USA > New York > New York City > The Memorial History of the City of New York: From Its First Settlement to the Year 1892, Volume II > Part 54
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On Sunday, April 23, 1775, at noon, a dusty and travel-stained horseman dashed into the city with the news of the affair at Lexing- ton, and, in a twinkling, copies of the despatch3 he bore were posted at all places of public resort. Had anything been needed to in- crease the tension of popular feeling, the news from Massachusetts supplied it. It caused the lines to be at once more sharply defined between the Whigs and Tories. The war party was greatly strength- ened. The committee of one hundred, composed of leading pat-
1 The indignant editor, in his issue of April 20, 1775, one week after the occurrence, published a card, surmounted by a cut (reproduced above). It commenced as follows :
"To the Public .- The printer has been informed that a number of Bacchanalians at Brunswick, flushed with the inebriating draughts, not of the juice of the Vine, but of New England Rum, have sacrificed him to the Idol of Licentiousness. Lest this piece of heroism should not be sufficiently known, he has thought proper to exhibit a Rep- resentation of the scene in which he was thus offered up a Victim, that the fame of the Exploit may spread from Pole to Pole. . . .
3 "History Royal Regiment of Artillery," Dun. can.
3 Watertown, Wednesday morning, near 10 clock. To All Friends of American Liberty be it known : That this morning before break of day a bri- gade consisting of about 1,000 or 1,200 men landed at Phip's Farm, near Cambridge, and marched to Lexington, where they found a company of our colony militia in arms, upon whom they fired without any provocation, and killed 6 men and wounded 4 others. By an express from Boston we find another brigade are upon their march from Boston, supposed to be about 1,000. The bearer, Israel Bessel, is charged to alarm the country, quite to Connecticut, and all persons are desired to furnish him with fresh horses as they may be needed. . . . (Signed) T. PALMER,
One of the Committee of Safety.
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NEW-YORK DURING THE REVOLUTION
THE NEWS FROM LEXINGTON.
patriots,1 who were charged with the administration of local affairs, took prompt measures for the safety of the city and for an impending
1 New-York, May 1, 1775. This day the following Gentlemen were chosen a General Committee for the City and County of New-York, in the present alarming crisis : Isaac Low John B. Moore Philip Livingston Rudolphus Ritzma James Duane Lindley Murray John Alsop John Jay Lancaster Burling John Lasher P. V. B. Livingston Isaac Sears George Janaway James Beekman Samuel Verplanck
David Johnson Alexander McDougall Thomas Randall Leonard Lispenard William Walton John Broom Joseph Hallet Gabriel H. Ludlow Nicholas Hoffman Abraham Walton Peter William Schaack Henry Remsen
Peter T. Curteníus Abraham Bragster Abraham P. Lott Abraham Duryee Joseph Ball Francis Lewis Joseph Totten Thomas Ivers Hercules Mulligan John Anthony Francis Baffer Victor Bicker
VOL. II .- 31.
Richard Yates David Clarkson Thomas Smith James Desbrosses Augustus Van Horne Garret Keteltas Eleazar Miller Benjamin Kissam John Morin Scott Cornelius Clopper John Reade John Van 'Cortlandt Jacobus Van Zandt Gerardus Duyckinck Peter Goelet John Marston Thomas Marston John Morton George Folliot Jacobus Lefferts Richard Sharp Hamilton Young Abraham Brinkerhoff
Theophilus Anthony William Goforth William Denning Isaac Roosevelt Jacob Van Voorhees Jeremiah Platt Comfort Sands Robert Benson William W. Gilbert John Berrien Gabriel W. Ludlow Nicholas Roosevelt Edwin Fleming Lawrence Embell Samuel Jones John De Lancey Frederick Jay William W. Ludlow
John White
Walter Franklin David Beekman William Seton
Evert Banker Robert Ray Nicholas Bogert William Laight Samuel Broome John Lamb Daniel Phoenix Anthony Van Dam Daniel Dunscomb John Inslay
Oliver Templeton Lewis Pintard
Cornelius P. Low
Thomas Buchanan
Petrus Byvanck Benjamin Helme
The following twenty-one Gentlemen were at the same time chosen deputies for the City and County of New-York, to meet Deputies of the other Counties in Provincial Congress on May 22 : Leonard Lispenard P. V. B. Livingston Isaac Low James Beekman
Abraham Walton John Morin Scott
Isaac Roosevelt Thomas Smith
Abraham Brasher Benjamin Kissam
Alexander McDougall Richard Yates
Samuel Verplanck John Marston
Walter Franklin
David Clarkson George Folliot Joseph Hallet
Jacobus Van Zandt
John Van Cortlandt
John De Lancey
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HISTORY OF NEW-YORK
struggle. One of their first resolves was to recommend "to every inhabitant to perfect himself in Military Discipline and be provided with Arms, Accoutrements and Ammunition as by law directed." A martial bustle pervaded the town, citizens hastened to enroll them- selves in the existing militia organizations or to take steps to form
NEW-YORK, COMMITTEE-CHAMBER, WEDNESDAY, 26th April, 1775.
