Excellency may please to shew him in this Respect. I am with the highest Esteem &c. To Genl. Washington. [No. 410.] Geo. Clinton. Cutting into the Thoroughfares of the Common Enemy. D'r Sir, I am favoured with your Letter of the 18th Inst. that wrote by Capt. Ogden I have not received. Some Time ago in Consequence of a Letter rec'd from the Adjudant Genl. I ordered Colo. Pawling who commands the Regiment stationed at the Post near Sydman's Bridge Cloister &c. to send a Detachment under an Active Officer to the Bridge near Passaick Falls which was supposed to be the Route of those from Sussex holding a Communication with the Enemy and to Post other Parties between that & Cloister so as to form a kind of Chain across the Country between those two Places & at the same (time) directed all the Boats in Hackinsack River to be collected & brought to one Place & put under the Care of a Guard to prevent any crossing that River which the Colo. informs me he has done. This I imagine must have been since Mr. Haines left that Quarter & that the Evil he mentions is already stop't. I will however repeat my orders to Colo. Pawling to excite his Parties to vigillence. I woud just begg leave to Mention that the Time for which the Troops under my Direction are engaged in the service expires the last of this Month at which Time unless some Measures are taken not only the Posts & stores at Sydman's Bridge but all that Part of the Country will lay exposed to the Enemy. I am Dear [sir] with the highest Esteem your Most Obed't Serv't, Geo. Clinton. To the Honble Major Genl. St. Clair. Mr. Clinton, [No. 411.] Draft for Payment for Flour. Clinton & Boyd mill March 22d 1777. Sir, I have Recived from the Bearor Mr. Colman 13 Tun & 4 Barrels @ 40 p Tun which amounts to £ 26 S 10 0 which Sum you will pleas to Let him have. I am Sir your humble Servant, To General George Clinton Esqr. Geo. Harris. Hon'd Sir, [No. 412.] A Matter of Business. Orange Furnace March 22d 1777. When Mr. Griffith first Came up he Seemed in a Great fright Fearing he Should Loose his money, and Insisted to Know how he Could be paid. I Told him we Could pay the Same Imediately, but it would take all my Runing Cash, and prevent my being Able to Carry on, if in case the Convention should not take them; he Replyed if the Convention did not take them, he would Imediately, when they declined; I profered the works to him and Mr. Boyd, but Mr. Griffith thinking Our Abilityes weak as to Cash, he then Made me an offer which Seemed by Computation About £ 1100 in his favour, this surprized me, I Told him I would Consider and see if I Could better it; and finding the Convention Very Honourable and willing to Assist Me I Concluded to take the works in my Care, and Sell Some Pig iron to pay the debt and Enable me to Carry on, but he insisted of me to postpone Selling the pigs, as he (said)* he would wait for the money, and MSS. torn. was sure pigiron would Rise, Likewise said he would Leave the bonds in your hands and give you orders to Receive the Same without the Intrest and Deliver the bonds when the principal was paid. I beg you would inform me if them are the orders, if not I must try to pay the same imediately as I dont Choose to pay any Intrest, as He has Always told me to depend he would never Charge any. I am Hon'd Sir, your Very Humbl. Serv't, Geo. Leonard. Genl. George Clinton near New Windsor. [No. 413.] GENERAL CLINTON EMBARRASSED. By Interference with His Work on the Defences and by a Resolution of the State Convention. Coppy of a Letter to the Honr'e Convention of the State of N. York Dated the 23d March 1777. D'r Sir, I am favoured with the Letter of Convention Dated ye 18th Instant. The works under my Direction near this place have been greatly Retarded by the Cables & Ancors Necessary for the Chain not being forwarded, as at the time we were Ready for & had Reason to Expect them, a number of our hands were sent to Fort Montgomery, to prepare for Drawing the Chain accross the River, & have waited there a full week, Daily Expecting those articals, while our works here have been almost at a stand by means of their absence this & the uneasiness which some time ago prevail'd among the artificers, on account of their wages, will prevent our Compleating the works Quit as soon as the time I mentioned to the Gentlemen of your Committee. I dont Dispair however, of having the Obstructions compleated in Good season-if the Malitia would turn out with Chearfullness to our assistance a Verey small proportion of them might greatly forward the Compleating of those works, but Considering the Bussie season of the Year which is fast aproaching I fear they woud submit to it with Reluctance; in which Case I woud Rather be without them; add to this we have not Barracks or any Covering for them, & I fear you will be under a Necessity of ordering them another way,-the time for which those Under Colo'l Pauling are Engaged in the service Expires the first of Next month, & I am apprehensive that Unless proper measures are taken by your Honourable House the post and stores at Sidman's Bridge and all that Quarter of the Country will lay Exposed to the Enemy; for by a letter of the 18th Inst. from Maj'r Genreal St. Clair and others of an older Date, from his Excellency Genrl. Washington, I have Reason to belive a single man from the main army Cannot be spared for that Quarter owing to the time for which the Malitia who Composd it being Expired, and the New army Coming in Exceeding Slowly. I fear I shall be Greatly embarassed with Numbers of Torries who I hear are preparing to Go to N. York with their Families in Consequence of that Resolve of the Honourable Convention. My orders from the Commander in Chief are Expressly to Cutt off the Communication between the Country & City; he Considers as Commanding a Detachment of Troops in the service of the United States as such he has Issued his Orders, how can I then Consistant with the Duty I owe my superior Officer suffer those persons to pass my Post under my Command when their Avowed Intentions are to go to the Enemy. I wish to treat the Convention with Every mark of Decency & Respect. I Consider my self as their servent and Bound to Obey their Orders when at the Head of the Malitia, but in the present Case I am by your Honor'bl House put under the Direction of the Commander in Chief & I must Obey his orders. I feel my self unhappy on this Occassion and wish some means may be Devised by which I may be Enabled to obey the orders of my superior Officer, and Comply with the Resolve of the Honor'bl Convention at the same time- and am &c. G. C., B. G. [No. 414.] COL. PAWLING DISTURBED. Four of His Men Captured and a Small British Fleet Menaces the Dear Sir, Highlands. Ramepough March 23d 1777. I had three men taken the night before last at the Entrance of the English neighbourhood. I was Down at Closter my self, and had that afternoon before ordered the pickett Guard to be Doubled which was done, and The Guard strictly Charg'd to be alert, in point of Duty. Notwithstanding, these four men when taken was in a House some Distance lower down than the Guard, (and for what I know a sleep) by which means they were surprised and Taken without Even fireing a gun. Yesterday morning Between Eight and nine O'Clock I was Inform'd that a fleet of seven or Eight sail was a going up the North River. Being apprehensive of their landing a number of men above, and noways Unlikely but a number of men might Come up by land from below, and by that Means seround us. I |