Congress Having Refused to Make the Loan

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Die Sabbati, 10 ho˙ A˙ M˙, January 6, 1776.

The Committee met pursuant to adjournment.

Present: Pierre Van Cortlandt, Esq˙, Chairman, Mr˙ Scott, Colonel McDougall, Mr˙ Sands, Mr˙ Tredwell, Mr˙ Brewster, Mr˙ Clarke, Mr˙ Spooner.

Messrs˙ Phoenix, Denning, and Abraham De Peyster, three of the City Committee, attended and gave some further information relating to the British goods, supposed to be imported from St˙ Eustatia.

Whereas, Colonel McDougall, one of the members of this Committee, has been informed by Thomas Cushing, Esq˙, one of the members of the Continental Congress, that the Continental Congress will not make the loan to this Colony for which application was made by this Congress; and whereas, the publick service will greatly suffer for want of Money, and cannot be carried on without a further supply of current cash; whereby it is become necessary to issue the emissions of Paper currency, which was resolved on and ordered by the late and the present Provincial Congress:

Therefore, Ordered. That Mr˙ Isaac Roosevelt, be requested

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Doctors John Jones and Malachi Treat have, agreeable to an order of the Provincial Congress of the 8th day of December last, returned an estimate of those Instruments and Utensils, which will be more immediately necessary for the Colony in its present alarming state. They also reported an estimate of Medicines for an Hospital, which were respectively read and filed.

Ordered, That the Committee appointed to despatch three Vessels for Ammunition, despatch two separate orders or invoices of the said Medicines to different ports, to wit: One to such port, or place, in the foreign West-Indies, as they shall think best, and another to Europe, to obtain the said Medicines, and to prevent a disappointment in obtaining them.

And Ordered, That Doctor John Jones and Doctor Treat be requested to speak to proper persons to make or procure the Instruments and Utensils mentioned in their said estimate, that they direct them to be good of their kind and quality, and that none be purchased or paid for but such as those gentlemen approve of.

The Committee took into consideration the defenceless state of this Colony and the Capital thereof, and that they have not any proper persons to use and manage the Field-Artillery of the Colony, or any other Artillery that may be necessary to be placed in other parts of the Colony. After some time spent thereon,

Resolved and agreed, That it will be useful and necessary for the general defence of the Colony, to raise and employ an Artillery Company, and put them immediately into pay for the defence of this Colony, that the said Company may be acquiring experience in their duty, and be employed in preparing necessary artillery stores.

And whereas, it is the opinion of this Committee, that an Artillery Company is absolutely necessary for the safety and defence of Suffolk County, and for the protection of the Continental Cruisers in the Sound, that some of the Inlets in that County be fortified with Cannon, and to those ends that a regular Company of Artillery be constituted out of the Militia of the said County;

Resolved, therefore, That it be, and it hereby is, most earnestly recommended to the Committee of the said County, without delay, to form such a Company as aforesaid, to consist of one Captain, one Captain-Lieutenant, two Lieutenants, one Lieutenant Fire-worker, and ninety-five non-Commissioned Officers and Privates, and that without delay the said Committee cause to be examined all the Inlets on the Sound, that may be thought necessary to fortify as aforesaid, and that the said Committee, without delay, make report as well of the officers of the said Company, to the end that they may be commissioned, as of the said Inlets, with such sketches of the said Inlets as may enable this Committee to judge of the propriety of fortifying the same, or any of them, this Committee hereby giving assurance that they will supply the Cannon necessary for that purpose, and that the said Artillery Company when formed, shall, to all intents and purposes, be considered as Minute-Men.

3 ho˙ P˙ M˙, January 6, 1776.

The Committee met pursuant to adjournment.

Present: Pierre Van Cortlandt, Esquire, Chairman, Mr˙ Scott, Colonel McDougall, Mr˙ Tredwell, Mr˙ Sands, Mr˙ Brewster, Mr˙ Clarke, Mr˙ Spooner.

The Committee sent for Mr˙ Peter T˙ Curtenius, who attended. He informed that he had employed Jecamiah Allen to furnish him with Lead and Bullets. They directed him to make proper inquiry how far he can complete the last order of the Provincial Congress, and report thereon on Tuesday.

Ordered, That Colonel McDougall apply to Captain Anthony Rutgers concerning the small Cannon which he formerly declared his willingness to spare to the Continental Array; and if it is agreeable to the proprietors of those Guns, and they choose to spare them,

Ordered, That Colonel McDougall take proper measures to, have those Guns forwarded to General Washington.

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Captain Kennedy, attending at the door, was admitted. He informed the Committee that the Ships-of-War in the Harbour had despatched three boats up the East-River or Sound, with both sails and oars.

Thereupon a Letter was wrote to Colonel Joseph Drake, informing him thereof, and that the Committee are anxious for the safety of the Powder for Suffolk County, sent to his care, and requesting him to take means for its preservation, and to forward it, with a boat, to the Chairman of the Committee at Huntington.

Ordered, That the said Letter be sent to Colonel Joseph Drake, by Sampson Dyckman, as a Messenger,

And it was delivered to the said Sampson Dyckman accordingly.

If Captain John Hodge, who arrived last night from Lisbon, by request attending this Committee. Notes of his information were taken, and read to him, and filed.