wholly sensible of the malice of the adversaries are now all Joint here is one merchant borne m old England Joint with us & chosen by one company to represent them, they have stopt his horse & threatened his persone that our burgers will not trust him to theii mercy but watches his house with one centry, which is s^ high treason by them, they have scattered them to all parts to incense the people with abominable lees making them beleeve the people are abused by the dutch that I have the fort for the french have listed 25 french that I & my officers are continually drunk & in drunken fitts committs a great dale of insolency, I desire you to be charitable, and I have desired some of our committies that dwells here & acquainted of what I wrote to signe it, that you may not doubt of what is herein expressed which is but a part of what passes I hope before two dayes [come] to one end to have some papists disarmed & also those Idolls destroyed which we heare are dailly still worshipped, after myne kynd respects I recommend you & us to the protectione of Almighty God & remaine &c.

ADMINISTRATION OF

* A DECLARATION OF THE INHABITANTS SOUDJERS

BELONGING UNDER THE SEVERALL COMPANIES OF THE TRAIN BAND OF NEW YORKE.

We declare that notwithstanding our sevarall pressures and griviences thes many years under a wicked arbitrarie Power execicseil by our Late popish govern^ Co'i Dongan & several! of his wicked Creaturs and Pensionaris specialy now under Lieutenant Govern r Nicolson we were Resolved to Expect with great patience our Redemption from England Expecting to haue parte of that Blessed and glorious Deliverance Procured under God by his Royall heighness W™ Henry Prince of Orange but when we Challenged our Libertie, piopertie and y^ Laws we were Cajoled and Terrified out of our Reason but at Last some being Threatned by ye said Lieutenant Govern^ Nicolson and a Pistoll Presented against the Corporal 1 and sayd to y^ Lieutenant Cuyler that he would sett ye Citty one fyer for doeing our Loyall duty we haue thought fitt for our Conservation and fear to be Lyable to answer for ye Lyfe of every Protestant that might haue perished and every house burnt or distroyed If we had Remained Longer In Security and alsoe seing daly aryve from severall parts Officers and Souldjers who w^are Intertained by y said Lieutenant governor Nicolson In ye fFort besides his severall Souldjers of w^hich few there were a number of papists Contrary to the Law of England by which new Commers some of y® burgers being threatned of some deseigne against them In few days we thought delay Dangerous so we haue animosly Resolved to Live no Longer in such a Danger but to secure the fFort Better which we haue under God with success without Resistance and Bloodshed Effected and we declare to be Entirely and Openly Opposed to papists and their Religion and therefore Expecting Orders from England we shall keep and guard surely and faithfully the said fFort In y Behalf of ye Power that now governeth In England to surrender to ye Person of ye Protestant Religion that shall be nominated or sent by ye Power abouesaid, these are our most sincere Intentions that we are glad to