Home / Dawson, Henry B. Westchester County, New York, During the American Revolution. Morrisania, NY: (privately printed by the author), 1886. / Passage

Westchester County, New York, During the American Revolution

Dawson, Henry B. Westchester County, New York, During the American Revolution. Morrisania, NY: (privately printed by the author), 1886. 417 words

Bancroft, with all the authorities before him. (History of tlie United States, original edition, vi., 283 ; the same, centenary edition, iv., 513,) made all " the ru- " ral Counties," without exception, " co-operate with the City," in electing the Deputies, although Richmond, all of Queens except two Towns, Tyron, Cumberland and Charlotte-counties, made no pretension so send Deputies. He said, also, tbat all the members of the former Congress, "except the luke-warm Isaac Low," were re-elected : both Isaac Low and John Haring, both of them members of that Congress, declined reelections, notwithstanding the Convention desired to return them. Lossing, ( FieUlrBook of the devolution,) appears to have* regarded the action of New York, concerning the second Congress, as too insignificant to be worthy of even a passing allusion.

and of those who were retiring from that place ; * the destruction of the Provincial stores, at Concord ; the collision of the raiders with the excited Colonists, while on their retreat, from Concord to Boston ; the disastrous result of that retreat ; the intense excitement into which the entire Continent was consequently plunged ; the entire disregard of the Royal authority, in the City of New York, which immediately followed ; the temporary fortification of the pass, at Kingsbridge ; and the control, within the City, which the Committee of Inspection necessarily assumed, are, all of- them, matters of history, known to all intelligent persons, and need not be repeated, in this place.

The intelligence of that conimencement of military operations, in the field, was received in the City of New York, on Sunday, the twenty-third of April ; * and, at a Meeting of the Committee of Inspection, on the following Wednesday, that body, among other proceedings, resolved that " this Committee is further " unanimously of opinion, that, at the present alarm- "ing juncture, it is highly advisable that a Provincial " Congress be immediately summoned ; and that it be " recommended to the Freeholders and Freemen of " this City and County, to choose, at the same time "that they vote for the new Committee aforesaid, 6 " twenty Deputies to represent them at the said Con- " gress ; and that a Letter be forthwith prepared and " despatched to all the Counties, requesting them to " unite with us in forming a Provincial Congress, and " to appoint their Deputies without delay, to meet at " New York, on Monday, the twenty-second of May " next." '