USA > New York > Westchester County > Westchester County, New York, during the American Revolution > Part 33
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" ORDERED, That the Captains of the respective "Companies of the Third Regiment of the troops of "this Colony, who are now in Suffolk-county, be " authorized to carry these Resolutions into execu- " tion in Queens-county. That Colonel Lasher " be "requested to send two or more Companies of his " Battalion, to give such assistance in Queens-county " as may be necessary, at such time and to such place "or plaees as Colonel MeDougal and John Sloss Ho- "bart, Esq., shall direct or advise. And
"ORDERED FARTHER, That the Chairman of the "Committee and Captain Dutcher,3 with such drafts " from the Militia as he shall think necessary, or with " the assistance of some of General Wooster's troops,+ "be enabled to carry the said Resolutions into effect, "in Westchester-county. And that these Resolutions " be carried into execution, in every other County, by "the Chairman of the County Committee, with the "assistance of the Militia Officers, who are hereby " ordered to be aiding therein with such parts of the " Militia as each such Chairman shall think necessary. "And
"ORDERED, That the several persons who shall be " disarmed by virtue of the above Resolutions, shail " be exempted from doing duty in the Militia. as or- "dered by the Provincial Congress of this Colony. " And farther
"ORDERED, That in ease any of the non-associators "aforesaid shall resist those persons authorized to
1 Long Island was continued to be called " Nassan Island," long after 1775. =
" John Lasher was Colonel of First Regiment of New York City (uni- formed) Militia.
3 William Dutcher, of what is now Irvington, was Captain of "the "Associated Company of the upper part of Philipseburgh," (ride page 106 ante.)
4 General Wooster was enramped near Harlem, on Manhattan 1-land, with a large body of troops, brought thither from Connecticut.
" put these Resolutions into excention, they (the per- " sons hereby authorized to put in evernion the "above Resolve) are hereby authorized to repel " force by force, and to take into custody such per- "son or persons so resisting, and cause him or them " to be brought before this Committee or the Provin- ." cial Congress of this Colony."'s
The real purpose of the Committee of Safety, in the adoption and publication of this Resolution and of there several Orders, was the entire disarmament of every one who, for any reason, had neglected or de- clined to sign the General Association ; and, for that reason, every class of fire-arms, whether adapted to the uses of the Army or not, was included, in every instance, in the Orders wherein the Arms to be seized were specifically described. It will be seen, also, that the Counties of Queens and . Westchester were especially noticed ; and that they, alone, were selected for details of foreign troops, for the enforce- ment, within each of them, respectively, of the ut- most requirements of the Committee's Orders-be- sides the local Militia, in each of the two Counties, thus honored by the Committee of Safety's malignant animosity, a large additional force of troops, from beyond the boundaries of the County, in each instance, was placed at the disposal of those who were sent, within those Counties, respectively, for the " impressment " of the Arms, in order to ensure the most complete success of the enterprise.
It must have been peculiarly galling, among those who had been accustomed to hear of the " Rights of " Man " and of the " Constitutional Rights of English- "men " and all the other eatchwords and maxims in the science of government-generally true, in theory, although, practically, they had been seized and em- ployed by demagogues, in those instances, only for the advancement of personal and partisan ends-when a military force, no matter by whom commanded nor of what troops it was composed, was moved from farin- house to farmhouse, failing to call only on those who were in favor with the Chairman of a County Com- mittee, for the seizure of whatever "Muskets, Guns, " and Firclocks" the occupants of those several farmhouses owned or had in their possession. Not an exception was made, no matter what reason there might have been for such an exception ; and every- thing which had a gun-lock on it, whether useful or useless for military purposes-whether a young man's fowling-piece, with which he was wont to have a few hours' sport, when squirrels and robins abounded, or to have more serious work, when foxes and more formidable marauders poached in the poultry-yards or in the sheep-pastures ; or an old man's worn-out musket, a trusty friend in carlier Wars and, now. only a remembrancer of other days and other hard- ships-everything was doomed, by that new-formed
