I confide, sir, in the justice of your Honorable House, that no sentiments prejudicial to my reputation will be entertained until I have an opportunity of vindicating myself, when I doubt not 1 shall prove to the Honorable Convention that the charges are entirely groundless. I should, sir have immediately waited upon the Convention upon receiving notice of the complaints, had l not been stationed, here, and been fearful that my leaving this post without orders would be detrimental to the service and injurious to any reputation. But, sir, whenever the Convention will be pleased to order my

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HISTORICAL SKETCHES.

attendance upon them I shall gladly embrace the opportunity of showing that I have endeavored to serve them to the utmost of my abilities. So no more at present, but remain, sir, your very humble servant, James Hammond, Lieut. -Col.

To Gen. Nathaniel Woodhull.

On July 24, 1776, Colonel Hammond, or Hammen, was tried before a committee of inquiry, "in respect to his behavior as an officer on the evening of the day (July 12, 1776) on which the enemy's ships came to anchor off Tarrytown, in this Count)', and as a buyer of Pork for this State." The testimony on the trial is' a curious mixture of the serious and the amusing, in which patriotism and pork seem to be combined in nearly equal proportions. The official records quoted from the "Calendar of Historical Manuscripts relating to the War of the Revolution," are as follows: