JUNE 30.—Resolved, That the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental forces be, and he is hereby, authorized and empowered, whenever he shall judge it necessary for the defence of this Colony, to apply to the Brigadier-Generals thereof, and in case of their or either of their absence, to the next Commanding-Officer, for any proportion of the Militia under their respective commands; and that on receipt of such application, they be, and hereby are, directed to call out such part of their Militia, and march to any place or places within this Colony, as the said Commander-in-Chief shall order for its defence; and that this order shall continue until revoked by this or some future Congress or Legislature of this Colony.

Extract from the Minutes:

ROBERT BENSON, Secretary.

Resolved, unanimously, That if his Excellency General Washington should think it expedient, for the preservation of this State, and the general interest of America, to abandon the City of New-York, and withdraw the troops to the north side of King's Bridge, that this Convention will cheerfully cooperate with him in every measure that may be necessary for that purpose.

Extract from the Minutes:

ROBERT BENSON, Secretary.

Resolved and Ordered, That Colonel Curtenius be requested to procure, without delay, on account of this Congress, and on the most reasonable terms, all the coarse woollen Cloth that is for sale in and about this city, for the purpose of making Coats for the Troops raised and to be raised in the Colony for the present campaign; and if a sufficient quantity for that purpose cannot be procured in this city, that he send to the city of Albany, and the town of Schenectady, and elsewhere, and cause to be purchased as much more, in addition to the quantity purchased in this city, as will be sufficient to make one Coat for each soldier so raised and to be raised, as aforesaid.

That Colonel Curtenius procure, without delay, at the place aforesaid, and elsewhere, brain dressed Deer's Leather, sufficient to make each soldier as aforesaid one Waistcoat and one pair of Breeches, and that he employ a sufficient number of hands to make the said Coats, Waistcoats, and Breeches, with all expedition.

That Colonel Curtenius procure one Blanket, one felt Hat, two Shirts, two pair of woollen Hose, and two pair of Shoes, for each soldier raised and to be raised as aforesaid; and that he cause all the articles hereby ordered to be procured, to be baled, invoiced, and stored in proper places, there to remain subject to the order of the Continental Congress, or Commander-in-Chief of the American Army.

Extract from the Minutes:

ROBERT BENSON, Secretary.

GENTLEMEN: Having, in the course of the last year, been called by you from private life, without any solicitation, to the most honourable of all services, that of my country, I obeyed the call, and have, to the utmost of my poor abilities, exerted myself for the general good; and having, on my return home, found my toils amply rewarded, inasmuch as I had so far fallen under your notice as to be appointed to a Majority, which promotion I view as great as I could reasonably expect, or even have desired—nevertheless, when I look over the arrangement which you were pleased to make the last year, and call to mind that you then determined that the First Regiment should take rank of the Second, and find that I had the rank of fourth Captain in the First,, and that Lewis Dubois, Esquire, had the rank of fourth Captain, and Jacobus Bruyn, Esquire, that of seventh in the Third Regiment, I view my appointment as speaking two things: first, that you have found men of greater merit than myself, and men who are better qualified for the publick service, of which I am extremely glad; and, secondly, that your now appointing me to serve under two junior officers, is no more than taking the most genteel way of discharging me from the publick service as an officer. Perhaps it may be said that this is no time to dispute about rank; if so, I would just beg leave to inform you, that when in Canada last winter I viewed this argument to be of great force; but at present conceive myself to be in the state in which I was when I left home, and beg leave to decline the service; and with the utmost deference to subscribe myself, as in reality I am, a true friend to the free and rising States of America, and at the same time, your most obedient and most humble servant,

WILLIAM GOFORTH.

To the Honourable the Provincial Congress of the Colony of New-York.

True copy, examined by

ROBERT BENSON, Secretary.

GENTLEMEN: I take occasion to express the high sense I entertain of that honourable testimony of your approbation which you were pleased to give by unanimously appointing me Deputy Adjutant-General in the Continental Army, and extremely regret the necessity I am now laid under of making a resignation of the trust committed to me. I flatter myself that, considering my uniform conduct, and my circumstances in life, you will do me the justice to believe, that in accepting the office I was influenced by my zeal for and attachment to the cause of America; not by any avidity for the emoluments which might thence arise. It is unnecessary to say I left ease and competency, my wife, my children, and every thing dear to me, to encounter, at the expense of my health, as well as at the risk of my life, all the rigours, difficulties, and dangers of a long campaign in Canada. Neither is it my part to determine whether my behaviour in the station I filled has been reprehensible or meritorious; but this much I will venture to assert, that however moderate my abilities, my assiduity and attention to the discharge of my duty were unremitted. What share of zeal and perseverance I may pretend to can easily be ascertained by the term of my continuance in Canada, under all the discouragement of an excruciating disorder. At any rate, I am not conscious of any such neglect or desertion of my duty as may justly expose me to a manifest indignity; and when it is offered me I cannot forbear feeling it with the sensibility of a man.

As first Deputy I naturally expected to succeed to the Adjutant Generalship when it became vacant; but, to my great surprise, I find the Continental Congress have thought proper to give the preference to another. True it is, the Congress have adopted a resolution to reserve to themselves a right of dispensing preferments according to the merit of officers, and not the seniority of commissions; but even on that ground the preference they have given to another contains an implied censure on my conduct. It is a tacit declaration that I am not competent to the place of Adjutant-General, and of course that I have not acted with propriety in my former character; for no man capable of acquitting himself well in the post of Deputy Adjutant-General can be unqualified for that of Adjutant-General. I am, therefore, compelled to suppose the Continental Congress disapprove of my past conduct, and think me unfit for the place to which I was appointed; otherwise it cannot be imagined they would step aside from the plain path of succession by seniority, and take the pains to place a gentleman not at all within the line of the department over my head. This would be charging them with a degree of partiality of which I hope they are incapable.

I am now reduced to this dilemma, either to suppose that I have been much injured, and my honour as a soldier wounded in the tenderest part, by being excluded from a station without sufficient cause, to which I had a good right to aspire; or to close with the opinion of the Continental Congress, and consider myself as inadequate, to the office you were pleased to honour me with. In either case it is evidently my duty to resign. In the first, justice to myself requires it; in the last, justice to my country.

On whatever ground I act, be assured, gentlemen, my affections to this country and my zeal for the preservation of its rights, will always remain unimpaired. As a private citizen, my property, my life, shall be cheerfully hazarded in defence of America.

I am, gentlemen, with the greatest respect, your most humble servant,

EDWARD FLEMING.

To the Honourable the Provincial Congress.

A true copy, examined by

ROBERT BENSON, Secretary.