As what was called the Regiment of Westchestercounty Minute-men, commanded by Colonel Samuel Drake,'' was then at Hoern's Hook, opposite Hell-gate, it will be seen that Westchester-county was largely de])ended on ; but no record has been found which indicates which of the Companies of the Militia of that County were thus drafted and sent to throw up the defensive works within the City of New York, nor is it now known who, if any, of the farmers of that County, volunteered their services, for that laborious duty.
As hiis been already stated, early attention wiis paid by the Provincial Congress to the subject of the election of Dei)uties to a new Congress and to that of its own dissolution. To that end, on the sixteenth of December, 1775, the Congress adoi)ted the following Resolution :
" Resolved, That the Committee of Safety be and "hereby are fully empowered to issue orders to the " respective Counties in this Colony, to elect Deputies " for a Provincial Congress of this Colony, to meet " on the second Tuestlay in May next. The said " Committee, by their Order, appointing the day of "Election, in each County, to be at h^ast twe.nty-one " days before the said second Tuesday in May next."*
Notwithstanding that Ecmbifion, there appears to have been some other " jjlan for the election of Depu- "ties to form a Provincial Congress to meet when the "present Provincial Congress will expire." It is not now known what that other " plan " embraced nor by whom it was introduced or supported ; but it was evidently intended to limit the right of voting for Deputies to the new Congress, to those who had signed the Association, and to have the vote taken by ballot. It appears, also, to have been resolutely and successfully opposed, at least as far as the limitation of the right of suffrage was included in its provisions; and its evidently radical sui)porters, after their defeat on that jjortion of the "plan," abandoned the project for an election by ballot.'' The entire subject was then referred to a Committee, for further consideration ; and, on the afternoon of the same day, after the said "plan" had been "read, and again read, " paragraj)!! by j>aragrai)h, amended, and corrected," it is said to have been " ajijjroved," subject, however, to a i'urther consideration, on the following morning.'*