The same local terrorism which had prevailed, throughout the County, under the auspices of the former Provincial Congress, was continued, with the sanction of this; 3 numbers of the inhabitants of the County were seized, only on information secretly conveyed by unseen accusers, and cast into prison, without a hearing ; 4 and some of them were severely

the period now under examination, prove, beyond a question, and apart from every other consideration, how short-sighted the leaders of the Rebellion were, when, through the violence of their lawlessness, they impaired the productiveness of so fruitful a source of supplies, both for the City and for their Armies.

1 See pages 149, 150, post.

2 Vide pages 150, 161, post.

3 William Sutton, Esq., of Mamaroneck, appeared before the Congress, personally, and informed that body that he had been obliged, for fear of injuries, to leave his home ; and requested protection to return to his house, and to occupy it. He is understood to have been the tenant occupying what is known as De Lancey's Neck, [Journal of the Provincial Congress, "Die Veneris, 10 ho., A.M., Deer. 15, 1775 ; " Information received, personally, from Edward F. deLancey, Esq., one of the present (turners of De Lanceifs Neck.)

Thomas Merritt was arrested and taken before the Committee of Safety, in the City of New York, "on information of persons from "Westchester-county, that he had declared he had seen people casting ''great quantities of Bullets, to kill the Whigs; and that he knew "where great quantities of those Bullets were"-- a trumped-up charge, which was so entirely transparent that, after his accusers and their witnesses had been examined by the Committee of Safety, whose fondness of persecution was known to all, Merritt was promptly discharged.