COMMITTEE FOR ARRANGING RANK OF OFFICERS OF NEW-YORK TROOPS.

Fishkill, November 15, 1776.

At a meeting of the Committee of Arrangement for the State of New-York: Present, Rob’t Yates, (Chairman,) James Duane, Charles De Witt, John Jay, Robert Harper, William Duer, Jacob Cuyler, Lewis Graham.

The Committee proceeded to the consideration of the state and rank of the Officers who served in the year 1775, and in the present year, directed their Chairman to make out a rank roll of all the Officers who have or do now serve in the State of New-York, and then adjourned until the next day.

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November 16, 1776.

Present as before, except Mr. Jay.

A rank roll, according to order, was produced by the said Chairman, and carefully compared with the papers from whence the same was taken, and thereupon proceeded to the appointment of the Officers on the New Arrangement, having a due regard to the recommendations which the members have received from the General Officers in the Southern and Northern Armies, as follows:

They next proceeded to the appointment of Captains, in the following order:

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List of Officers of the late Colonel MCDOUGALL’S Regiment, who served in CANADA, and are not provided for.

Captain Marinus Willet; a good officer.

Captain William Goforth; esteemed a very good officer.

First Lieutenant Aaron Aorson, of Captain Cheesman’s; esteemed a very good officer.

First Lieutenant Jonathan Piercy, of Captain Quackenboss’s; esteemed a very good officer.

First Lieut’nt Matthias Clarke, of Lyon’s; esteemed a very good officer.

Second Lieutenant Ranald S. McDougall, of Goforth’s; esteemed a brave officer—made prisoner in Canada.

Second Lieutenant John Houston, of Cheesman’s; esteemed as a brave, vigilant, active officer, by General Arnold.

Second Lieutenant Daniel Gano, of Varick’s; a good officer.

Second Lieutenant Garret Van Waggenen, of Quackenboss’s; esteemed a good officer—made prisoner on Long-Island.

Second Lieut. Nicholas Van Rensselaer, of Graham’s; Van Schaick’s; esteemed as a brave, good officer.

Captain Varick’s compliments. Agreeable to promise, he sends Mr. Duane a list of such New-York Officers as are not provided for, with the characters they sustained in their Regiments, as he has been repeatedly informed.

Monday morning, October 29, 1776.

For Mr. Duane.

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A List of the Officers who served in CANADA last winter, in Colonel CLINTON’S Regiment.

Lieutenant-Colonel, John Nicholson;* Major, Louis Dubois.

Samuel Cooke, Surgeon; John R. Stephenson, Mate; William Belknap, Quartermaster. *

Those marked thus *, are provided for by a new Regiment raised in Canada.

Richard Platt, First Lieutenant, lately in McDougall’s Regiment, recommended.

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A List of Officers who served in the late campaign in CANADA, with their proper rank, according to the first arrangement —LEWIS DUBOIS’S Arrangement.

Field-Officers: Lewis Dubois, Colonel; Jacobus Bruyn, Lieutenant-Colonel; William Goforth, Major.

Second Lieutenant Daniel Gano, 1st.

Isaiah Wool, Lieutenant Fireworker, Captain Lamb’s Company of Artillery.

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General MONTGOMERY’S Arrangement.

Officers of Third Regiment of New-Yorkers that were promoted:

Samuel Sacket, Lieutenant in Fourth Regiment, appointed Captain November 25th, 1775.

Isaiah Wool, of Captain Lamb’s Company of Artillery, appointed Captain-Lieutenant thereof, November 25th, 1775.

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List of the Officers’ names of the NEW—YORK Troops.

No Field Officers.

Rev. Israel Evans, Chaplain; Andrew Taylor, Adjutant, (a good officer;) Mr. Curtis, Surgeon.

1.

John Johnson, Captain; a careful officer, but, in the opinion of his brother officers, unfit for a field officer.

Leonard Bleecker, 1st Lieutenant; not so careful or attentive as might be wished.

Theodorus Fowler, 2d Lieutenant; a tolerable officer.

Gilbert Livingston, Ensign; a young officer.

2.

Benjamin Ledyard, Captain; a good officer, fit for the Majority.

James H. Hughes, 1st Lieutenant; capable of making a good officer, but young and inattentive.

William Dunn, 2d Lieutenant; a sober officer, but rather too old.

William Munday, Ensign; a good Ensign.

3.

David Lyon, Captain; a tolerable officer.

