USA > New York > Westchester County > Westchester County, New York, during the American Revolution > Part 45
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" RESOLVED, THEREFORE, That the following per- " sons in Queens-county, the City and County of New " York, and Richmond-county, whose conduct has " been represented to this Congress as inimical to the " Cause and Rights of America, and who, if sm-
1 Journal of the Provincial Congress, " Die Martis, 9 ho., A. M., May 28, "1776."
168
WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
" moned, would probably not appear, but -verete " themselves, be arrested and brought before a Cont- " mittee of this Congress, hereinafter nominated and " appointed, to wit :
" In Queens-county. - Richd. Hulett, Thos. Cor- " nell, Stephen Hulet, Jos. Beagle, of Rockaway; " John Kendall, at Danl. Thomas's, Flushing; John " Bodin, -- Chase, of Jamaica; John Hulet, of " Oyster Bay ; and Isaac Denton, of near Rockaway. " In the City and County of Nor- York .- Peter Me- " Lean, Saml. Galsworthy, Francis De La Roach.1 " In Richmond-county .- Isaac Decker, Abm. Harris, " Ephin. Taylor, and Minne Burger.
" And that the following persons, in the Counties " aforesaid, and in the County of Westchester and " Kings-county, whose conduct has been represented " to this Congress as equally inimical with that of " the former, but who would probably appear on be- "ing summoned, be summoned by the said Committee "to appear before them, at such time and place as "they may appoint ; and, in default of appearance, " on proof of the service of the summons, that they " be arrested in like manner as the forn er, to wit: [ In the City and County of New- York,] " Win. " Newton, Linus King, John B. Dash, Henry Law, " Theop. Hardenbrook, Saml. Burling, John Woods, " Benjn. Williams, Christopher Benson, Wm. Bayard, " Fredk. Rhinelander, Jas. Coggeshall, John Mil- " liner, and Theot. Bache.
" In Kings-county. - Theo. Bache and Benjamin " James.
.
" In Queens-county. - Chas. Arden, John Moore; " Senr., and David Beatty, of Hempstead.
" In Westchester-county. -- Fredk. Phillips, Caleb " Morgan, Nath. Underhill, Saml. Merrit, Peter Corne, " Peter Huggeford, James Horton, Junr .. Wm. Sutton, " Wm. Barker, Joshua Purdy, and Absalom Gidney. " Which said Committee are hereby authorized and " required impartially to inquire and determine " whether any, and which, of the said persons have " afforded aid or sustenance to the British Fleets or " Armies, contrary to the Resolutions of the Conti- " pental Congress or of the Provincial Congress or " Committee of Safety of this Colony, or been active " in dissuading any of the inhabitants of this Colony " from associating for the defence of the United Col- "onies, against the unjust claims and hostile attacks " of the British Parliament; decried the value of the
"Continental money, and endeavoured to prevent its " currency, contrary to the Resolutions of the Conti- " nental Congress or Provincial Congress or Com- "snittee of Safety of this Colony ; or been concerned " or actually engaged in any schemes to defeat, retard, " or oppose the measures now pursuing by the United " Colonies, for their defence against the tyrannical " and cruel attacks of the British Ministry or their allies, adherents, or agents.
" That all such of the said persons as shall be " found by the said Committee to be innocent of the " said offences be immediately discharged ; and that a " Certificate of such acquittal and of the trne light " in which they may respectively appear to the said " Committee, under the hands of the said Committee, " be given to them, the said several persons so acquit- " ted ; and that they also report to this Congress, the " names of the persons so acquitted, that the same " may be entered on their Journals and published, to " the end that the reputation of such innocent persons " may not suffer or be injured by their having been so " arrested. PROVIDED, NEVERTHELESS, that it the " said persons so to be acquitted should appear in a "suspicions light to the said Committee, that the said "Committee proceed against them, in the manner " hereinafter prescribed for their conduct against " persons of a suspicious and equivocal character.
" And with respect to all such of the said persons " as the Committee shall find guilty of all or any of " the said offences, the said Committee are hereby " authorized and required to commit to safe custody, " all such of them whose going at large would, in " their opinion, endanger the safety of the Colony or " the Liberties of America; and that they discharge " the remainder of them, on their giving Bond, with " good security, to the President of the Provincial " Congress, for the time being, by name, to cease and " forbear all opposition to the Resolutions and meas- " ures of the Continental Congress or Provincial Con. " gress or Committee of Safety of this Colouy, for the defence of the United Colonies against the unjust " claims and hostile operations of the British Minis- " try to enforce them.