5 Journal of the Committee of Safety, " Die Sabbath. " ho., A. M., Septem. " ber 16th, 1775."
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WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
power, lo seizure and, practically, to forfeitare. There in other connection-, that the men of that County, & a grave reason for i raved discontent and . with Hike those of Queens-county, armed themselves, and patroled the County, in large parties, to guard against surprises ; declaring their determination to defend themselves, and saying "that if any body came to "their honses to take away their Arms, they would " fire upon them."3 Itappears, also, that the deelara- tion was fully sustained; that the united farmers proved more than a match for the local Militia and the other troops which the Chairman of the County Committee had been authorized to call for his sup- port ; and that, for the more effectual accomplish- ment. There was ample reason, nader the circum- staners which then existed. for obstructing the excelt- tion of the Committee's Orders-indeed, there was greater reason for concealing the objects which the military force was expected to seize and "impress," umler the provisions of these Orders, than there had been for the concealment of the Bay Colony's military stores, at Concord, when Lieutenant-colonel Smith and Migjor Pitcairn were sent to seize them, and for rosi-ting the aggression of the Committee, than there had been for the punishment of the invader, in that : ment of his purposes, that Chairman had assinned instance, after his work had been finished, on the highway, between Concord and Charlestown.1
It is said that, in Queens-county, "the people " conceal all their Arms that are of any value; many " declare they know nothing about the Congress, "nor do they care anything for the Orders of the " Congress, and say that they would sooner lose their " lives than give up their Arms ; and that they would " blow any man's brains out, who should attempt to " take them from them. We are told," the writer continned, "that the people have been collecting "together, and parading, in sundry places, armed, "and firing their Muskets, by way of bravado. On "the whole, had we the Battalion " [Lasher's] "we " believe we should be able to collect a very consider- " able ninaber of good Arms and support the honour of "Congress ; but without it, shall not -- and think that " if the Battalion is sent up, the sooner the better." "
i
There are no known records of the doings of Gil- bert Drake and Captain William Dutcher, in their tours of pillage, among the conservative and peaceful farmers of Westehester-county; but there appears, from a brief mention which has been made,
I Doctor Starks noticed this ontrage, in these words: "The Committee "reasoned but imperfectly from the facts of history and the principles of " human nature, when they supposed that people, with arms in their " hands, would be tempted to resign them, by such motives as were held "onl. They must either be treated as friends or enemies. If friends, "their safety and interest required that the soldiers who were to pro- "text their property and defend their rights should be artord ; and the " call of patriotism would be the loudest that could be maudy to them. " White donf to this call, they would not be made to listen to the Orders "of a Condsitter or the Resolves of a Congress, If enemies, the sense "di present danger, operatiog on the tuat law of nature, would prompt "thetu to keep within their prover, their only sure means of defence. "In silber case, the idea of taking away their arius, by a compulsory "impresment, had little to recofomend it, either in policy or prudence." -(Life of Gouverneur Morris, i., (.)
The les for reasoned, alove, on the ground that the Order of the Com-i mittee was an isolated art, disconnected with any other of the class; and Le reasmed well, on that permis; Int the fact was, another theder had just been made, in secret, to size the persons and properties of those who were obnoxious to the Comm.Her and its submolinates ; and it was cult- sidered necessary, for the safety of the maranders, to deprive the wiretly proposed victims of that earlier enactivent, of their meats for face, leture it commence, qualy, its work of lawlessness and out. rszeg un Iles persons and properties of those who had been or who should, thepreforth, le designated as its victimd.
: Letter from Major William Willingoss to the Committee of Safety, " Jessica, September 23ti, 10 o'clock P.M."
Bajor Williams appears To have been a resident of Queens-county.
still further authority, by calling on the floating population of the neighboring Towns, in Connecticut, for reinforcements+ -- as the Chairman of the County Committee was authorized by the Committee of Safety, to call for the entire Militia of the County, already seem to have been sufficient to fill three Regiments," and as many of General Wooster's eom- mand of Connecticut troops, then eneamped below Harlem,6 and numbering "about 400 men,"7 as should be required, that opposition must have been wide-spread and resolutely maintained, in West- chester-county, which had required, in addition to all these, for its suppression, an additional force, drawn from what may be properly called the Swiss Guards of Colonial America, mercenaries, who, while they professed to have been ardent friends ot Freedom, were, nevertheless, whenever they could see any possible advantage to their individual inter- ests, constantly ready to enlist in any service, out- side of Connecticut, and to become, in their new associations, the most devoted of all supporters of despotism and the most relentless of all persecutors of those, no matter of what country, who dared to question the sanctity of the assumed authority of those who employed them.
