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A Council ー All present except [Daniel] Horsmanden & [Charles] Apthorpe
Lt Govr [Cadwallader Colden] asked what he should do on a Scotch Ships being driven from the Port2 ー We got him to state his Case & Question ー Board shy ー Clerk wrote something ー He after finding us shy retired to state his Querie He returned & left us at [John] Watts's Request suggested by me ー We kept...
Date: 8 February 1775
Volume: Volume 1
Present Lt Govr [Cadwallader Colden] [Daniel] Horsmanden [John] Watts [Roger] Morris [William] Smith [Hugh] Wallace [Henry] White [William] Axtell [John Harris] Cruger [James] Jauncey
The Govr laid before us Capt James Montigue's Letter of this Day in substance that he had put Men on Board the Ship ー That the Capt was not there ー That the Mate ask'd no aid ー That a Sloop was close to her with arm...
Date: 9 February 1775
Volume: Volume 1
Friday Morning [February 10] he2 came ashore & went to the Lt Govr ー While at Legislative Council we expected to be called, but were not ー Such a Spirit as appear'd last Night struck Terror & now every Body blamed the Capt for not being gone ー Oliver De Lancey came down to the Coffiee House, & said to Ph. Livingston & Francis Lewis pointing to the Scotch ship What does...
Date: 10 February 1775
Volume: Volume 1
. . . and when weighing Anchor the next Day [February 11] the Lt Govr forbid his2 sailing without a Clearance from the Customs ー the Capt of the Man of war3 was then sought for by [Isaac] Sears & 20 men, but being found by Buchannan said he had orders for the Ships Departure & to morrow Sunday 12th is fixd for it wind permittingー
Upon the whole [Cadwallader] Colden...
Date: 11 February 1775
Volume: Volume 1
A Council ー summoned to meet instanter 12 O'clock
The Town alarmed Yesterday with News from Boston & sundry Commotions here in consequence of it.
The Populace had seized the City Arms after demanding the Key & the Magazene out of Town and taken out 12 Hundd Weight of Powder & threatened to attack 106 Soldiers under the Command of Major [Isaac] Hamilton.
The Qn What is to be done? ー...
Date: 24 April 1775
Volume: Volume 1
It is impossible fully to describe the agitated State of the Town since last Sunday, when the News first arrived of the Skirmish between Concord and Boston. ー At all corners People inquisitive for News ー Tales of all Kinds invented believed, denied, discredited . . . 2 Sloops laden by [John] Watts for Boston with Provisions unladen. In that Night the City Armory open the Powder taken out of the...
Date: 29 April 1775
Volume: Volume 1
Last week the Inhabitants had Intelligence that the Mercury Man of War was off the Hook with Orders to direct all Transports coming here with Troops from Ireland to proceed to Boston & that she had fallen in with several & communicated General [Thomas] Gage's Orders for this Purpose, which gave much Satisfaction to the Town, become thin of Inhabitants upon Apprehension of Hostilities on...
Date: 21 June 1775
Volume: Volume 1
Schooner Putnam Capt Cogier [Thomas Cregier] to Willm Smith
Dr.
To 8 Cartridge Boxes & painting
£
3- 6
To 18 Pike Stoves [staves]
2- 5
To 12 Rammerstaves
0-18
To 12 Linstockes and Iron Work
1- 8
To 3 Formers
0- 3- 6
To 2 Do
0- 1
To 8 Rammer Staves
0-12
To 24 Tomkins
0-12
To 7 Lignumveity Mallets
1-11
To 2 Large Sheves
0...
Date: 9 May 1776
Volume: Volume 5
An Alarm after I was got to Bed with an Account that two Ships had passed the Forts below & anchored in the Bay 12 Miles below us ー The Men ordered to guard the River & the Women to retire back. ー At Naick a Detachmt of Colo. Hay's Regiment Fired upon a Barge in her Approach to the Shore. I suspect they are sent up to receive Fugitives and Provisions, but the Vigilance & Heat of the...
Date: 12 July 1776
Volume: Volume 5
Since my laste Note the Ships came so high up that I discovred them by the Inscriptions on their Sterns to be the Phoenix of 44 Guns & the Rose of 20 ー They are attended by a Schooner two Shallops and a Pettiauger ー One of the Shallops peeped round the Point of the Donderberg & got a two & thirty Pounder in her Stern from Fort Montgomerie ー It was the only Shot fired. 2...