" And in case it should appear to the said Commit- " tee, inexpedient that any of the said persone show !! " continue to dwell at his usual place of residence, " that, then, they do assigu to such person or persons "another place of residence, in this or one of the " neighbouring Colonies, and take his or their parole, "or word of honour, or, if they should not be deemed "sufficient, other security, to abide there and not "leave it, without license from this or a future Con- "gress; and, in ense of refusal to give such parole and "security, to commit him or them to safe custody.
"AND WHEREAS it may happen that the said "Committee may be informed of other dangerous " persons, not herein named, whom it would be ex- "pedient and necessary to summon or apprehend : " RESOLVED, That the said Committee be and they
I As an illustration of the manner in which people were secretly put into danger, at that time, the following instance, relating to these three men is presented :
"An information, signed by Aaron Stockholm, Samuel Prince, John " Bogert, and Thomas Gardner, referred to this Congress by the General "Committee of the City of New-York, charging Peter MeClean, Sammel "Galsworthy, Francis Delaroach, and a young man, in military cloth- "ing, of their acquaintance, with uttering sentiments highly inimienl "and dangerous to the canse of America, was trad and filed.
"ORDERED, That the names be added to the list of dangerous, dieif- "fected persons, to bey apprehended," (Journal of the Provincial Congress, " Die Jovis, 9 bo., A.M., May 30, 1776.")
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WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
"hereby are authorized and required to cause such I " safe custody the sail person or persons so refusing, garsous to be summoned or apprehended, as they "until the next meeting of the sabl General Com- " may think proper, and to proceed against them, in " mittee, with whom the accusation against the said " dangerous and disaffected person or persons ought. "forthwith, to be bulged by the Committee of the "Town or District by whom they may be apprehendled, " summoned, or committed, as aforesaid.
"the same manner as is herein before directed, with " respect to the persons herein particularly mentioned. "AND WHEREAS employing detachments of the " Militia of this Colony, in arresting the said persons, "will not only be expensive, but the assembling of " them may alarm the suspicions of the said persons "and their adherents, and, thereby, tend to defeat "the design of these Resolutions; and as the Con- "tinental troops quartered in and near the said three " Counties of New- York, Queens, and Richmond, may "be employed in the said business, with little trouble "to themselves and with greater prospect of success : "RESOLVED, THEREFORE, That the said Committee " be and they hereby are authorized to confer with " the Commander-in-Chief of the said troops, and to " request of him such detachments of them as may be "necessary for the purpose aforesaid; and that he "give orders that the said detachments, while so em- " ployed, be mmler the direction of the said Committee "or of discreet persons to be by them appointed. " PROVIDED, NEVERTHELESS, That the said Com- " mittee are hereby empowered to employ such de- " taelnnents of the Militia as they may think exped- " ient for the purpose aforesaid.
" ANO WHEREAS there may be, and doubtless are, " in other Counties of this Colony, divers dangerous "persons at present unknown to this Congress:
" RESOLVED, That it be recommended to the Com- " mittees of all Countries in this Colony, to be vigilant, "and to use their utmost endeavours, from time to "time, to oliscover and summon or apprehend them, "in like manner as herein before described with " respect to the persons hereby ordered to be arrested, "and to report their proceedings therein to the Con- "gress of this Colony for the time being.
"AND WHEREAS it may often happen that the "Committees of Townsand other districts in a County " may discover many dangerous persons whom it woubl "be proper, immediately, to secure, in which case an "application to the County Committee would not only " he attended with great delay, but would also afford " such dangerous persons an opportunity to escape : "RESOLVED, THERETORE. That the said Connait- "tres of the different Towns and Districts in the " several Countries in this Colony be and they hereby "are authorized and required to cause all persons " whom they may esteem dangerous and disaffected to "appear before them, either by arrest or summons, as "the said Committees, in their discretion, may think " proper, and take from the said persons respectively, "good and sufficient security to appear before the " General Committee of the County, at such time and " place as they shall order him by attend, and, then "and there, to answer such matters as shall, before "the sail General Committee, be alleged against him ; "and, on refusal to give such security, to commit to 17
"AND WHEREAS there is, in this Colony, divers "persons who, by reason of their holding Ollices from "the King of Great Britain, from their having neg- "lected or refused to associate with their fellow citi- "zens, for the defence of their common Rights, from " their having never manifested, by their conduct, a "zeal for and attachment to the American cause, or " from their having maintained an equivocal neutral- "ity, have been considered by their countrymen in a "suspicious light, whereby it bath become necessary, "as well for the safety as for the satisfaction of the "people, who, in times so dangerous and critical, are " naturally led to consider those as their encinies who " withhold from them their aid and influence :
"RESOLVED, That the following persons, who are "generally supposed to come under the above deserip- "tion, to wit :
" In the City and County of New- York .-- Oliver De " Lancey, Chas. W. Apthorpe, William Smith, John "Harris Cruger, Jas. Jauncey, Junr., Wm. Axtell, "Goldsbrow Banyar, Geo. Brewerton, Chas. Nicoll, "Gerard Walton, Donabl Me Lean, Chas. MeEvers, "Benjn. Hugget, Wm. MeAdam, John Cruger, Ja- " cob Walton, Robert Bayard, Peter Graham, Peter "Van Schaack, Andrew Elliot, David Mathews, John "Watts, Junr., and Thomas Jones.
