And this deponent says that he was present when the north part, of the Battalion met at Tarrytown ; that he was present in a room where Col. (Joseph) Drake and the rest of the officers of that part of the Regt. were met ; liiat the resolutions of the Convention for raising levies and Gen. Morris' order for the pmrpose were read ; and Col. Drake asked the men whether any of them chose to turn out, but that he did not hear the officers say whether they would or would not ; he left the room when the rest of the officers did. That the said resolutions were read before the Battalion ; did not hear the said Col. Drake sav anything to the men to discourage them from turning out as Volunteers. That soon after the Declaration ,</ Independence ieas read. Boats coming down the river, on which the Militia went down to the shore," &c. James Willis.

Aug. 6, 1776.

The above James Willis was a Lieutenant in Hammond's Regiment, and lived at New Rochelle. And so the Declaration of Independence was formally proclaimed. at Tarrytown, officially read to the JJatriot soldiers of this Manor here assembled on the 2d of August 1 776, a significant fact which has hitherto been unnoticed by historians. It was a good time after that to go down to the river side and make ready for battle.

The following significant letter from Lieut. -Col. Jameson, who had command on the lines here at the time of the capture of Andre, dated Sept. 27, 17S0, four days after that event and never before published, is of interest here :