Letter from Colonel Drake

v4:1082

David Barclay, at the door, was admitted. He delivered a Letter from Colonel Joseph Drake, by order of some of the members of the Committee of that County, which was read and filed, and is in the words following, to wit:

New-Rochelle, January 26, 1776.

GENTLEMEN: Agreeable to your directions, which I received twelve o' clock, last night. I went with a number of the members of the Committee of this County and others, in search of the persons named in your letter, but have not had the good fortune to find them. The neighbours inform us that Lownsberry' s son and Joseph Purdy are both in town; the first went down by land, the latter

v4:1083

by water, in Flood' s boat. William Armstrong and William Sutton, both of Mamaroneck, are both suspicious persons, and also in town. We imagine they, with the two former, are there to hear what transpires from Lownsberry, in order to fly on board the man-of-war if suspected. To prevent their having information from this quarter, we send this, with all haste, by Mr˙ Barclay, that you may take such steps as you may think best.

We shall use our utmost endeavours to find out the aiders and abetters of so diabolical piece of work, and are, gentlemen, your very humble servants,

By order:
JOSEPH DRAKE.

"To the Chairman of the Committee of Safety for the Colony of New-York."

Thereupon an Order was made in the words following, to wit:

Information being received by letter, from Westchester, that Isaac Purdy, William Armstrong, William Sutton, and James Lownsberry, son of William Lownsberry, are all in this city, and are persons suspected of being concerned in spiking up the Cannon beyond King' s Bridge, in Westchester County,

Ordered, That the said Isaac Purdy, William Armstrong, William Sutton, and James Lownsberry, son of William Lownsberry, be apprehended and kept in safe custody, until they are, respectively, brought before this Committee, to be examined, or the further order of this Committee; and,

Ordered, That Colonel McDougall cause this order to be duly executed.