" In Kings-county .- Augustus Van Cortlandt and " John Rapalje.
" In Richmond-county. - Benjamin Seaman and " Christopher Billop.
" In Queens-county .- Gabriel Ludlow, Saml. Mar- " tin, Thos. Jones,' Archd. Hamilton, Davil Colden, " Richd. Colden, Geo. D. Ludlow, Whitehead Hicks, " Saml. Clowes, Geo. Folliot, Saml. Donghty, Danl. " Kissam, Gilbt. Van Wyck, John Willett, David " Brooks, Charles Hicks, John Townsend, Johu Pol- " hemms, Benjn. Whitehead, Thomas Smith, John " Shoal-, Nathl. Moore, Samt. Hallett, Win. Wey- " man, The. Hicks, at Rockaway, Benjamin Lister. " In Westchester-county.2-Solomon Fowler" and " Richard Morris.4
Thomas Jones, one of the Associate Judges of the Supreme Court of the Colony, was the author of that exceedingly valuable History of hoe Tork during the Revolutionary Hier, to which so many references are made in the narrative. His wife, Autor, was the third daughter of Chiefjustice and Lieutenant governor James De Laley, which 3.13 largely the ground of his offener Intore the leaders of the Rebellion.
" The smallnes of the list of the terribed in Westchester county prty, probably, be accounted for by the fact that Judge Thomas, and Major Van Cortlandt, and the greater number of the Colonial dice- hoders, in that County, were masquerading, locally, with the revolu- Tionary party.
3 Solomon Fowler appears to have been of Eastchester.
+ Richard Morris was to Judge of the Colonial Court of Admiralty
1
170
WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
" summoned by the said Committee, to appear before " them, at such time and place as they shall appmint, " then and there to show canse, if any they have, " why they should be considered as friends to the " American cause, and as of the number of those who " are ready to risk their lives and fortunes in defence " of the Rights and Liberties of America, against the | " usurpation, unjust claims, and cruel oppressions of " the British Parliament, which Rights and Liberties " and which unjust claims and cruel oppressions are , " specified and stated in divers Addresses, Petitions, " and Resolutions of the present and late Continental " Congress, and, in default of appearance, the said " Committee, on proof made of the service of the " said Summons, are authorized and directed to cause " them to be arrested and brought before them, by " Warrant, under their hands, directed to any Militia " Officer in this Colony, who is hereby directed to ex- " ceute the same.
" And if, on the appearance and examination of " the said persons, it shall appear to the satisfaction " of the said Committee that they or any of them are " friends to the American cause, that such of them " whom they shall so adjudge to be friends, be fortli- " with discharged, and a Certificate thereof, under " the hands of the said Committee, given them, and " their names forthwith reported to this Congress, " to the end that the same may be entered on their " Journals, and published, and justice thereby done " to their characters and reputations. And it is fur- " ther
. " RESOLVED, That all such of the said persons as " the said Committee shall not adjudge and deter- " mine to be friends to the American cause, the said " Committee be and they hereby are required to treat " and dispose of in the following manner, to wit :
the jurisdiction of which extended over Councetient, New York, and New Jersey. His father had occupied the place, before him ; he had occu- piel it since Angust 2, 1762 ; and he was, also, Clerk of the Courts ol Nisi Prius and General Jail Delivery. He was a brother of Lewis Mor- ris, the Delegate in the Continental Congress, and of Staats Long Morris, an officer in the Royal Army, and husband of the Downger Duchess of Gordon ; and Gouverneur Morris was his ladf-brother. Ile was, also, the grandfather of Lewis (. Morris, of Lordlaun Heights.
Although he was classed, in these Resolutions, among those who occu- pied "ao equivocal neutrality" -- he preferred to retain his hold on the Royal Treasury as long as possible ; and the studied denunciation of him, in these Ersolutions, was admirably adapted to secure the study payment of hi- Salary and Fees, and to secure the family estates, in case the Rebellion should be suppressed-just eight weeks after the presentation of this Report, he was appointed, by the same Provincial Congress who had received and adopted this formidable series of Resolu- tions, to the Bench of the new-formael revolutionary Court of Adfinally ; and, three years enberquently, when John Jay ceased to be Chiefjustice of the new State, this Richard Morris was apportated to succeed him, in that honorable and influential position. He held the latter office until September, 17:1.
The controlling power among the revolutionary elements, in the Colony as well as in the new-formed State, was not -low to reward the Morris family with offices and emoluments; and the latter was equally walchful of its own interests, in accepting whatever was offered.
" That anch of them as may be men of influen !
" And also all such other persons of the like char- i " arter as the said Committee may think proper to be ; " the neighborhood of the place of their present re-i- " dence, be removed to such place, in this or a neizh- " bouring Colony, as will deprive them of an oppor- " tunity of exerting that influence to the prejudice of " the American cause, and respectively bound by " their parole or word of honour or other security, at " the discretion of the said Committee, neither di- " rectly or indirectly to oppose or contravene the " measures of the Continental Congress or the Con- " gries of this Colony, and to abide in the place and " within the limits -o to be assigned them, till the " further order of the present or future Provincial " Congress or Continental Congress ; and in case they "shall refuse to give such parole or other security, to " commit them to safe custody.
" And as to such of the said persons whose removal, "in the judgment of the said Committee, shall not " appear necessary, that the said Committee do cause " them to be respectively bound with such security, " by parole or otherwise, as the said Committee shall " deem necessary, neither directly or indirectly to " oppose or contravene the measures of the Conti- " nental Congress of thuis Colony. PROVIDED, NEVER- " THELESS, that the said Committee shall be and they "are hereby authorized, in case they shall, on "inquiry, find any or either of the said persons to be " so dangerous as that they ought not to be admitted " to go at large, to order such of them to be kept in " sate custody.
"RESOLVED, That the said Committee and the " County Committees keep a just record of all their "proceedings, in pursuance of these Resolutions, "and report the same, with the substance of the " evidence offered to them, for and against the several " persons who shall be by them apprehended, sum- " moned, tried, and examined by virtue of the afore- "going Resolutions; and that they have power to " send for witnesses and papers.
" RESOLVED, That the said Committee consist of "the following gentlemen, to wit: Mr. Morris, Col. " Remsen, Mr. John Teu Broeck, Mr. Haring, Mr. "Tredwell, Col. Lewis Graham, and Mr. Hallett ; 1 " and that any five of them be a quorum; and that " before they enter on the business herein before " assigned thent, they and also all such of the County "Committees as may be engaged in carrying these
1 (if these, Gouverneur Morris and Lewis Graham were from West- chester county ; Henry Reisen and reph Hallott were frout the City and County of New York ; John Tem Brouck was from Allany -county . John Haring was trom Orange-county ; and Thomas Tredwell war Icom Suffolk. Subsequently, as will be seen hereafter, Heury Relish was excused from serving on the Committee ; and John day, of the City and County of New York, and John Stos Habart, of Suffolk, were added to il. At a still later date, Philip Livingston, of the City and County of New York, was ule addel ; and Levaned Gansevoort, of Albany-county, was substituted for John Tro Broeck. After the Committee had become organized, John Haring retired from it, Thomas Randall, of New York. taking his place A few days Infor the Congress was disbanded, Joseph Hallett left the Committes.
1
171
WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
" Resolutions into execution severally take an oath, " diligently, impartially, without fear, favour, affre. " tion, or hope of reward, to excente and discharge "the duties imposed on them, by the aforegoing " Resolutions.
