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In Committee of Safety, New-York, February 10, 1776.
SIR: Upon communication with Major-General Lee, we are fully convinced that the live-stock on Staten-lsland should be immediately taken care of.
The entrance of General Clinton into our port, on pretence
Colonel Heard and his regiment are near at hand, to secure Staten-Island from depredations. We think his regiment will readily undertake that service, and General Lee thinks nothing less than a regiment will suffice. We, therefore, most earnestly request you to furnish, without delay, the assistance of that regiment, to secure the livestock of that Island from a depredation that may be attempted on General Clinton' s departure from this port, by guarding it on the Island till we have opportunity to determine on the expediency of removing it, hereby declaring our readiness to be answerable in the first instance for the expense of that service.
We are, respectfully, sir, your most obedient and very humble servants.
By order of the Committee.
To the Honourable Samuel Tucker, Esq˙, President of the Provincial Congress, New-Jersey.
Letter to the Provincial Congress of New-Jersey
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of merely paying a visit to Governour Tryon, though he has been followed by a transport with troops, which we have good reason to believe are only a part of six hundred that embarked with him at Boston, renders it highly probable that some lodgment of troops was intended to be made in or near this city. The precautions that have been taken to prevent the execution of such intentions will, it is hoped, render it ineffectual; and it is now given out that the General intends to depart from us without loss of time. However, it must be most obviously improper to strip this city, at present, of any part of its defence.