As expresses overtook thcni from General Washington, the house was called to order on horseback, ?nd several resolutions passed.

"It was at White Plains, on the 9th day of July, the Pro\-incial Congress received the Declaration of Independence ; there it was read, in front of tlie Court House,* and there they solemnly in convention proma Ibkl. 4Io.

6 Arneriraa ArchiTcs, fourth series, vol. iL, 529.

c Extract from address of J. W. Tompkins, Esq., ISi.j.

d Journal of X. V. rrovlncial Congrcas, vol. i, 5! 2.

c The ileclaruiion w:i.s vcmX hv Jnlin Thomas, V:m\ . ami soconded bv Mioha.^l Varian an'l Paiiuiel Cr .nti>-!l. two pri.ininei'.t WUr^i of i^carsiUlo. TUe laittr mcc a sad and early f.ito bv the ha:;d.i of CiUi-^h rcfagccs.

THE TOWN OF WHITE PLAINS. 565

ised at the risk of ihdr lives and fortunes to join with the other colonies in supporting it. The letter of John Hancock, enclosing to them that declaration, after ackno^viedging their dependence for success upon the Ruler of the Universe, with almost a prophet's vision announced the important consequences which would flow from that declaration."* The old Court House, honored by this fearless step in the cause of independence, and so intimately associated with the wisdom and \artue of such men as Jay, Morris, Clinton, Woodhull, Hobart, Fan Corilandt, Livingston and Rutgers, was burnt on the night of the 5th of November, by a New England major, without orders, together with every dwelling at White Plains."^

"About 12 o'clock, this night, (Nov. 5th, 1776, says General Heath) a party of Americans wantonly set fire to the Court House, and several other private houses, which stood between the two armies. This gave great disgust to the v.-hole American army, and drew from the commander-in-chief, the following paragraph, in his orders of the 6th : ' It is with the utmost astonishment and abhorrence, the general is informed, that some base and cowardly ^'.Tetches have, last night, set fire to the Court House and ocher buildings which the enemy left.