Date: 27 July 1776
Volume: Volume 5
The Phoenix and Rose mean to escape and joined the Fleet at Staten Island ー The River was nearly obstructed off the Nortk End of N York Island & Preparations made to set them on Fire. The Phoenix got aground in Tappan Bay above Fort Washington.
Date: 3 August 1776
Volume: Volume 6
The Phoenix and Rose shot by all the Forts & got down to Staten Island thro' the Delays in obstructing the Channel. They have created some Expence to the Continent in the Land Carriage of Provisions from Philadelphia to New York ー Had they brought up a 1000 spare Hands, they might have spread Fire all along the Shores up to the Highland Forts. It is difficult to say who is most to blame the...
Date: 18 August 1776
Volume: Volume 6
I dined at the Mansion House. A large Quantity of sill Chain Shott and Grapeshot lay on the Wharg [sic] for the Forts at Tcononderoge and several Tons of Iron Bars ordered for, the intended Chain across the River in the High Lands, long since reported to have been constructed. My Brother [Peter R.] L[ivingston] writes to his Wife, 12 Inst. that the Ships are before Haverstraw and Money demanded...
Date: 14 October 1776
Volume: Volume 6
Collo. [Robert] Livingston made us a Morning Visit and shewed me a Copy of Genl. Arnold's Letter of 12t to General Gates. It was dated at Schuyler Island and informs him of an Engagement on the 1 lt. off Cumberland Bay at the North End of Lake Champlaine ー He lost a Schooner with 60 Men (which was the most considerable of his Vessels) ran on Shore & burnt by the British Forces & had...
Date: 21 October 1776
Volume: Volume 6
I returned Yesterday from a Visit to Mrs [Margaret] Livingston... In this Journey I learnt that the British Fleet on the Lake consisted of
1 Ship of 18 ー 12 lb
1 Schooner 14- 6 lb
Double
fortified
Several double fortified 6 lb 4 ー 8 Inch
Hawitzers
1 Do. ー 12 ー 6 lb
2 Gondolas 3-12 lb
28 Row-Boats from 18 to 12 lb
1 Rideaux 6 ー 24 lb
Brass
Several 8 Inch Hawitzers
1 Do...
Date: 28 October 1776
Volume: Volume 6
A Visit Yesterday from Mr. Walter Livingston, late Commissary for the Northern Army, & succeeded on his Resignation by one [Elisha] Avery the Son of a New England Innkeeper.
He represents Arnold as having Courage without Conduct, says the American Fleet was destroyed but 36 Miles to the Northward of Crown Point where Carleton now lays with the British Vessels. ー That 3 Weeks ago the...
Date: 30 October 1776
Volume: Volume 6
Reports from above that Mr. Carlton has retired back to the North End of the Lake, and from below that the Provincials have gained Advantages last Monday & Tuesday in several Skirmishes near White plains .... When [David] Waterbury was inlarged after the Action on the Lake Carlton told him Burgoyne was sick at Montreal -Perhaps this Event and the Season were the Cause of his being recalled...
Date: 4 November 1776
Volume: Volume 7
On Monday 3d [sic 4th] Inst. one of the Provincial Ships of War was launched at Poghcepsing & called the Montgomery. It is seen but too late that this was an ill advised Undertaking. The Ship is to be carried to the Creek at Esopus & the Expence would have fitted Twenty Privateers out of N England where the People are growing rich by Captures of trading Vessels daily brought into Port....
Date: 5 November 1776
Volume: Volume 7
The British Army left West Chester for the City & afterwards came up from it agt. Fort Washington. Perhaps a Party crossed at Kings Bridge in Boats sent up Harlem River for the Purpose from the Ships in the East River. In either Case why did not the Provincials march to their old Ground at Harlem Heights & prevent or raise the Seige? The River is now open to the Highland Forts, and...
Date: 22 November 1776
Volume: Volume 7
A Rumor for 2 Days past that 2000 Regulars were landed at Peeks Kill but this Night my Nephew Robert T Livingston brings an Account from Rhinebeck Flats that 300 came up the River in Whale Boats within a Week and attacked the Magazine near Peaks Kill guarded by 170 Men carried off 9000 Barrels of Flour and 20 Hogsheads of Rum and that before the Provincials ran off they destroyed 60 Hogshd more...
Date: 27 March 1777
Volume: Volume 8