Annotators' Note: Leslie B. Potter compiled the following classifications of signers of the 1778 Petition to New York Governor George Clinton based on the information contained in the October 1779 Saratoga District Tax List, manuscript freehold leases, sundry recorded legal documents, manuscript rent records and a book entitled 'History of Washington County, NY'. The annotations are not yet complete. This is a work in progress.
Any questions on the content of this document should be brought to the attention of Leslie Potter.
The following petitioners' names appear on the October 1779 Saratoga District Tax List:
Bacon, Samuel Baldwinn, Alex'r Ballard, Thomas Baker, Edey Barber, Simmeon Benjamin, Josiah Benson, Bildad Benson, Jacob Benson, John Boler, Simeon Bowdish, Gideon Buell, Ezra Cambell, Daniel Campbell, Solomon Child, Increase Clements, Peter Cobb, Ebenezer Cobb, Joshua Cook, Joal Dickinson, Danl. Doty, Isaac Dunham, Holton Edwards, Timothy Finel, Edward Fish, Benjamin Fish, John Fuller, Abner Hunter, George Hunter, John Hysted, Edward Ingersol, Philip Marvin, Eben'r Moor, Charles Moor, Gideon Monger, Philip Munger, Joseph Neilson, John Newland, Rial Norton, Asel Norton, James Norton, Samuel Palmer, George Parke, Daniel Patrick, Ebenezer Partick, William Reis, John Rogers, Philip, Jur Row, Joseph Sayles, Ahab Sayles, Ezekial Sayles, Mordcai Sayles, Stephen Scott, John Schuyler, Haz: Scidmore, Abner Scidmore, John Scidmore, John, Jur. Scidmore, Solomon Strang, Gabriel Swart, Dirck Thompson, John Titus, Jonas Tuttle, Abijah Tuttle, Jabos Van Wort, Peter Whipple, Esek Wright, Job Wright, Reuben Woodworth, AmosThe following petitioners were elected local officials in the Cambridge District between 1774 and 1777.
Cowden, James Morison, John Morison, Samuel Slarra, David Wadsworth, Elisha Wells, Edmund Wells, Joseph Whitesides, Phineas Woodworth, Gersham Younglove, Jno. Younglove, IsaiahThe following petitioners are presumed to be Cambridge District residents:
Allen, David Allen, Elisha Andrus, Elisha Basey, Abenezer Boyd, Jno., Jr Bower, Elias Clark, John Clark, Saml. Clark, Wm. Clark, Wm., Jun. Collins, Julius Cowan, James Cowan, Robert Cowden, James S. Cowden, Samuel Duncan, John Dunkan, Savenus Robt. Gilmore Hagemen, James Mansfild, Thomas McCclung, John Mereman, Titus Mohanea, Jno Morehouse, Jabez Morison, James, Jun Morison, James, the third Morison, James, Sener Morison, John, Jun'r Morison, Thos. Morison, Thos., Jur Pettet, John # Powell, Morgan Powell,William Rawlley, Walter Scidmore, Zopher Seely, James Seely, Joseph Seley, Abenezer Lawrence Surdam # West, Benaiah # Wells, Edmund, Jun'r. # Woodworth, William #
The text of the Petition from the Saratoga and Cambridge Districts to New York Governor George Clinton
Public Papers of George Clinton, First Governor of New York, 1777-1795 1801-1804, Volume III, Published by the State of New York, Albany: James B. Lyon, State Printer, 1900
[Note: John Scidmore is the father of Abner, Solomon, John Jr, and Zophar Scidmore and the father-in-law of Simeon Barber. John M. King, 5th gr-grandson of Simeon Barber and 6th gr-grandson of John Scidmore, obtained Xerox copies of pgs 209-211 at the Newberry Library, Chicago, IL on 12/7/99. The following transcription is correctly typed as originally printed. JMK]
Pg 209
[No. 1311.]
TO PROTECT THE NORTHERN FRONTIER
Petition from Inhabitants of the Northern Towns to the Governor to Send Troops to Their Aid. Governor Clinton's Reply.
To His Excellency George Clinton Esq. Governor of the State of New York Captain General & Commander in Chief of the Same &c. &c.
The Petition of the Inhabitants of Saratoga and Cambridge Districts Humbly Sheweth, That Your Petitioners in order to be out of the Power of the Enemy did, when the army Under Genl. Burgoyne penetrated Into the Country, Remove from their Habitations with Such of their Effects as they Could Convey; that Immediately after the Convention Between Genl. Gates and General Burgoyne, Such of Your Petitioners as Were in a Situation so to do, Returned to their Plantations, that others of them are but lately Returnd, that all of them are now Engaged in Preparing to Cultivate their farms, for the Subsistance of their families out of the Produce, and for the Support of the armies out of what they may Have to Spare; that as all the troops are Drawn away from the Northern Communication, Your Petitioners are Expos'd to the Incursions of the Savages and their more Savage abetters, the British troops and Tories from Canada, that Your Petitioners have Great reason to Expect that the Enemy will Commit depradations on them, and that if they are Under the necessity of Guarding the Frontiers, Their farms must lay waste and their familys Exposed to Inevitable want and the Greatest distress.
