Circumstances than they coud possibly be any where else. I was at Kingston last Monday. I had not the Pleasure of seeing Major Pawling but sent word to him respecting your Pocket Book; your Familly I heard from they were well. My best Wishes attend you & believe me your Friend & Humble Serv't, Geo. Clinton.

My Familly present their Complim'ts to you. Mrs. Blaw desires to be remembered to her son.

[To Col. Pawling.]

[No. 394.]

General Clinton Vouches for William Mitchell.

Gentlemen,

New Windsor 9th March 1777.

This will be handed you by William Mitchell of New Burgh who tells me he is to appear before your Honorable Board next week. It is needless for me to mention to you his being apprehended last Fail for Toryism confined at Fishkill a long Time & from thence sent to New Hampshire. His Crime, the Evidences to support it & the Principles the Committee proceeded upon against him you must fully know. I took some Pains at the Time to inquire but never coud learn his Charge or by whom made. I have long known the man I alway believed him honest. I have since the Commencement of the present Troubles frequently seen him & conversed with him & know that he has freely expressed himself in Favour of his Country. That he was esteemed a Friend to the Cause is evident from his having been a Member of the Committee in the Precinct in which he lives. That I thought well of him is Evident from my having applied to him before I knew of his Difficulties to attend my Mill in which Case he woud

have become part of my Familly. I cant yet help thinking he is an honnest Man he tells me that before he was sent to New England he proffered to take the Oath of Allegiance to the States. That he is yet willing so to do providing it will not barr him of an Enquiry into the Cause & Author of his late Disgrace & Distress. This he feared it might when he was last before you he is now convinced it cant & will readilly comply. I have only to add that my Opinion of him is such that had he been a Tory his taking the Oaths of Alegiance to the states will make him Whigg. I am with much Respect,

Your most Obed't,

[G. C.]

[To Commissioners on Conspiracies at Fishkill.]

[No. 395.]

WEAKNESS OF MILITIA LAWS.

Gen. Clinton Again Announces His Purpose to Resign His Command when the Works in Hand are Completed, and the Militia now Under Him Dismissed.

Sir,

*New Windsor 8th March 1777.

I am favoured with a Copy of the Resolve of the Honorable Committee of Safety of this State of the 1st of March Instant requesting me to recommend a proper Person to be a Lieutenant Colonel* of the Regiment of Militia in Orange Town in Orange County in the Room of Lieut. Colo. Blawfelt who has resigned. I am utterly unacquainted with the Military Charecters of Men in that Regiment not even knowing the Name of a Single Officer in it; I have a proper sense of this & the many other Marks of Confidence which the Honorable Convention have shewn me but for the above Rea

*Words in italics scratched through with a pen in original MSS.

P

son in the present Instance & for others of a more general Nature thro you as my Friend begg to be excused from giving any Recommendations for Military Appointments in the Militia.

I always thought the Laws for forming & regulating the Militia in this State would not answer the good Purposes for which they were intended. The Mode of Appointment of Officers I believed woud prove Destructive of all subordination & Order so absolutely necessary in the Field & I thought I saw that the Influence of Officers of spirit who woud exert necessary Authority in the service of their Country must be Destroyed & that that Influence woud be natturally transferred to the Mean spirited & Interested who woud sell their Country to acquire a short lived Popularity or serve some other little Purpose. A Law in my Opinion contrived for those Purposes coud not be better planned effectually to answer them. From a full Conviction of the Truth of these Matters founded on Experience & that I cannot possibly render my Country that service which from the apparent Importance of my Command in the Militia may reasonably be expected from me. I have for some Time past intended as soon as the public Works put under my Directions shall be compleated & the Troops now actually out under my Command dismissed to ask the Favour of the Honorable Convention to resign my Command as Brig'r Genl. of the Militia of the Counties of Ulster & Orange, in which I trust I shall be indulged as I wish not thereby an Exemption from Military Duty on the Contrary, I will most chearfully turn into the Ranks & do the Duty of a private & from the Knowledge I have as an Officer of the necessity of Dicipline and Subordination I trust at least I shall be an Obedient Soldier. These being my sentiments I cant think of recommending a Man of Spirit to the Militia Service & I never will a Man of different Charrecter tho

perhaps & I believe the latter might stand favorit with the People & be able for a Time to effect most. I am with due Respect your Affectionate &

[To Convention.]

Most Obed't humble Serv't,

Geo. Clinton.

[No. 396.]

Bill and Receipt for Flour.

Clinton & Boyd, Mill March 12 1777.

Mr. Clinton, The Bearor has Delivered 166 Barrels @ 40/p tun which comes to £20: 15: 0 which sum you will please to let him have.

T General Geo. Clinton Esqr.

Geo. Harris.

Rec'd the Contents of the within Acct. 12th March 1777.

Walter De Grauw.

[No. 397.]

Captain Black's Mission to New Windsor.

Dear General,

I am sorry that I had not the pleasure of seeing you on my return; however I have advised Capt. Black to tarry at Windsor untill your return; he is content to sett out imediatly for Morristown, & will call upon Mr. Santford in his way; it will be necessary that you give him an order on Major Taylor to furnish him with a horse. I have some business that will take me down to the Jerseys next week if the weather is good but will probably waite upon you before sett off. I most respectfully am,

D'r General your mo. obg. & very H. Servant,

N Windsor March 12 1777.

To General Clinton New Windsor

W. Malcom.

Captain Black and Lieut. Santford Recommended for New Com

D'r Sir,

missions.

New Windsor 14th March 1777.

I begg Leave to recomend Capt. Black & Lieut. Santford both of Colo. Malcom's Regiment for Captains of the two remaining Com. panies for which your Excellency Directed me to appoint Officers. Their Charecters Well in private life as Officers are good & I believe they will [be] able to raise their Companies as the Men of that Regiment are strongly attached to their Officers; many of them have not yet entered the service. It might promote the filling of their Companies to let the Men know the Field Officers of the Regiment to which they are to be annexed. If Colo. Malcom is to command the Regim't I believe it will influence many to inlist. As soon as we fix on the subalterns for these two Companies I will return their Names to your Excellency. I am your

[To Gen. Washington.]

[No. 398.]

Most Obed't Serv't,

(G. C.)

BEGINNING THE HISTORY OF OUR LEGISLATURE. Limiting the Power of the Governor with Legislation to the Signing and the Vetoing of Bills.

Dear Sir,

Thursday Evening March 13th [1777.]

Yesterday the Committee of Government reported. The[y] have in their report omitted the method which proposed for electing by Ballot & sundry other matters by which the report is much shorter than when it was last copied. In the afternoon and Evening by order one of the secretaries attended in the Conven