* About the middle of June, 1776, mobs were raised by John Lasher, John and Joshua Hett Smith, Peter Van Zandt, and other leaders of the extreme revolutionary faction, in the City of New York, by whom several citizens who were of the Opposition, but not of the Rebellion, were seized by these revolutionary " patriots," who placed them on "sharp "rails," andcarrieil them on men's shoulders, around the City, amidst the huzzas of the mob. The progrei^s of one of these parties was said to have been stopped by General Putnam ; but not until the victim had sustained seriotis injuries, (Jones's History rif ^iew YorTi during the Uevolvtionary War, i., 101-103; de Lancey's Notes on Jones's UUti>ry, i., 596-598.)

Peter Elting, a brother-in-law of Richard Varick, wiote of these transactions, "We had some Grand Toory Rides in this City this week & in par- " ticular yesterday. Several of them were liandeM verry Roughly Being "Caried trugh the streets on Rails, there Clooths tore from I here backs " and there Bodies pritty well mingled with the du.^t. Amongst thorn

" were C , Capt. Hardenbrook, Mr. Rapllje, Mr. Queen the Poticary,

"and Lessly the barber. There is hardly a toory face to be seen this "morning." {Peter Elting to Captain Richard Varicl-, "New York, 13th "June, 1776.")

On the twelfth of June, in the afternoon. Generals Putnam and MitHin, who had evidently witnes.sed the outrages to which Elting alluded, "complained to the Provincial Congress of the riotous and disorderly " conduct of numbers of the inhabitants of this City, which hadledthis " day to acts of violence to\\'ards some disafie cted persons;" but what had shocked Isniel Putnam, by reason of its b arbarism, even while the "complaint" of those two Officers urged the Congress to condemn the offenders, one of whom wa.s then occupying a seat in the Congress, that body winked at, and, at the same time, it screened the offenders, and qualified the offense-- its words were these : " RE.'iOI.VEn ; That this Con- " gress by no means approve of the riots that Iiave happened this day ; " they flatter themselves, however, that they have proceeded from a real "regard to Lib-rty and a detestation of those jiersons wlio, by their " language and conduct, have discovered themselves to be inimical to "the cause of America.