Your petitioners therefore most Humbly pray that Your Excellency Will take Speedy and Effectual measures for their Relief by Sending a Body of Troops to Skensborough, Fort George
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and Jessups Pattent, the Two former will be able to protect the Western Distrects of Challotte County, and the Eastern & Northern Distrects of the County of Albany Whilst the Latter Will Cover the Western part of Saratoga Distrect Ballstown, and the North Eastern part of Tryon county, Your Petitioners Humbly apprehend That the propriety of their Request is so Evident that it will Claim Your Excellencys Serious attention and that the Prayer thereof will be Granted and
Your Excellencys Petitioners as in Duty Bound Shall Ever Pray:
George Palmer, Job Wright, Dirck Swart, Eben'r Marvin, Haz: Schuyler, Joseph Row, Daniel Parke, Gideon Moor, Peter Van Wort, Elias Bower, Ezra Buell, Isaac Doty, Titus Mereman, Edey Baker, Danl. Dickinson, Charles Moore, Jno Mohanea, Samuel Bacon, Alex'r Baldwin, Jabez Morehouse, Holton Dunham, Abner Fuller, John Fish, Gideon Bowdish, Benjamin Fish, Jno. Younglove, Isaiah Younglove, Morgan Powell, William Powell, Benaiah West, James Hagemen, Lawrence Surdam, Robert Cowan, Julius Collins, Edmund Wells, Edmund Wells Jun'r, Walter Rawley, John Pettet, James Cowan, John Morison, John Morison, Jun'r, James Morison, Jur., Samuel Morison, James Cowden, John Clark, James Morison, the third., Thos. Morison, Jur., Abenezer Basey, Abenzer Seley, James Morison Sener, James S. Cowden, Samuel Cowden, John Duncan, Thos. Morison, John Scott, Robt. Gillmore, Wm. Clark, Wm. Clark, Jun., Joseph Wells, Gersham Woodworth, William Woodworth, Saml. Clark, John McClung, Elisha Wadsworth, David Slarra, Elisha Allen, David Allen, Esek Whipple, Phineas Whitesides, Jacob Benson, John Benson, Bildad Benson, Joshua Cobb, Ebenezer Patrick, John Thompson, Ebenezer Cobb, William
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Patrick, John Reis, Josiah Benjamin, Samuel Norton, Joal Cook, James Norton, Jno. Boyd, Jur., Simeon Barber, Reuben Wright, John Hunter, Daniel Cambell, Thomas Ballard, Asel Norton, John Neilson, Edward Finel, Solomon Cambell, George Hunter, Elisha Andrus. Thoma Mansfild, Rial Nevland, Jeseph Munger, Ezekial Sayles, Stephen Sayles, Edward Hysted, Simeon Boler, Gabriel Strang, Amos Woodworth, Timothy Edwards, Peter Clements, James Seely, Ahab Sayles, Jabos Tuttle, Philip Monger, Abner Scidmore, Solomon Scidmore, Increase Child, Joseph Seely, Mordcai Sayles, John Scidmore, John Scidmore, Jur., Zopher Scidmore, Abijah Tuttle, Jonas Titus, Philip Rogers, Jur., Savenus Dunkan, Philip Ingersol.
Poughkeepsie April 24th 1778.
Sir, I have received the Petition signed by you & others the Inhabitants of Saratoga & Cambridge Districts. You must be sensible that I have no other force under my command but the militia of the state; that to send a Body of Troops to be stationed at the several Places you mention & to give equal Protection to every other Quarter which may be in like manner exposed to the incursions of the Enemy, would be altogether out of my Power, unless I was to call the greater part of the militia into the field. The Legislalture passed a Law for raising 700 men for the Defence of the State, a due proportion of which I have ordered to be raised in Charlotte & Tryon Counties & at Schoharie; the Residue in the Southern Parts of the State where the Inhabitants are much exposed to the incursions of the Enemy from New York & its neighbouring Posts; and I have exempted all those Regim'ts from Drafts to fill up the continental Regiments in order that
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they may be the better enabled to defend themselves. I was sensible notwithstanding that the withdrawing all the Troops from the Northern Department would leave the Inhabitants of the Northern & Western Frontiers too much exposed. I therefore wrote to Genl. Washington on the Subject & have prevailed on Genl. McDougall to permit Greighton's, Alden's & Warner's Regts. to remain for the present where they are, and I trust, this force with the Spirited exertions of the militia will give you security against the small force that the Enemy can send against you. I think it would be inexpedient to keep large bodies of the militia out in the field as this would prevent the cultivation of our Lands & much distress the Inhabitants. The Cont'l Troops & the Companies I have ordered to be raised will be sufficient to guard the Prontiers ag't small Parties or oppose any sudden Incursion & if the Enemy should come with greater force they must of course move slow, and afford Time for the militia to be collected, which the command'g Officer on such occasions is empowered to do with wait'g for further orders.
You may rest assured that every Succour & Protection which I can give you will at all times be afforded & that I will be attentive to your Safety. I am &c.
[G. C.]
Dirck Swqrt Esqr. & others Inhabit's of Saratoga & Cambridge Districts.
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