T HE Committeehaving taken into Consideration the Commotions occasioned by the Sanguinary Measures parfued by the British. Miniftry, and that the Powers with which this Committee is invefted, refpect only the Affociation. are unanimously of Opinion, That a new Committee be elected by the Freeholders and Freemen of this City and County,. for the prefent unhappy Exigency of Affairs, as well as to obferve the Conduct of all Perfons touching the Affociation; That the faid Committee confift of 100 Perfons; that 33 be a Quorum. and that they diffolve within a Fortnight next after the End of the next Seffions of the Continental Congress. And that the Senfe of the Freeholders and Freemen of this City and County, upon this Subject, may be better procured and afcertained, the Committee are further unanimously of Opinion, That the Polls be taken on Friday Morning next, at 9 o'Clock, at the ufual Places of - Election in each Ward, under the Infpection of the two Veftrymen of each Ward, and two of this Committee, or any two of the four ; and that at the faid Elections the Votes of the Freemen and Frecholders, be taken on the following Queftions, vie. Whether fuch Now. Committee fhall be conftituted ; and if Yes, of whom it thall confift. And this Committee is further unanimously of Opinion, That at the prefent alarming Juncture, it is highly advifcable that a Provincial Congress be immediately fummoned; and that it be recommended te the Freeholders and Freemen of this City and County, to choofe at the fame Time that they vote for the New Committee aforefaid, Twenty Deputies to reprefent them at the faid Congress. And that a Letter be forthwith prepared and difpatched to all the Counties, requefting them to unite with us in forming a Provincial Congrefs, and to appoint their Deputies without Delay, to meet at New-York, on Monday the 22d of May next.
By Order of the Committee, ISAAC LOW, Chairman.
new ones. A party of citizens went to the City Hall and removed to a safer place about five hundred stand of muskets belonging to the province. In view of a possible occupation of the city by a fresh British force, Congress advised the people, through their delegates, that "if the troops that are expected should arrive, the said colony act on the defensive so long as may be consistent with their safety and
.
483
NEW-YORK DURING THE REVOLUTION
security; that the troops be permitted to remain in their barracks so long as they behave peaceably and quietly, but that they be not suf- fered to erect fortifications or take any steps to cut off the commu- nications between the town and the country; and that, if they commit hostilities or invade private property, the inhabitants should defend themselves and their property and repel force by force; that the war- like stores be removed from the town; that place of retreat in case of necessity be provided for the women and children of New-York; and a sufficient number of men be embodied and kept in constant readi- ness for protecting the inhabitants from insult and injury."1
This was a thinly veiled declaration of war; it could hardly be expected that in such troublous times the king's troops, after occupy- ing the city, would permit any interference with regard to their stores and communications, and, in so far, it was imposing a rather large contract upon a brave but unprepared community. But recruiting was stimulated and a battalion of infantry organized. It was an- nounced that volunteers from the time of their enlistment were "to enter into immediate pay at one shilling and eleven pence per day : and also to receive one dollar per week until they are encamped, in order to enable them to support themselves in the intermediate time; and they are likewise to provide themselves with a suit of regimental clothes, a firelock, ammunition, accoutrements, and every other article necessary for the equipment of American Soldiers." The British forces also began to stir. On May 26, H. B. M. S. Asia, sixty-four guns, Captain George Vandeput, arrived off the Battery, with orders for the detachment of the "Royal Irish" regiment remaining in garrison, at the upper barracks, to go on board; arrangements were also made, with the consent of the civil authorities, to remove temporarily to Governor's Island the regimental laundresses and their belongings. This act was made the occasion (June 4) of a bloodless but bold en- counter between the citizens and the soldiers en route to the point of embarkation. The account of one of the participants, Marinus Willett,2 is interesting as showing how easily a word from the British
1 Extract, Minutes Cont. Cong., May 15, 1775. 2 Marinus Willett was born in Jamaica, L. I., July 31, 1740. Served as lieutenant in De Lancey's regiment in 1758 under General Abercrombie, was a prominent "Son of Liberty" and captain in first regiment, "New York Line." Promoted lieutenant colonel in 1777, and distinguished him- self at Fort Stanwix and was thereafter actively engaged in the field during the Revolution. In 1792 Washington appointed him commissioner to treat with the Creek Indians. He was sheriff of the county of New-York 1784-87 and 1791-95, and mayor of the city 1807. He took a spirited part in the War of 1812, and died August 22, 1830.