Benjamin Walker, 1st Lieutenant; a sensible, active officer, fit to take charge of a company.

Cornelius Becker, 2d Lieutenant; too heavy and inactive for an officer.

James Bonnel, Ensign; will make a 2d Lieutenant.

4.

John Wiley, Captain; a good officer if he will continue.

John Johnson, 1st Lieutenant; a tolerable officer, but sickly.

Henry Dow Trip, 2d Lieutenant; too heavy and illiterate for an officer.

Samuel Young, Ensign; of too rough a make for an officer, better qualified for the Navy than the Army.

5.

6.

7.

William A. Forbus, Captain; wishes to decline the service.

Henry Trebout, 1st Lieutenant; a good officer, fit to take charge of a company.

James Fairly, Ensign; the oldest in the regiment, fit for 2d Lieutenant.

8.

Thomas Lefoy, 1st Lieutenant; entitled to be second; oldest now in the regiment; a good officer.

William Tapp, 2d Lieutenant; a good officer, fit for 1st Lieutenant.

Hugh McConnel, Ensign; too careless and trifling for the service.

Lieutenant John Huston, a Lieutenant of my regiment last year; a brave, careful officer, well qualified to take charge of a company.

William Glenny, a Sergeant; will make an Ensign; a man of good education.

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A list of the Officers in the Second New-York Regiment, raised in the Colony of New-York, for the defence thereof, in the Continental service.

James Clinton, Colonel; promoted August 9th to Brigadier-General. Henry B. Livingston, Lieutenant-Colonel. Peter Schuyler, Major.

Note. —The officers of the 1st, 3d, and 8th companies, I am not much acquainted with them, but I believe they are good officers.

JAMES CLINTON, Brigadier-General.

I understand that Childs’s Company, part of Rosekrans’s and Swartwout’s Company, are inlisted during the pleasure of the Congress. Jackson’s and Belknap’s only for a year, but they may all claim the same.

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List of the Officers’ names of the Third Regiment of New-York Continental Forces, commanded by Colonel RUDOLPHUS RITZEMA.

First Company.

Daniel Deubon, Captain; a good officer, but inactive, and had better quit the service.

Nathan Strong, First Lieutenant; a very good officer.

James Miller, Second Lieutenant; an excellent officer, and would make a very good Captain, to which office we recommend him.

Cadmil Moore, Ensign; sickly.

Second Company.

Abraham Riker, Captain; a good officer, but inactive, of a sickly constitution, and had better quit the service.

Jonathan Hallett, First Lieutenant; a very excellent officer; is Adjutant of the Regiment, and will make a very good Captain, to which office we recommend him.

Daniel Pelton, Second Lieutenant; an active officer, but wants solidity; absented himself without cause twice.

Jonathan Holmes, Ensign; a very indifferent officer.

Third Company.

Cornelius Hardenburgh, Captain; cashiered by a general court-martial for defrauding his men.

Edward Lounsberry, First Lieutenant; an excellent officer; would make a very good Captain, and we recommend him as such.

Charles Newkirk, Second Lieutenant; a good officer.

Jeremiah Clark, Ensign; a good officer.

Fourth Company.

Jonathan P. Horton, Captain; a very indifferent officer, and had best be discontinued.

Joseph Youngs, First Lieutenant; a very low-lived fellow.

Isaac Sherwood, Second Lieutenant; a good officer.

James Brundage, Ensign; indifferent.

Fifth Company.

David Hobby, Captain; a bad officer, and at present under an arrest, and will in all probability be cashiered.

James Miller, First Lieutenant; a bad officer.

Peter Benedict, Second Lieutenant; a very good officer.

Caleb Lawrence, Ensign; indifferent.

Sixth Company.

Amos Hutchings, Captain; of a low turn, and had better be dismissed the service.

Patten Jackson, First Lieutenant; may be continued.

Robert Wood, Second Lieutenant; a good officer.

John Johnson, Ensign; a good officer.

Seventh Company.

Benjamin Pelton, Captain; an excellent officer.

Elihu Marshall, Second Lieutenant; a good officer; will make a good Adjutant.

Thomas Cole, Ensign; very indifferent.

David Baldwin, First Lieutenant; a very indifferent officer; the oldest Lieutenant in the regiment, and acting Captain to Pearce’s company, who is dismissed the service.

Eighth Company.

Nathan Pearce, Captain; dismissed the service by General Washington.