" Testimony of Colour Gilbert Bold of Mamaroneck, before the Provincial Congress,~Journal of the Provimint Congress, " Die Veneris, 19 bo, A.M. " November 3. 1778," (ride page 120, pist.)
+ This conflict between those who were excenting the Orders of the Committee of Safety. for the disarmament of those who had not signed the Iss. intion, and those, in Westchester county, who were intended to have Iwen the victims of the Committee's aggressive policy, has Iweb studiously concealed by all who have written on the subject of the American Revolution ; but the Provincial Congress, on the twelith of December, gave the forma! thanks of that body " to those of the In- "habitants of the Colony of Connecticut, who so cheerfully gave "their aid. at the request of the Comunittee of Westchester-county. "in the late suppression of the Insurgents in that County, against the "cause of Liberty." (Jourrid of the Provincial Congress, " Die Martis, 3 "ho .. P.M., Derr. 12th, 1773,") which is aonde anthority, for the stateforni. in the text.
3 Ser pages 103, 106, to7, aulr.
Steueral Wonder and his emtomand were encamped on property belonging to Areut Bussing, near Hatlem, from the eighteenth of July, preceding, (Journal of Fertivend Congress. " Die Martis, 9 hus. A.M., "July 1stb, 1773.")
inGeneral Wooster is at Hatlem, with about 400 men, which appear " to us to Le ouriplayed." (Letter from the Committee of Safety to the Con- turneul Congress, "IN COMMITTEE OF SAFETY FOR THE COLONY OF NEW " YORK, DURING THE BEOFSS OF THE PROVINCIAL CONGRESS, NEW-YORE , " Sept. 19, 1775.")
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WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
It is proper that notice shall be taken, in this con- " cefer vor to Colonel Badd' and Mr. Gill. Budd nection, of the fact that the Provincial Congress, on " Horton, with whom Mr. Pinkney has conversed. the twenty-fourth of October, twenty days after that " As we are only a Sub-committee appointed to take body had returned to its place and to its work and : " the examination of Mr. Pinkney and such other thirty-eight days after its Committee of Safety had " person> as might be necessary, and to make a Re- " port of our Proceedings to the Honourable the P'ro- " vincial Congress, we beg leave to request that Mr. " Pinkniey may be sent l'or and critically examined, " by the Congress, respecting the above matter, and adopted and published the Resolution and Orders, "relating to the impressment of Arms," which have been thus described and denounced, passed a formal Resolution " disapproving " and, therefore, abrogating them ; 1 but the mischief which had necessarily pro- , " with relation to Oars being made by the request of ceeded from the adoption and publication and at- | " Captain Vandeput ; 3 and, abo, that William Davis, tempts to execute that Resolution and those Orders, ; " (who was employed in making the Oars, ) and Sarah could not be undone; the wounds which had been " Williams, the wife of Isaac Williams, of Westchester, " may also be sent for and examined as witnesses, " respecting them. inflicted, were too deep to be healed by such an emol- lient; and an increased and constantly increasing bitterness of feeling, between the conservative and the revolutionary portions of the inhabitants, was every where seen, seattering its baleful and ruinous influence, from one estreme of the County to the other.
The radical changes in the characters and conduct of the previously quiet and orderly and industrious and prosperous inhabitants of Westchester-county, which were produced by the sneeession of aggressive enactments, made and published by the Provincial Congress and by its Committee of Safety, may be seen in the following letter and in what followed it, while that Provincial Congress was in session :
" WHITE PLAINS, November 1st, 1775."
" SIR :
" The Committee of Westchester-county, having " been called together upon a request of some of their " body, upon suspicion of a plot being contrived to " carry off several of the members and some others " who had shewed themselves zealonsly attached to " the Liberties of this country, Mr. Philip Pinkney,? " (who had given very full information, to some of the " Committee, of the plot, and had offered to swear to " it, provided he was brought by the Committee by " an appearance of force, and had engaged not to be " out of the way,) upon being sent for, by some of the " guard attending the Committee, was not to be " found ; whereupon some of the Committee, by order " of the whole, waited upon Mr. Pinkney, who, after " refusing to come before the Committee, and after a " great deal of equivocation, made the enclosed affi- " davit, before a Magistrate, which we have reason to " think is not the whole truth ; for which reasons we
3 Gilbert Budd of Mamaroneck, was Lieutenant-colonel of the Second Regiment of Westchester county Militia, (Historical Monscripts, etc .: Military Returns, xxvi., 13-pages 107, 108, date.)
