Morrison's Pensions
The Examination or Deposition of William Harper of Tryon County Esquire taken before the Grand Jury of the County of Albany at a supreme Court of Indicature for the state of New York
Albany
County SS
The said
William Harper being duly sworn on the holy Evangalists deposeth and saith
that he has known and been acquainted with Duncan McDougal at present of Schenectady
in the County of Albany since the fourteenth or fifteenth Day of August one
Thousand seven hundred and seventy seven; That the said Duncan McDougal was
taken and brought on Examination at the place now called the middle Fort at
Schoharie before a Board formed of some members of the Comittee of Schoharie
and some field officers of the Militia of Schoharie and some other principal
Inhabitants of the Country - That one John McDonald was about that time
an officer commanding a party of Men in the service of the King of Great Britain
levying War against the State,
and came with a party of Men into Tryon County and thence into the County
of Albany in levying and carrying on War against the state of New York - That
the said John McDonald and his party were defeated by some of the Troops of
the United States of America and the Militia of the Country. That after the
said Defeat of the said John McDonald and his party the said Duncan McDougall
was brought to examination at the place and before the Board above mentioned.
That at the time of the said Examination a Letter from the said Duncan McDougall
to the said John McDonald was produced and read to the said Duncan McDougall
and shewn to him, and given to him in his own hands for Examination and Inspection,
which Letter to the best of the Knowledge and belief of the Deponant was in
the words and figures following to wit "Schohary Thursday four o'Clock
Afternoon 1777." "On my arrival at Adam Creislaer he informs me that
all Schohary are to be under Arms to morrow at Capt. Mann's in order to set
out then for Stillwater, near which place the British Army now lies being twenty
miles distant from Albany, he learned yesterday from undoubted Authority that
our Committee and field officers together with Jacob Snider were making ready
to push off and nothing prevented it but Hons Ball his waggon not being ready & when
those Gentlemen are safely moored their full intention is to send the Yankeys
to pay us a visit who lye waiting with impatience at the Mohawk River to hear
the Doom of fort Stanwix and
if they hear its taken or that the above Gentlemen have evacuated this place,
its certain they will destroy this place - Adam Creisler has eighty sure
Men who are to be here to morrow and he begs that you will be here with all
the People you can possibly Muster to morrow or the day thereafter without
fail as our present Happiness and safety depend on it. Your very looks will animate
us and your Conduct and Advice we cannot dispense with - The Committee
mean by calling the people together to morrow to separate the Sheep from the
Goats the former they will leave here to be destroyed by the Yankey Wolves
and the latter they will take along to annoy the Britsh Army - The Turloch
People are ready at a call, and as they are not yet warned you may send
the Bearer to appoint a Meeting with them where you please the sooner the better
- If we could depend on your being here to morrow we would at the same time
have the Hillbergers & Beaverdamers at this place - This I write at the
desire of Adam Criesler, if we get no help the day after to morrow in this
place all that will remain in it will be destroyed or taken prisoners & likewise
the Grain and live stock - The whigs that leave it are to be paid by the Congress
for all the Loss they will sustain - This is from your bedfellow last night
that parted with you in Company with Hons Yerrie the Indian after Breakfast
to day - I
am in great haste sir
To Capt.
McDonald at Charlotte River
We will do
nothing about John Harper untill we have your Answer (Mr Creisler says the Bearer
is very trusty) fearing it might hasten the departure of our great Men whom we
will endeavour to detain untill the day after to morrow And the deponent farther
saith that at the time of the said Examination of the said Duncan McDougall he
the deponant heard and does verily believe that the said Letter was found in
part of the Baggage of the said John McDonald, which was taken about the Time
of the said Defeat.
That the said
Duncan McDougall did at the time of the said Examination and after the reading
of the said Letter and after he had seen and inspected the said Letter, confess
and Acknowledge that he had written the said Letter to the said John McDonald
and that the same Letter was sent to him the said John McDonald.
Sworn to this the 25 Octobr
Wm Harper 1782 in the presence of the Grand Jury before me Abram Schuyler foreman
Source: Jacob Abbott Collection:ALS BA 9691:363, Manuscripts and Special Collections, New York State Library, Albany.