" RESOLVED, That the said Committee appoint " such persons as they may think proper, to repair to "the said Counties' to inquire for and procure the " witnesses against the persons herein directed to be " arrested or summoned to appear, and give evidence "against the said persons, before the said Committee ; "and that the said persons be paid for their trouble at " the rate of fifteen shillings for each day they shall " respectively be employed on that service ; and that " the witnesses they may direct to attend, as afore- "said, be paid their reasonable expenses for travelling " charges and subsistence, to be certified and allowed " by the said Committee; which Certificate shall be " a Warrant to the Treasurer of this Congress, to pay " the persons in whose favour such Certificate shall " be given, the sum or sums therein allowed, as afore- " said." 2
On the fourteenth3 and fifteenth of June,' those who were members of the Committee, took the oath required of them; on the last-named day, John MeKesson, who was one, the principal one, of the Secretaries of the Provincial Congress, was made the Secretary of the Committee, also; > and, with a full retinue of Assistant-secretaries, Messengers, Door- keepers, and other Officers," on the same day, Philip Livingston, Joseph Hallett, John Jay, Thomas Tred- well, Gouverneur Morris, Lewis Graham, and Leon- ard Gansevoort-Livingston, Jay, and Gansevoort having been meanwhile added to the Committee-
1 It appears from the words in the text, that Richmond, Kings, Queens, New York, and Westchester-connties were all which were to be favored with the attention of that revolutionary Inquisition; and, as far as the proceedings of that intations body have been permitted to be ex- posed to thuscrutiny of honest and carnest inquirors, no evidence ap- pears that residents of other Countries were subjected to its despotic practices.
" Journal of the Porriacial Congress, " Die Mercurii, 9 ho., A.M., June "5, 1776."
There arn intern devilenres, in the two papers, that the Hrsolutions which the Provincial Congress lind adoptent, on the twenty-fourth of May Garage 186, con) and those which are now under consideration, were written by the same found ; soul there is evidence which cannot be misunderstood, that that hand was not dolu day's, as some have rup powe, Bot toverkene Morris's. It is true that Doctor Sparks made no mention of the subject, in his Life of Horrorneue Morris-it was not his proposeto repas the weaknesses and the wrong doings of his aristocratic and poretentions subject, but lo magnify the man and his doings, and to enlogize them-and all those who have preceded is in narrating the events of that period, have, also, preferred to know nothing of this in- famous enactment and of its consequences ; but it was really enacted, in Sow York, for the promotion of the purposes of intended confiscations of Individual and family properties ; and, unquestionaldy, Gouverneur Morris was the author of it, and one of the master spirits in the execu- tion of its provisions.
3 Journal of the Provincial Congress, " Friday Afternoon, June 14, "1776."
" Journal of the Provincial Changersa, " Hie Sabbati, A. M., June 15, "1756."
' Ibid.
being present, the Committee proceeded to the dis- charge of the duties which heul been laid on it .?
This secretly acting, inquisitorial body, of which John Jay was made the Chairman, hehl secret sessionson the fifteenth, nineteenth, twentieth, twenty- first, twenty-second, twenty-third, twenty-fourth, twenty-fifth, twenty-sixth, twenty-seventh, and twenty-ninth of June," beyond which period we do not propuse, at this time, to follow it; and on the following day, when the Provincial Congress itself was disbanded and fled, every member of this mighty Cuumittee, with the single exception of Gouverneur Morris, had, also, left the City." Besides receiving an anonymous information that William Sutton, of Ma- maroneck, had been heard to say "that, in case " Indepemleney was declared by the Continental Con- "gress, there were three Colonels in the Service who "would join the Ministerial Party ; "" and the issneof Summonses to Frederic Philipse, of Yonkers, Richard Morris, of Scarsdale, and Samuel Merritt, of the Manor of Cortlandt, to appear and answer before the Committee, on the third of July ; the issue of similar Summonses to Solomon Fowler, of Eastchester, Nathaniel Underhill, of Westchester, and James Horton, Junior, and William Sutton, both of Mama- roneck, to appear and answer, on the fourth of July ; the issue of similar Summonses to Peter Corne and Doctor Peter Huggeford, both of Westchester-county, to appear and answer, on the fifth of July ; and the issue of similar Summonses to William Barker, Joshua Purdy, and Absalom Gedney, all of Westchester- county, to appear and answer, on the sixth of July,1 the Committee appears to have done nothing which particularly concerned Westchester-county, during the period now under consideration; and, for the present, its doings are dismissed." It may not be
I Minutes of the Committee to Defect Conspiracies, " Die Sabbati, 12 ho., " Juno 15, 1776."
8 The Minutes of the Committee, during the brief period which elapsed between The date of ite organization and that of the dissolution of the Provincial Congress-which, also, by all parliamentary and statutory law, dissolved the Committee which was only jte agent-are scattered, in various places, and generally in manuscript, and uuprinted. Of the Minutes of the Meetings referred to in the text-and, in this place, we do not propose to reter loany of anleennent dates-carefully in te copies. from the scattered originals, have been examined, in every instance " Jones's History of New York during the Revolutionary Weer. i., 2.45.
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