Bolton, in his History of Westchester-county, (original elition, ii., 80, 81, 50 ; the same, second edition, 197, 715, 716,) gave an account of his family.
4Gi !. Budd Horton, of Mamaroneck, was the only representative of that Town, in the County Committee of 1776-17, (Historical Mouseciple, etc .: Miscellaneous Burgers, xxxvii., 300.) He was captured and carried away, by the Royal tre 15 or by the local loyalists, in 17Ti, (Historical Manuscripts, etc. : Petitions, xxxiii., 719.)
5 Captain Vandeput commanded the Asia, man-of-war. then at New York. Concerning the making of these Oars, vile page 119, ante.
6 Sen page 120, post.
: " Justice Sutton " was the "William Sutton, Esq." who was one of the signewsof the call for the Meeting at the White Plains, in April, 1775, as well as one who signed the Declination and Protest, at the same place, against the proceedings of that Meeting, (vide pages 70, 72, ante.) He wa- one of the King's Justices of the Peace ; and one of those who were reported to the Committee on Conspiracies, in June, 1776, and ordered to be arrested, ( Historical Manuscripts, etc. : Miscellaneous Papers, xxx., 156.) He was summoned to appear before the Committee, ( fbid, xxxv., 4:5;) and his examination, before the County Committee, va the twenty-third of July, 1776, indicated the temper of that body against the De Lanceys, and all who were contreted with that family, either by kinship or in politica, (Ihul, xxxiv., 531, 64:5, 537, 535.) " Sre page 120, ante.
1 Journal of the Provincial Congress, " Die Martis, 9 ho., A.M., October '21th, 1775."
" There is not the slighs >t mention of this evidently tricky Philip, in any of the contemporary records with which we have any acquaintance, except in this instance ; and we suspect he was that loyalist, Philip, who fled to Nova Scotia, at the close of the War, of whom Bolton made mention. He was evidently well-litted for & "Cow-boy ;" and, very probably, he was one.
Bolton, in his History of Westchester county, (original edition, i., 155, 136; the same, wenn edition, i., 245, 249.) gave a whet h and pedigree of the funily.
" We also request that Mr. William Lounsberry,6 " Isaac Gedney, Junior, and three hired men who " work at Justice Sutton's, may be sent for, on account " of what Mr. Pinckney has related, though not sworn " to, that they, among others, were Minute-men, as he " called them; that they were to be ready, at a " moment's warning, to take off some persons who " were the most obnoxious.
" We would also request, when the others are sent " for, that the before-mentioned Isaac Gedney, Junior, " and William Nelson, Joshua Boyea, Jo-bua Ferris, " Bartholomew Hains, Elijah Hains, William Hains, " and John Hains, be also taken and brought before " the Honourable Congress, for taking up arms to " resene Elijah Weeks, who was brought before the "Committee npon a charge against him. Upon the " charge, we would mention the Widow Margaret " Gedney, of the White Plains, (where they left their " Arms), Job Haddon, of Harrison Precinct, Benjamin " Morrell, of New-York, and Isaac Sniffen, of Rye- " Neck, as witnesses. "
" For evidence to the other charges, we beg leave to
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WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
the yon to Colonel Bndd and Mr. Gill. Bodd
" We would not have troubled the Congress about " apprefunding the above-named persons, but that " we look upon ourselves, at present, too weak to do " it. without great danger ; ' and we beg leave to sub- " mit it, whether it be not necessary, for the security " of many amongst us, as well as to prevent Provisions " bring conveyed to the Ministerial Army, that a " tigard be placed along the Sound, in this County. " We are, Sir.
" Your most humble servants, " JONATHAN G. TOMPKINS, " " THOMAS THOMAS, " " JESSE HUNT, ' " MICAH TOWNSEND, 5 " ANTHONY MILLER. "
"To NATHANIEL WOODHELL, President "of the Provincial Congress in New York."
