of the Provincial Congress.

Thereupon, a draft of a Letter to Mr. Moses Ogden was read and approved of, and is in the words following, to wit:

In Committee of Safety, New-York, March 19, 1776.

SIR: Your letter on the subject of shot, for which a verbal contract only now subsists, I laid before the Committee of Safety. They have it much at heart to be immediately supplied with that article, and are therefore extremely ready to enable you, by a reasonable advance of cash, to execute your part of the contract; but they wish it should be reduced to writing, that nothing may be left to doubtful construction. I am directed by the Committee to request your immediate attendance on them for the purpose of carrying a contract of so much importance into immediate and effectual execution.

I am, sir, your very humble servant.

To Mr. Moses Ogden, at Newark.

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

Colonel McDougall informed the Committee that the wife of Captain John Lamb, of the Artillery, (now Major John Lamb, in Canada,) has a letter of attorney from her husband to receive part of his pay; that she has a family to maintain, and is in want of money; and Colonel McDou-gall requests to know whether the Committee will authorize him, from time to time, to advance her some money, in part of her husband’s pay.

Thereupon, Ordered, That Colonel McDougall be, and he is hereby, authorized to advance to Mrs. Lamb, the wife of Major John Lamb, such sum per month as she is, by a power of attorney from her said husband, empowered to receive, as part of his pay; and that Colonel McDougall take her receipt for such sums as he shall, from time to time, advance to her, and see that the same be deducted out of Major Lamb’s pay.

A Return of Barrack necessaries now wanting for Lieutenant-Colonel Matthias Ward’s Battalion of Militia, from Essex County, New-Jersey, was brought in, read, and filed, as follows: Eight Rooms want three Dishes in each Room, twenty-four; eight Rooms want nine Spoons in each Room, Seventy-two.

Ordered, That Colonel Curtenius deliver to the Quartermaster of Lieutenant-Colonel Matthias Ward’s Regiment of Militia from New-Jersey, twenty-four Dishes and seventy-two Spoons, for the use of his Troops, or Militia, placed in eight rooms in this City.

Colonel Lott came into the Committee half an hour past five o’clock.

The Committee took into consideration the proposal of Colonel Hyer, and the other officers of the Second Battalion of the City of New- York, made to the Committee this morning; and thereupon came to the determination in the words following, to wit:

“The Committee of Safety, taking into consideration the application of Colonel Hyer, respecting the Second Battalion of Independent Companies of the Militia of this City, are willing to engage the said Battalion as Minute-men, on immediate pay, to continue two months, upon the following terms, viz:

“The Battalion to consist of at least seven Companies, each Company to consist of eighty-six men, including Sergeants, Corporals, Drum and Fife, besides Officers; to have one Colonel, one Lieutenant-Colonel, one Major, one Adjutant, and one Quartermaster. The pay to be the same as the Continental Troops, with an allowance of eight Shillings per week for their rations and Barrack furniture. The officers to receive pay in proportion to the number of men in their respective Companies: that is to say, that, according to the whole number of men, as many officers shall receive pay as, conformable to the rules of discipline and service, shall be a sufficient body of officers for such a command as the number of men shall amount to.”

Ordered, That a certified copy of the above be delivered to Major Stoutenburgh, to be proposed to the said Second Battalion.

A Letter from Governour Tryon to the Inhabitants of this Colony, at the request of a Member, was brought from Hugh Gaine to the Committee, and read.

Ordered, That the Secretaries keep an exact copy thereof, and return the original to Hugh Gaine with all possible despatch.

A copy thereof was taken and filed. [See 1385.]

Mr. Hobart, Mr. Thomas Smith, and Mr. Ray, came into the Committee, at half an hour past six o’clock.

The Committee took into consideration the Proposal of Jacamiah Allen, contained in his Letter, to guard the Cannon at King’s Bridge for half the money Mr. David Barclay now gets for that service.

Ordered, That Jacamiah Allen take the charge of guarding those Guns in future, while a Guard for them shall be wanted, and on the conditions he has offered.

The Petition of Josiah Robertson, Johannes Tack, and forty-nine others of the inhabitants of Marbletown, in Ulster County, subscribers thereto, was read and filed. They pray that they may be imbodied into a Company of Grenadiers, in Colonel Levi Pauling’s Regiment, in Ulster County; that having obtained the approbation of the Commanding Officer of the Regiment and of the Committee of the Township, and of the Officers of the Militia in Marbletown, they had elected Charles W. Broadhead for Captain, Jacob De Lameter for First Lieutenant, Moses M. Cantine for Second Lieutenant, and Jacob Chambers for Ensign.

A Letter from Colonel Levi Pauling, Chairman of the Committee at Marbletown, requesting that the Officers might be commissioned, was also read.

Ordered, That Commissions issue for those gentlemen respectively.

The Committee then took into consideration the Letter of Lord Stirling, and Returns of Artillery Stores wanting, which were received at noon. The same were again read, and are as follow:

“New-York, March 18, 1776.

“SIR: It is of the utmost importance to the safety of this City and Province that all the artillery we are to rely on be completed in every article. It was but lately that I could obtain a complete state of all the artillery on this Island. It was then so near the adjournment of your Congress that I did not care to introduce to it a matter so long in detail. I now enclose to you a return (No. 1.) of the whole artillery, and the articles wanting to equip and complete them to one hundred rounds, by which you will observe that all the cannon below six-pounders are in want of every article, and would take up more time than we can spare at present to complete them. I have therefore made out another return (No. 2.) of all the cannon down to six-pounders, inclusive, and these, if the work be properly distributed, may soon be equipped with every necessary; and I must request that the Committee of Safety will, as soon as possible, take measures to have all necessaries provided; and you may be assured that I will lend every assistance in my power for forwarding the work.

“As I have no copies of these returns, I should be glad to have them sent back to me when you have taken copies of them.

“I am, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,

“STIRLING.

“To the Chairman of the Committee of Safety of New-York.”

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