All these had been removed from their proper places and lodged, for greater safety, in private houses, in different parts of the County, where, it was feared, they would become exposed to the enemy: and William Miller, of Harrison's Precinct, Theodoras Bartow, of New Rochelle, and John Cozine were appointed Commissioners for collecting them and removing them to Kingston, in Ulster-county, with instructions to gather and remove the scattered papers, "with all possible expedition," and to deliver them, at Kingston, to Dirck Wynkoop, Abraham Hasbrouck, and Christopher Tappen ; and the Commissioners were authorized to call for a military guard, " to attend the said records, in their removal." 6

On the fifteenth of October, the local Committee of Poundridge became so much alarmed, by reason of the movements of the " disaffected," in its vicinity, that the subject was laid before the Convention ; 6 and the local Convention, and even individual members of that body, continued to worry General Washington

ger, (Lewis Morris to the Convention, "Philadelphia, Septr. 24, 1776.") John Jay obtained a leave of absence, on the fifteenth of October, to assist in the removal of his aged parents, with their effects, from their home, at Rye, to a place of safety, one of the most honorable acts of his life, (Journal of the Convention, "Tuesday afternoon, 15 October, 1776.") The pathetic story nf Phoebe Oakley, (Petition, December 2, 1776,) and other evidences of equal value, clearly indicate that, among those who are less known to fame but equally worthy of respect, the removal of families and their effects, to places of supposed greater safety, at the time of which we writo, very generally prevailed.