The Affidavit referred to in this letter was as follows : " WESTCHESTER COUNTY, SS.
" Personally appeared before me, James Horton, "Junior, one of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace " in and for said County, " Philip Pinkney, of full age, "who deposeth and saith, that on Wednesday, the "twenty-fifth day instant, " being in company, he "heard one say that Godfrey Haines was determined "to have satisfaction on some particular persons," and "that there was a tender expected, to take them off, "instantly ; and that this Deponent was asked if he "would assist in taking off Judge Thomas,10 private- "ly; and that they were determined to have him, if "possible" ; and that there was a person to be in a
The pany faction which, with the aid of the military power, was ex- ercising such a terrible authority, in Westchester-county, here confessed it weakness, when unsupported by that power.
" Sre page 108, ante.
3 ser page 1of, ante.
4 Jest: Hunt was Sheriff of Westchester-county, 1781-1785.
> Mirah Tow nsund was a member of the County Comunittee of 1775-'6, and its Secretary ; he was one of the Minute-men, at White Plains, in february, 1776 ; and he was in command of a Company, in the follow- Ing Sumner. He evidently left Westchester county, soon afterwards, as he was in the Assembly of the State, in 1779-'80, representing Cumber- land-county.
Anthony Miller was Second Lieutenant of the Searslale and White Plataa Company of Militia, in: 1775, and Captain of the same Company. in 17714
¡James Horton, Junior, was proscribed as a Tory, and oplered to be arrested in June, 1976, (Historical Mamacript , etc. : Macellaavons Papers, 23x , 176.)
" This dato was, evidently, a clerical error. It was, undoubtedly, in- feuded for " the twenty-fifth nitimo," October 25, 1776.
9 of Godfrey Haines, bis grievances, and hits threats, see pages 115-120, undr.
1 4. Judge Thomas " was Hon. John Thomas, County Julge of Went- chester county, 1755-1777, and Member of the General Assembly of the Colony, representing the county of Westchester, 1743-7, in which latter cajvw'ity the reader has already been made acquainted with him.
" Although the project of carrying Judge Thomas away from his home, in 1773, if w h a project was really entertained, was not carried out ; a »trilar project, in 1777, was sucresful ; and he was carried to New York, os Haines had been, and thrown into prison, in that City, as Haines had treu, (vidde pujex 116, 117, ante, ) and died there.
" particular place, to receive him from those that took " him.
" PHILIP PINCKNEY.
"Taken and sworn before me this
" first day of November, 1775, " JAMES HORTON, JENR. "2
The Provincial Congress received the letter and the affidavit, and placed them on file, without taking any other action which was recorded on its Journal, than the making of an Order that Colonel Budd and Gil. Budd Horton, who had evidently taken those papers to the Congress, should attend that body, at five o'clock, on the same afternoon." At the appointed hour, those gentlemen made their appearance before the door of the Assembly Chamber, in the City Hall, in which the Congress was assembled in secret Ses- sion ; and when they were admitted into the Cham- ber, they were duly examined-the testimony of Gil. Budd Horton, however, was evidently so entirely use- less that it was not reduced to writing, and, conse- quently, no portion of it was entered on the Journal of the Provincial Congress. The testimony of Colonel Gilbert Budd, as it appears on that Journal," is in these words :
"Col. Gilbert Budd and Gilbudd Horton, from "Westchester County, attending according to order, "were called in, and examined ; and the examination "of Gilbert Budd was taken in writing, and filed, and "is as follows, to wit :
"Gilbert Bndd, of Mamaroneck, says that the tories "are getting the upper hand of and threaten them, "daily, and have injured their private property, by "throwing down stone fenees and eropping his horses' "tails and manes ; that Philip Pinckney told him, "last Sunday, that he was in company, on the twenty- " fifth of October last, with a man who told him that "there would be had times in Mamaroneck, before "long; and said that some of the people of "the place would be taken off; that he, Pinck- " ney, asked the man that told him, how they were to "be taken off; he answered, that they expected a ten- "der, in the harbour, in a few days; and that she "would send barges on shore, in order to carry the "people off; that he, Pinckney, further asked the " man, where they were to be carried to, and he an- "sweredl, 'To Gage.' Mr. Budd tohl Pinckney that "Gage was not there; he answered, 'To Gage's "'Army ;' that Pinckney said he asked the man, who "the men were that were to be taken off; that the
1º Thr entire prostration of the Colonial Government, in New York, and its entire helplessness to protect the Colonists from the outrages to which they were subjected by the promoters of the Rebellion, is nowhere more clearly seen than in this appearance of one of those who were it rebellion, before one of the King's Justices of the Peace, to makean ofli- cial affidavit concerning a plot lo carry away from his home, que of the lenders in that Rebellion, by those who were not in rebelliun.
