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CONNECTICUT COUNCIL OF SAFETY. At a meeting of the Governour and Council of Safety, at Lebanon, Tuesday, July 2, 1776: Present: His Honour the Governour, Eliphelet Dyar, Jabez Huntington, William Williams, Titus Hosmer, Jeremiah Elderkin, Nathaniel Wales, William Hillhouse, and Benjamin Huntington, Esquires. Considered the price at which Gunpowder at our Mills should be sold, when disposed of, &c.; and allowed and voted, that, for the present, the price be fixed at 5s. 4d. One Major Griswold and Captain Marsh are present, a Committee from Lebanon, Hartford, &c., and twelve Towns in the Cohoss, so called, pressing for Powder, &c, under their apprehensions from Canada. &c. Voted, That they be allowed to receive and purchase at Elderkin & Wales’s Mill, eight hundred pounds of Gunpowder, at the rate of 5s. 4d., as agreed on, for cash or good security, payable in a short time. Order given; and that they may receive at the Furnace at Middletown one thousand pounds of Lead, at the price of 6d., as below. And Voted, That the price of Lead for the present be 6d. per pound; and orders given accordingly to Griswold and Marsh. On Application from Blanford, &c.: Voted, That Mr. Samuel Dunn, applying in behalf of said Town, may be supplied by Colonel Pitkin, at his Mill at Hartford, with sixty-seven pounds of Gunpowder; the said Dunn paying for the same at the rate of 5s. 4d. per pound; said Pitkin to receive and account for the same. (Order given, and delivered said Dunn.) Captain Jonathan Lester’s Account, for building the Row-Galley Shark, amounting to £861 16s. 6½d., in the whole, having been inspected and examined by a sub-Committee at Hartford, is now allowed. He had received by orders from this Board £100, £300, and £4, of B. H., Esq. The balance, being £455 5s. 11½., is ordered now to be drawn for. (Order given, and delivered said Lester.) Voted, That an Order be drawn on the Committee of Pay-Table in favour of Captain Jonathan Lester, for the sum of £50, as so much advance pay for him and a Company of twenty-five Carpenters, now raising under him, at the request of General Schuyler, to be employed at or about Crown Point, in building Batteaus, &c, &c, and to be refunded by said General in behalf of the Congress. (Order given.) Voted, That a quantity of Lead, belonging to Jonathan Kilboum, Esq., of Colchester, by him made use of on the water-wheel of his said Mill, shall not be taken from him for the use of the publick until actually wanted, and then to be taken by the Selectmen, without further orders. (Order given him accordingly.) Voted, That five hundred pounds of Gunpowder be delivered and ordered for the use of the Town of Fairfield, on their request, to be received of Mr. N. Shaw, at New-London, and to be by them accounted for to the Governour and Company of the Colony. (Order given. Delivered to Captain Eliphelet Thorp, present.) Voted, That Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel Mott be appointed Colonel of the First Battalion raising for the northern service, in the room of Colonel John Douglass, resigned. Voted, That Major Oliver Smith be Lieutenant-Colonel of the Regiment at New-London, instead of Colonel Mott, promoted; and that Captain John Ely be Major of said Regiment, in the room of Lieutenant-Colonel Smith, promoted. Voted, That Major Giles Russell, of Colonel Sheldon’s Regiment, be Lieutenant-Colonel of Colonel Sage’s Regiment, instead of Lieutenant-Colonel Danielson, resigned. Voted, That Captain Waterman Cleft be Major of Colonel Sheldon’s Regiment, in the room of Major Russell, promoted to be Lieutenant-Colonel of said Regiment. Voted, That Captain Edward Mott be appointed Major of Colonel Gay’s Regiment, in the room of Major Gallup, resigned. A Resolve for ordering three Regiments of Horse, &c. This Board, taking into consideration the contents of a Letter from his Excellency General Washington, of the 28th of June last, laid before them by his Honour the Governour, informing of his having certain advice that a Fleet of one hundred and thirty sail left Halifax the 9th ultimo, bound for New-York, and that General Howe was then already arrived at the Hook, and pressing, in the most earnest manner, that not one moment’s time may be lost in sending forward the Militia of this Colony, &c.; and considering also the contents of several Letters very lately received from the honourable President of the Continental Congress, urging the same thing in strong and pressing terms; considering also that the several Battalions of Militia ordered by the last General Assembly to be raised for the relief and support of the Army at New-York, by inevitable difficulties of preparation, are not, and it is feared cannot be ready so as to arrive at New-York seasonably for the expected attack of the enemy, and, should that be the case, the event may prove fatal to the cause of American liberty, which this continent has so long struggled with great zeal and experise to support and defend,—in this critical situation no efforts can be too great, and nothing should be unattempted which may tend to strengthen and serve a cause on which the all of America depends: It is, therefore, Resolved and Ordered, by this Board, That the three Regiments of Light-Horse, lately established, and on the west side of Connecticut River, be, and they are hereby, ordered and directed forthwith to set forward and march to New-York, well equipped and furnished, for the assistance and succour of the Army there, and to be under the command of the Commander-in-Chief in that department; to remain till such time as the Battalions ordered by the General Assembly for that service shall arrive, and no longer than the General Assembly shall judge necessary, and they can be orderly dismissed. And as an encouragement to their ready exertion and services, the said Troops may expect such reasonable pay, wages, and allowance, as the honourable Continental Congress, or the General Assembly, in their wisdom and justice, shall appoint and allow; and they need not fear but the same will be just and satisfactory. And it is further Resolved and Ordered, That the sum of £1000 be advanced out of the publick Treasury, to assist them in their march, and to be accounted for on settlement of their Pay-Rolls; and that the same be put into the hands of Lieutenant-Colonel Seymour, to be properly distributed for that purpose. And it is further Voted and Resolved, That Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Seymour, chief officer of said Regiment of Light-Horse in the absence of Colonel Silliman, be, and he is hereby, ordered and directed to transmit necessary orders for the purposes hereof to the several Majors of said Regiments, and other proper officers, and to use his utmost efforts, in conjunction with them, to hasten the preparation and march of said Troops, and to lead and conduct them, under their other proper officers, in and for the service aforesaid. Adjourned until to-morrow morning. Wednesday, July 3, 1776. Governour and Council met. Present the same as yesterday. Many things considered, &c, and persons coming in. Voted, An Order of £1000 on the Pay-Table, in favour of Colonel T. Seymour, to be divided and improved to assist the march of the Regiments of Horse, ordered to New-York, as yesterday.’ (The Order drawn and sent.) Letters prepared and sent to General Schuyler, in answer to his requesting Carpenters, &c., &c. Letters and Orders to Colgnel Seymour, relating to the Regiment of Horse, and necessary directions, &c. Sent per General Schuyler’s Post. Letters to General Washington, informing of the measure of sending the Troops of Horse; to Colonel Silliman, Commissary Trumbull, &c. Letters of Marque, &c, prepared for Captain Thorp, present, part owner of the Privateer Broome. An Account of Ebenezer Ledyard, Esq., and Mr. Park Avery, a Committee who built the Fort at Groton, laid in, examined, and adjusted, and allowed thereon the sum of £265 7s. 9d., in discharge thereof. And Voted, That an Order be drawn and delivered Mr. Ledyard.
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