"The measure directed by the Committee (who were vested with the Government of the city) to
suffer the British troops to depart unmolested with their arms and accoutrements, though no doubt a proper one, was not universally approved of. It was about 12 o'clock M. when the account of this movement of the troops was brought to Mr. Darkes' and with the others then at that house I set out to alarm the citizens in order to collect force to prevent the troops from carrying those spare arms with them. The way I took brought me to the front of the troops as they were march- ing, before any of the other persons who set out on the same business. On my arrival in their front which was at the Corner of Beaver Street in Broad Street I stopped the horse that was draw- ing the front Cart-load of arms. This of course occasioned a halt in the Troops, and brought the
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HISTORY OF NEW-YORK
commander might have caused a repetition of the "Boston Massacre" in the streets of New-York. We hardly know which to admire the more - the officer's moderation or the patriot's nerve.1
The echoes from Bunker Hill seemed to reverberate in the ears of the Manhattanese as they drilled on the common. How encourag- ing to them would have been the opinion of a British officer who wrote from Boston, the day after the battle, that "We have indeed learned one melancholy truth,
M. Willett which is that the Americans, if they were equally well commanded, are full as good soldiers as ours; and as it is are very little inferior to us, even in discipline and steadiness of counte- nance." At the second session of the Continental Congress, which opened at Philadelphia May 10, 1775, the most pressing business was the organization of a permanent military force. A system was adopted the salient features of which had been suggested, early in April, by the commander of the Massachusetts provisional army - General Artemas Ward; they comprised: (1) a general-in-chief : (2)
Major of the regiment, who was the commanding officer, in front to enquire into the cause of the halt. I had the horse by the head, and on the ap- pearance of the Major informed him that the halt was made to prevent the spare arms from being carried off, as the act of the Committee did not authorize the troops taking any other arms than such as they carried on their backs; while I was making this explanation to the Major, David Matthews, Esq., came up and accosted me in the following words: I am surprised Mr. Willett that you will hazard the peace and endanger the lives of our citizens when you know that the Committee have directed that the troops shall be permitted to depart unmolested. As Mr. Matthews was a Tory and zealous supporter of the measures of the British Government, His presence or opinion could have no Influence with me, and I very un- hesitatingly assured him . . . that considering the Bloody business which had taken place among our Bretheren in Massachusettes whom we were bound by the ties of honor as well as Interest to support, I deemed it my duty to prevent those arms from being used against them and conceived that it would be much more reputable for us to employ them in the defence of our Injured Coun- try. While this question was agitating with the Major and the Mayor. Mr. Governeer Morris made his appearance, and to my great astonishment joined the Mayor in opinion. Mr. Morris' situa- tion was very different from that of the Mayor's. He was a Whig of very respectable Connections and young, of Brilliant talents - To be opposed by Mr. Morris stagard me- And I doubt whether all my Zeal and Enthusaism would have supported me had it not been for the arrival at that Critical moment of John Morin Scott, who was an Influen- cial member of the Committee and whose reputa- tion for talents was as great as any in the city. He came up Just as I was repeating to Mr. Morris the reasons of my conduct And Exclaimed, in a Loud voice, you are right Willett, the committee
have not given them permission to carry off any spare arms. By this time the throng of people around us had greatly Increased and were press- ing in on every side. Mr. Scott's opinion was scarcly proclaimed when I turned the front Cart to the right and directed the Cartman to drive up Beaver Street, the other Carts which were Loaded with arms were made to follow, and on the sugges- tion of Mr. Scott that it would be proper to address the troops I Jumped on a Cart, and after observ- ing to them that if it was their desire to Join the Bloody business which was transacting near Boston, we were ready to meet them in the San- guin field. But that if any of them felt a repug- nance to the unnatural work of sheding the blood of their countrymen and would recover their arms and march forward they should be protect- ed: One of the soldiers recovering his arms and marching forward was received by three hearty Huzzas and together with the Carts five in num- ber loaded with Chests of arms Conducted with the continual Huzzas of the Citizens through Beaver Street and up the Broad Way as far as the Corner of John Street where there was a Ball alley and Large Yard. In this yard the arms were deposited. These arms and those taken possession on the arrival of the account of the Battle of Lex- ington were employed by the first troops raised in New York under the orders of Congress." "N. Y. in the Revolution," Merc. Lib. Coll.