15 Journal of the Provinciadl fingrees, "Die Veueris, ID ho., A.M., No- " veniber 3d, 1775."
14 Journ il of the Provincial Congress, " Die Veneris, 5 ho., P. M., Novem- " ber 3, 1775."
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WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
" man intimated to him that Mr. Gilbert Bud" (the of all that it did, in " this matter"-of which the fol- trifnews ] "and Mr. Samnel Townsend' were the mum lowing is a copy " that were to be taken off'; and that there was another "IN PROVINCIAL CONGRESS, " AT NEW-YORK, November 3rd, 1775. "GENTLEMEN : " that they would have, at all events; that Pinckney "told Budd that he asked the man, who the ather " man was that was to be taken off; that the man an- "We received a letter of the Ist inst., from the "Sub-committee of your County, relative to the "conduct of the people of Rye; and the Congress " have directed me to recommend to your Com- " mittee to make an immediate and strict inquiry "into the matters to which the letter refers, and "to take the examinations on oath of the wit- "nes-es ; and if you find satisfactory reasons to sup- "pose the persons threatened to be in danger, that " you take the proper means to protect them ; perhaps "the binding over to the peace such persons as may "be strongly suspected of a design to injure the per- " sons or estates of those gentlemen, may be a useful "expedient." If anything afterwards shall be thought " necessary to be done, for their further protection, "the Committee will attend to it. If you should "find the County unable to give the necessary pro- " tection, you will transmit the examinations to us, " that the Congress may take such order therein, as "may be proper. The Committee may rest assured " that this Congress will support the friends of "Liberty, to the utmost of their power. "swered him that Judge Thomas was the man, who " they would have if it cost them the lives of fifty " men ; that Pinckney tohl the said Mr. Budd that "there was a number of his, Budd's, neighbours, who "stood ready to assist the tender, in order to take "them; that Mr Budd asked Pinckney if he knew " who those neighbours were; he answered that one "of them was William Lounsberry ? and one, Isaac "Gedney, Junr., and all Sutton's men, alluding to "some hired servants of Sutton's; 3 that Pinckney "said he came as a friend, and advised Mr. Buil to " keep out of the way, for that he did not think it safe " for him to sleep in his house, one night. Mr. Budd " further says that he heard that Godfrey Haines said " that he was going to get a parcel of Oars made for " the man of war ; that Haines came to Mamaroneck, "and that the next day, Isaac Gedney set about mak- "ing Oars; that they were making (as Budd under- " stood) by Haines's order, for Capt. Vandleput. Mr. " Budd says the tories are equipped, and constantly "in arnis, walking about, at night, 6, 8, and 10 at a "time. Mr. Budd further says that it is reported that " We are, Gentlemen, your humble servants, " By order of the Provincial Congress, " ABRAHAM YATES, JR., Pres't. "To GILBERT DRAKE, Esq., Chairman " of the Committee of Westchester county."> "those tories say they are determined to defend them- "selves; and that if any body came to their houses to "take away their Arms, they would fire upon them." The Congress appears to have been in one of its temperate moods when that delegation from the chivalry of Colonial Westchester-county, bearing the missive from the Committee of that County and its kindred Affidavit, approached its doors ; and for that reason, unless it was because of the shallowness of the several accusations and requests which were in the papers or of the poltroonery of those who bore them the Congress did no more than to order the letter and affidavit and examination to be filed; to charge all who knew of " this matter," "to keep the whole of it "a secret ;" and to transmit a letter to the Committee of Westchester-county -- the latter, the most noteworthy
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