inhabitants whose Apprehensions of publick dangerous Mutiny increased that immediately after the di-ums Beating in the Town most of the inhabitants came & took possession of the fort & then one Cap* Lodwick who commanded that night was sent by them to command the keys of the Lieu* governor which was delivered & his Company remaineth in the fort that this deponent every 5*b night afterwards, as his turn came watched with his officers & so continued to do Duty till June or July following, that Captain Leisler being upon Duty in the fort in his turn Received the Kings proclamation 'and did order their Majesties to be proclaimed but Stephen Van Courtlandt who was then Mayor refused so to do because he said the proclamation was not directed to them After which the representatives of the Country met to consider what was best to be done & whereupon they found it convenient that out of the five Militia Captains belonging to the place one Should be Chosen to be Commander of the fort, & accordingly they choose Captain Leisler who was commissionated by them & accordbgly

LIEUT. GOV. LEISLER. 409

took possession of the said fort & fortified it forthwith & opened the well therein which was Stopt up & the said Captain Leisler was afterwards commissionated Commander in Chief of the whole Province, by the said Committee & Continued to Govern as such till his Majesties Letter Arrived. That this deponent being present at the delivery of the Letter Mr Riggs the Messenger that brought it delivered the same to Captain Leisler in the presence of M"" Courtlandt & Mr Philipse without any force or Compulsion, the said M'" Riggs declared that he had seen Captain Leislers Commission & was convinced that it belonged to him, & Mr Leisler gave him a receipt for the said letter accordingly & that during Leisler command, one Nicholas Bayard who was formerly & is now of the Council being taking prisoner for some Writings of Dangerous imports & for Raising great disturbances in the country, the said Mr Bayard did Say that he could not own King William to be a Lawful King as long as King James was alive that Leisler thereupon continued to Command as Lieut Govenor till Captain Ingoldesby arrived which was about January last, was twelve Months who upon his Arrivall demanded the fort by virtue of his Captain's Commission but Captain Leisler refused to deliver it up till he had his Majesties, or Govenor Sloughter's orders, but thereupon Captain Leisler did prefer Captain Ingoldesby all Accommodations for himself at his own house & to find quarters for the Soldiers in the Burgher's Houses till the arrivall of the Said Govenour who was then gone for Bermudas as this deponent was informed but he refused to accept of it Saying he wanted possession of the Kings fort that afterwards Ingoldesby came aShore & assembled.