1 As the officer (Major Hamilton) resigned his commission in the British army very soon after this incident (July, 1775), it would be interesting to know the reason. On June 6 the anniversary of the king's birthday was honored by the usual salute from the British man-of-war, but received no recognition in the city save from one loyal subject who illuminated his house as he had been accustomed to do in other days. A committee of his neighbors promptly waited upon him with an invitation, not to be declined, to join in the general gloom.
TO ALL BRAVE, HEALTH DISPOSED IN THIS NEIGHBOURHOOD, WHO HAV NOW RAIST GENERAL FOR THE D LIBERTIES AN OF THE UN Against the hotel
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Battalion of the 11th regiment of infantry, commanded b fuch youth of SPIRIT, as may be willing to enter into this Hoi The ENCOURAGEMENT at this time, to enlift, is truly libera fupply of good and handfome cloathing, a daily allowance of a and SILVER money on account of pay, the whole of which the I comfort are provided by law, without any expence to him. Thofe who may favour this recruiting party with their atten manner, the great advantages which thefe brave men will have, different parts of this beautiful continent, in the honourable and home to his friends, with his pockets FULL of money and his he GOD
The above recruiting poster of the Revolution, representing American which is now in the posses
485
NEW-YORK DURING THE REVOLUTION
troops to be enlisted "for the war"; (3) provision to be made for the support of soldiers' families; (4) that the men should serve wherever ordered; and (5) that a loan should be negotiated for the equipment and support of the body which should be called "The American Con- tinental Army." The volunteers then in the field before Boston were, as far as practicable, to be reenlisted, and a special light infantry corps, consisting of six companies of "expert riflemen " from Penn- sylvania, Maryland, and Virginia, was also to be enlisted. On June 14 a system of rules and articles of war were prescribed; the next day Congress announced the selection of George Washington as "General and Commander-in-Chief of the United Colonies and of all the forces now raised or to be raised by them." New-York's first
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contribution to the continental army was four regiments of infantry and one company of artillery. The counties of New-York, Albany, Ulster, and Duchess each furnished a regiment. The field-officers of the first (or New-York city) regiment were: Colonel, Alexander McDougall ; Lieutenant-Colonel, Rudolphus Ritzema; Major, Herman Zedwitz; while John Lamb was commissioned to command the company of artillery. Both were organized June 28, 1775.
The first interchange of hostile shots in the harbor was not long delayed .: On August 23, acting in conformity with the orders of the provincial congress, a number of citizens, supported by the new artillery company under Captain Lamb, proceeded about eleven o'clock at night to the Battery to remove the guns there mounted. While engaged in this work a boat from the Asia approached, and, ascertaining the nature of the operations, fired a musket as a signal to the ship. This was followed by a smart musketry-fire from the Americans. "Soon after this the Asia fired three shots which alarmed the inhabitants; the ship began a heavy fire of nine, eighteen and twenty-four pounders, succeeded by a discharge of mus-
486
HISTORY OF NEW-YORK
ketry from the marines, but without doing any other mischief than damaging the upper part of several houses near the fort in Whitehall street and wounding three men. Notwithstanding the fire from the Asia, the citizens effected their purpose and carried off twenty-one pieces of cannon, being all that were mounted on carriages." ' The next morning the British commander called upon the mayor of the city for an explanation of the action of the citizens in taking away the guns, "which as stores belonging to the King it was my duty to protect"; he further wished the people to understand that "if they will persist in behaving in such a manner as to make their safety and my duty incompatible, the mischiefs that may arise must lie at their doors, and not mine."