John Dusenberry, First Lieutenant; a bad officer.

Zephaniah Platt, Second Lieutenant; a good officer.

Josiah Thornton, Ensign; dismissed the service; a very bad officer.

SIR: Well knowing the importance of good officers in a corps and army, and how much we stand in need of a change in this respect, as we have been called upon (at the least the Colonel has) by his Excellency the General to give the characters of the officers of our regiment, that such as are fit may be continued in, and those that are unfit may be dismissed the service, we have, notwithstanding the delicacy of the subject, readily complied with it, and do hereby declare upon honour, that the characters we have wrote above opposite to the officers’ names in our regiment is, to the best of our judgment, true. That we have done it impartially, without favour, fear, or affection, and that those gentlemen whom we have recommended to captaincies are well qualified to execute them. We further declare that the underwritten Sergeants are qualified for subalterns’ commissions.

We are, sir, respectfully, your humble servants,

Sergeants recommended to Subalterns’ Commissions.

Peter Socket, Sergeant-Major; will make a very good Adjutant or a good Ensign. Levy Dewitt, a good Quartermaster, Quartermaster Provost being appointed Paymaster to the regiment, and can’t hold but one commission.

Andrew White, Thomas Bushfield, Peter Dolson, William Nothingham, Timothy Smith, T. Jerrick Beekman, Joseph Manning.

Ensign Weissenfels, of Colonel Nicholson’s regiment, we shall be happy in having him removed to the regiment. Lieutenant Houghston and Lieutenant Pearce, of General McDougall s first regiment, will make very good Captains; are excellent officers, and unprovided for.

To Brigadier-General McDougall, Present.

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Arrangement of Officers of Colonel Van Schaick’s Regiment.

Arrangement of the Officers of Colonel VAN SCHAICK’S Regiment, in the year 1776.

Captains: Joseph McKracken, Andrew Fink, Benjamin Hicks, David Van Ness.

First Lieutenant: Charles Parsons.

Second Lieutenants: Tobias Van Veghten, Nanning V. D. Heyden, George Sythes, Philip Conyn.

Ensign: John Denny.

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The following is a catalogue of the names of the Officers belonging to Colonel LASHER’S Regiment.

Field Officers.

Colonel John Lasher; a good officer, and ought to be promoted, for he has lost his all, his four houses being burnt.

Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew Stockholm.

Major James Abeel.

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List of Colonel MALCOM’S Officers.

Field Officers.

Colonel William Malcom; an exceeding good officer.

Lieutenant-Colonel Stoutenburgh; sickly.

Major James Alner; a good officer.

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Colonel LASHER’S Regiment.

Captain Wright, Captain Beekman, Captain Banker, Captain Wilcox.

Lieutenant Ralph Thurman, Lieutenants Robert Troup and Dunscomb, Lieutenant Ethan Sickles; all good officers.

Lieutenant-Colonel Hulbert, of Colonel Samuel Drake’s regiment, a good officer.

Captain Deane, a good officer.

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Captain Wright, late of Colonel Lasher’s regiment, in my brigade, has distinguished himself as much by his cool, intrepid spirit, as by his zealous attachment to the American cause, and his modest, discreet, and prudent behaviour. I strongly recommend him as a man who will do honour to his country in the rank of Captain in the new establishment.

JNO. MOBIN SCOTT.

Officers for the four Continental Regiments of NEW-YORK.

First.

Alexander McDougall, Colonel, Rudolphus Ritzema, Lieutenant-Colonel, Donald Campbell, Major; John Brogden, Adjutant.

John L. Linn, Surgeon.

Third.

James Clinton, (ap.) Colonel; Edward Flemming, (ap.) Lieutenant-Colonel; Cornelius D. Wynkoop, (ap.) Major; George Slossen, (ap.) Adjutant; James Hamilton, Quartermaster.

Samuel Cooke, Surgeon.

Fourth.

James Holmes, (ap.) Colonel; Philip Cortlandt, (ap.) Lieutenant-Colonel; Barnabas Tuthill, (ap.) Major; Benjamin Chapman, Quartermaster.

Ebenezer Haviland, Surgeon; Isaac Smith, Surgeon’s Mate.

Second.

Myndert Roseboom, (ap.) Colonel; Gosen Van Schaick, (ap.) Lieutenant-Colonel; *Lucas Van Veghten, Major; Barent J. Ten Eyck, (ap.) Adjutant; John W. Wendell, (ap.) Quartermaster.

