Commissioners appointed for Arming & Cloathing the Troops to Supply them with the Several Necessarys Provided pursuant to Orders he had formerly Given And also to the Commissioners Appointed to Victual & Transport the Troops to Prepare proper Vessels for that Purpose & Ship the Provisions Supplied by this Province for the Use of the Troops, And being Informed by the Several Commissioners that the Transports, Provisions, Arms, Cloathing, Battows &c the Necessarys were ready. He gave Orders to the Several Captains of the Companys Raised in this Province immediately to Embarke with the Respective Companys under their Command & Proceed to Albany in the Province of New York & when There, to obey such Orders as they should Receive from the Commander in Chief of that Province for the Time being, and a Sett of Instructions for their better Government in the Embarkation and Transportation of their Company[s] to Albany His Honour was also Pleased to Inform the Board that agreeable to the Orders he had Given, four of the five Companys Raised in this Province were Embarked at this Place on the 2 of this Inst. with the Arms, Ammunition, Provisions, Battows & other Necessarys & Sett Sail for Albany on the third day of this Inst. And that the other Company was Embarked at Newark on the 30th of August Last with the Several Necessarys and Sett Sail on the 1st of this Inst. for Albany He also Informed the Board that by Letter from his Exellency Gov! Clinton Dated the 19th Inst. He had Received Intelligence that the Troops at Albany were to be Joyn'd by 2500. Men from the Governments of Boston and Connecticutt & were then to Proceed under the Command of Gen! Waldo to Crown Point. Upon which he Observ'd to the Board that the five Companys Sent from this Province had no Field Officer to Command Them & that he had not Receiv'd any Com missions from his Majesty for that Purpose & Desired the Advice of the Board what to Do on this Occasion. Who Takeing the same into their Consideration are Unanimously of Opinion that it will be greatly Prejudicial to his Majesty's Service to Suffer the Troops Raised in this Province to Go upon Duty without some Field Officer or Person to have the Chief Command of them under Gen! Gooch or such other General as shall be Appointed to Command, And therefore Advised his Honour to Issue a Commission to some proper Person by Virtue of the Powers Devolved on him by His Majesty's Commission under the Great Seal of Great Britain, Appointing such Person Colonel of the Forces Raised in this Province for the intended Expedition and Unanimously Recommended to his Honour Peter Schuyler Esq a Gentlem" well known to the Several Members of this Board, of good Estate & Reputation & very proper to by him Commissionated for that Purpose. This Board being Inform'd that one of the Beacons Erected on the Highlands of Neversink by the Order of his Honour the President agreable to their Advice to him on the 13th of August Last, had been by Accident Lately Sett on Fire in the Night Time & also that no Notice had been Taken of it by the Persons Appointed in the Government of New York to Take & Communicate such Alarm, Whereupon they Unanimously Advise his Honour the President to Inform the Gent. of His Majesty's Council of that Province of the Neglect of the Watch Stationed There, in Order that They may Take such Steps as will Prevent the Like for the Future. Letter from President John Hamilton to the Council of New York-relating to the destruction of the Beacon on the Highlands of Neversink. Gentlemen [From N. Y. Col. MSS.. Vol. LXXV, page 91.] Perth Amboy September 27th 1746. I think it my Duty as well in Regard To His Majesty and the Trust Reposed in me, as to the Security and well Being of the Province the Lower Part of which is at this Time more Immediately Committed to Your Care, To Acquaint You that by undoubted Information I am Satisfied that the Beacon sometime ago Erected on the Highlands of Neversink was by pure Accident Sett on fire not long Since in the Night, at a Time when it might very well have been Discovered by the Persons Appointed in your Government to Take and Communicate such an Alarm Nothwithstanding which no Notice was Taken of it, This to me makes it more than Probable that the Watch appointed in your Government on this Particular Service have been too Negligent in their Duty and however Lucky it may be thought that Your Province has Escaped a false Alarm, Yet I make no Doubt but that You are of Opinion with Me that an Alarm from [any] Quarter when Rightly Given must be of the Utmost Importance and therefore hope you will for Our Mutual Security take such Steps in Regard to your Watches as will Effectually Prevent the Like Neglect for the Future I am Gentlemen Your most Obedient Humble Servant The Honble His Majesty's Council of New York, Letter from Captain Joseph Espinosa to Governor Clinton of New York. [From N. Y. Col. MSS., Vol. LXXV, p, 104.] New York Novemb! ye 5th 1746 Your Excellency will pardon Me to take the Liberty to trouble You on this Day Its not in Regard to Myself Nor My Interest but Intirely on account of What May happen hereafter to the prisoners at the Havanah who I am affraid May Suffer on Account of my people being treated In the Manner they are at Amboy by being Confined Every Night In Goale Occasioned by my being Carried In there by Cap Easom who Not regarding Your Excellencys pasport but Told me he had a better then that of Your Excellency by which means he Carried me to Amboy taking Your Excellencys Letters & whatever papers Letters I had & my wearing Apparell Excepting what I had on till after were prevailed on to give Me a Little Linnen, I knów nothing I have been Guilty of In taking anything on board My Vesselle but what was Publick & Submitt My Selfe to the Laws of the Government In weh I was Taken out of & am assured Your Excellency will when properly Comes before You Do me all the Justice My Case Requires which I beg May be Done as Soon as Your Lasure will permit Considering My peoples Nakidness & the heavy Charge I am at not only In regard to them but the prisoners of Warr I had on board that are now upon my Expence as I must suppose without am Redrest by the Laws of Your Country I have Severall transactions to Relate to Your Excellency wch will be two tedious for Your Excel lency to have here Incerted till Am on Oath So Shall Conclude & till Your Excellency appoints me a hearing & am with the Greatest Respect Your Excel Most Obedient & Most Humble Servt. JOSEPH ESPINOSA. Petition of Joseph Espinosa to Governor Clinton, and other papers connected with the seizure of the sloop St. Migel. [From N. Y. Col. MSS., Vol. LXXV, pages 107-110.] To his Excellency The honorable George Clinton Esq Captain Generall and Governour in Cheif in and over the province of New York and Territories thereon depending in America and Vice Admiral of the Red Squadron of his Majestys ffleet. The humble Petition of Joseph Espinosa late Commander of the Sloop S Migill sent to this Province as a flag of Truce by the Governour of Havannah with English Prisoners. Sheweth, That your Petitioner being fully impowered by a Commission from the Governour of Havannah as a flag Truce did in his Said Sloop sometime Since sail from thence and on or about The ninth day of July last arrived in This Province with sixty-nine English Prisoners who had been taken by the Spaniards and delivered them Safe on Shore in the City of New York, |