The provincial congress made every effort to repress the exuber- ance of those persons who would confiscate the property of the king as well as secure the military stores purchased at the expense of the colony. Thus when a raid was made by a mob upon some clothing in the government warehouse, it was returned, the seizure not being authorized. At another time a barge was purchased by resolution of the provincial congress to replace one, belonging to the Asia, which had been destroyed while lying at the Battery. The new one, when almost finished, was sawed asunder at night, but Congress forthwith ordered a second one to be made, and enjoined all persons "not to ob- struct the building of said barge or they will be treated as enemies to their country." For some months there had been a steady exodus of inhabitants who feared that the city would soon be exposed to the horrors of "battle, murder and sudden death," or whose loyalty to the king rendered them objects of insult, and by October several thou- sand had thus shaken off the dust of the threatened seaport.
On the 13th of that month Governor Tryon advised the mayor that he had learned that "the Continental Congress have recommended it to the Provincial Congress to seize the officers of this Government, and particularly myself by name." He further stated that such an at- tempt would be resisted with all the power of the king's forces; that he desired to remove on board the Asia with his family and private effects, and asked the local authorities to prevent interference. In re- ply the mayor transmitted a polite letter from the committee of one hundred assuring him that the report was unfounded, and that they hoped "his Excellency would continue his residence among a people who have the most grateful sense of his upright and disinterested ad- ministration." Governor Tryon responded in like courteous terms, but stood not upon the order of his going.
The gulf between Whigs and Tories became deeper and wider. In the name of patriotism many acts of lawlessness were perpetrated,
1 Gaine's " New-York Gazette," August 28, 1775.
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NEW-YORK DURING THE REVOLUTION
not only by irresponsible mobs but by organized parties. One of the last and most notable cases of this kind, ere the city came under mili- tary control, was the destruction of Rivington's press. On Novem- ber 23, about noon, a party of armed horsemen from Connecticut, under the leadership of Isaac Sears of New-York, rode up to the office of the "New-York Gazetteer,"-of which James Rivington, the ex-public printer, was editor and publisher,-dismounted, entered, broke up the presses, and carried off all the type to New Haven. This self-constituted vigilance com- mittee had previously invaded West Chester and arrested three reputable citizens, alleged to be offensive parti- zans of the king. On their return to Connecticut the horsemen received an ovation from the populace, including the firing of cannon.
A motion was made, however, in the Committee of Safety, on the same day, to bring Sears before that body for con- tempt of its rules. It was replaced by a petition to the provincial congress asking redress. Thereupon the pro- vincial congress wrote to the governor Am Dougall of Connecticut stating that "while we consider this conduct as an insult offered to this colony, we are dis- posed to attribute it to an imprudent though well-intended zeal for the publick cause," and asking that steps might be taken to restore the stolen property to its owner. A copy of this letter was sent to the New-York delegates to the Continental Congress, and the affair became a nine days' sensation throughout the colonies. It took shrewd old Jonathan Trumbull just six months to reply, and in the mean while more engrossing matters had arisen. The governor explained the delay as a clerical inadvertence, and on the ground of the necessity of submitting the letter to the general assembly; he assured the New-York authorities of the regard entertained for them by their Connecticut neighbors; deplored the irregularity of the act; thought the hour being noon instead of night an extenuat- ing feature, but slyly remarked that his distinguished correspon- dents will "view the matter in a still more unfavorable light when you reflect that the leader in the whole transaction was a respectable member of your city and Congress, who we considered as the proper person to whom the transaction is imputable, . . . and therefore the affair cannot be considered as an intrusion of our people into your Province."
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HISTORY OF NEW-YORK
Later (May 20, 1775) Rivington petitioned the Continental Congress for protection.1 A parody on his petition was written by the Rev. Dr. John Witherspoon, in which the diplomatic printer is made to say, among other things: "That a great part of the British forces had already left the city, and from many symptoms there is reason to sus- pect that the remainder will speedily follow them. Where they are Isaac Sears gone or going, is perhaps known to them- selves, perhaps not; certainly, however, it is unknown to us, the loyal inhabitants of the place, and other friends of government who have taken refuge in it, and who are therefore filled with distress and terror on the un- happy occasion. . .. That as soon as the evacuation is completed, it is more than probable, the city will be taken possession of by the forces of your high mightinesses, followed by vast crowds of other persons - Whigs by nature and profession -friends to the liberties and foes to the enemies of America. ... Nay, who knows but we may soon see in propria persona, as we have often heard of, Hor- tentius, the Governor of New Jersey, a gentleman remarkable for severely handling those whom he calls traitors, and who indeed has exalted some of them (quanquam animus meminisse horret luctucque refugit) to a high, though dependent station, and brought America under their feet, in a sense very different from what Lord North meant when he first used that celebrated expression. .
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