John Williams, Surgeon.

*The eldest officer of Lucas Van Veghten and Peter Yates is to be Major, and the other Captain.

One company of Artillery, consisting of one hundred men, including officers, to be drafted out of the within list, and that John Lamb be appointed an additional officer, to have the command of that company: John Lamb, Captain; Thomas Ivers, Captain-Lieutenant; John Crane, 1st Lieutenant; Martin Johnson, 2d Lieutenant.

If any Captain in Albany County should refuse the service, that vacancy to be filled up from Cumberland County, who have given up their nomination in favour of Elisha Benedict.

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Second or Albany Regiment.

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A List of the Officers of the four Battalions raised in the State of NEW-YORK in the year 1776, for the defence of the said State.

First Battalion.

Captains: John Johnson, Benj. Ledyard, John Wiley.

First Lieutenants: Leonard Bleecker, James H. Hughes, Benj. Walker, Henry Tiebout, Tho’s Lefoy.

Second Lieutenant: Wm. Tapp.

Ensigns: Gilbert R. G. Livingston, Wm. Munday, James Bonnel, James Fairly.

Second Battalion.

Captains: John Davis, Wm. Jackson, Ab’m Swartwout.

First Lieutenants: Wm. Havens—a man of honor, but very illiterate, but a submissive officer; Israel Smith, Simeon Tryon, John Lloyd, Jonathan Titus.

Second Lieutenants: Nathan’l Norton—the same as Wm. Havens; Edward Conklin, Henry Pawling, George Smith.

Ensigns: Sylvanus Conklin, Gilbert Ja’s Livingston.

Third Battalion.

Captain: Benj. Pelton.

First Lieutenants: Nathan Strong, Jonathan Hallet, Edward Lounsberry, Patten Jackson.

Second Lieutenants: James Miller, Cha’s Newkirk, Isaac Sherwood, Peter Benedict, Robert Wood, Elihu Marshall.

Ensigns: Jeremiah Clarke, John Johnson.

Fourth Battalion.

Captains: Sam’l Van Veghten, John H. Wendell, Gerrit Veeder.

First Lieutenants: Jno. Hooghkerk, Jno. C. Ten Broeck, Adiel Sherwood, Barent Staats Salisberry.

Second Lieutenants: John Ball, Jno. Welch, Levi Stockwell, Isaac Bogert.

Ensigns: Jno. Ostrander, Wm. Scudder.

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In Committee appointed by the Convention of the State of New-York for arranging the Officers of the four Battalions directed to be raised in this State by the General Congress, and for executing their Resolutions relative thereto:

Captain Platt requests of this Committee that his son, Zephaniah Platt, may be omitted in the present arrangement, as his private affairs render his continuance at home indispensable.

Resolved, That Captain Platt’s request      though as his son is recommended as a good officer, they wish it had been convenient to him to have continued in the service.

21 November, 1776.

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WILLIAM HARPER TO COMMITTEE OF ARRANGEMENT.

GENTLEMEN OF THE COMMITTEE OF ARRANGEMENTS: If there should be a vacancy for a Lieutenant in Captain McKen’s company, I would recommend Joseph Harper, who has served under said McKen this last campaign, at his own expense, as a volunteer, on purpose to qualify himself for the same, and is capable of inlisting a number of men, and would be very agreeable to Captain McKean and Lieutenant French. But if there cannot be a provision made there, I would request some other place.

From, gentlemen, your humble servant.

WM. HARPER.

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LEONARD GANSEVOORT TO ROBERT YATES.

DEAR SIR: Mr. Jacob John Lansing being anxious to inlist into the Army of the United States, if he could be provided for as an officer, this desire has been signified to General Schuyler by Mr. Philip Van Rensselaer, who informs me that the General begged him to request me to recommend him to your Committee; and as Mr. Cuyler and yourself are as well acquainted with Mr. Lansing as myself, I presume it is needless for me to mention his qualifications.

Mr. Henry Van Veghten also mentions to me that he would with alacrity enter the service if he could be suitably appointed.

Messrs. Leonard Gansevoort, Jun., and John Tob’s Ten Eyck, have also requested me to transmit you their names as Regimental Paymasters. The former has been recommended to Congress some time ago by Colonel Van Schaick to that post for his regiment.

I am, most respectfully, your and the Committee’s most obedient and very humble servant,

LEONARD GANSEVOORT.

To Robert Yates, Esq.

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