Early in January, 1776, while the conservatism ot the inhabitants of Queens-county was occupying the attention of the leaders of the Eebellion ; while the inhabitants of that County, because of their decided and outspoken opposition to the Rebellion and to the various Committees and Congresses which the Eebellion had called into existence, were subjected, by the Provincial Congress, to a sentence of outlawry ; z and while, in consequence of that savage enactment and the unaccountable negligence of its duty to do something for their protection, by the naval force which then occupied the harbor of New York and commanded all the neighboring waters, that populous and thickly-settled County was overrun and pillaged and the inhabitants subjected to all classes of barbarities, by inroads from Connecticut

1 Journal of the Committee of Safety, " Die Mercurii, A M., March 20, "1776."

• Journal of the Provincial Congrem, " Die JoviB, 3 ho., P.M., Decemr. "21, 1775 ; " Jones's Bietory of New York during tiie Revolutionary War, i., 107-110.

WESTCHESTEK COUNTY.

and New Jersey, the latter accompanied by amateur banditti from New York City, the leaders of the Rebellion in Westchester-county, also, were anxious to join in the crusade of " patriotism," against their neighbors on the other side of the Sound -- they had had practise in such a service as that, in the work of harrying their conservative neighbors, in Westchestercounty; they knew that it was a profitable occupation ; and they were anxious to participate in a similar service, elsewhere, where even greater profits were promised. To secure that much-desidered employment, on the eighth of January, 1776, the Committee of the County addressed the following note to the Committee of Safety, in the City of New York: