Three Rivers
Hudson~Mohawk~Schoharie
History From America's Most Famous Valleys

New York In The Revolution as Colony and State
by James A. Roberts, Comptroller
Compiled by Frederic G. Mather
Second Edition 1898
Two Volumes

Muskets

Muskets were among the Military Stores that, at first, were furnished by Peter T. Curtenius, the Commissary of the Provincial Congress. Later, they were collected by John Henry, the State Clothier, and forwarded to Col. John Lasher, Commissary, who thereafter had full charge of them. (See the Chapter on " Claims of the State against the United States", for Mr. Curtenius' part of the work). The Muskets were taken from Tories and Disaffected Persons; and, also, from the " Well-Affected " who could not use them.

The following comments of Mr. Curtenius, Commissary, show the way in which Muskets were taken and distributed;-

The Muskets of the Corporation [New York City] were taken out of the Armoury by a Number of Citizens under the Command of Capt Sears (shortly after the News arrived of the Lexington Battle) and carried into Capt Vandykes Fire Ally after which a Committee was appointed to deliver them into the hands of such Citizens as were well-affected to the freedom of America. In the month of June or July following the Provincial Congress passed a Resolve to Raise 4 Redgiments of Contini Troops and the troops being in want of Muskets the P. Congress published a Resolve that all Citizens possessed of Corporation muskets should deliver them to the proper officer at the Barraks which was done &: Colol McDougalls Regimt had 434 of them & the remainder went up to New Windsor for Colol Clintons Redgiment as appears by Wm Tapps affidavit The Corporation applied last Winter to the Legislature of our State for payment In consequence of which the Legislature passed a Law to pay for them provided the United States should pass the amot of them to the Credit of the State of New York.

At about the same date, 500 other Muskets were taken out of New York, by the committee of the City and County, and sent to Gen. Schuyler, at the North. In the Campaign of 1775, 16 Guns were bought for the Continental Troops, and delivered to Capt. Henry B. Livingston. The price, for each, ranged from £1. to £7. On Sept. 14, 1776 Capt. Livingston loaned 69 " Fire-Locks " to the State of Connecticut. In May, of that year, and again it October, many Guns were taken from the inhabitants, by the Committee of Suffolk County, and delivered to Col. Livingston. (See " Suffolk County Committee "). On Dec. 9, 1776, 73 Muskets, many Bayonets and some Powder were brought from the Eastern end of Long Island, by Col Livingston, and delivered to Capt. Nathaniel Platt. Nearly all of the Muskets from Long Island belonged to the Refugees from that Island. (See the Refugees from Long Island to Connecticut, in " Provincial Congresses ").

A number of interesting events, relative to Small Arms, took place in 1776:-Jan. 12, Cornelius Atherton made two written contracts, with bonds of £700 each, for the furnishing of, £700 worth of Muskets, with Bayonets, for which he was to be allowed £3.14. each; Feb. 2, the Committee of Safety ordered the payment of £700 to Jecamiah Allen for Muskets; Mar. 10, and July 6, the Committee on Conspiracies took many Arms from the Tories and Disaffected in New York City; in April, Capt. Thaddeus Noble made a contract for 30 Muskets, at $8 each; June 4, Lieut. Joseph Youngs charged £3.11.6 for 11 days' expenses in collecting 106 Arms from the Tories in Westchester County; in the same month, the brigantine " Grant"
brought 263 Guns from Marseilles to the West Indies; July 19, William Duer authorized Peter T. Curtenius to buy 600 or 700 French Muskets, at $11 each; July 9, the Dutchess County Committee paid l0/ - for the " carriage of 14 Guns to Col. Humphrey ", and l2/ - for " Fetching 20 Guns from John Carpenter to Waters, the Gunsmith " ; Aug. 3, the same
Committee paid Waters £14. 15. 11 for repairing Guns; Richard Ten Eyck was paid 6/- per day for directing the repair of Small Arms; David Howell sent in a bill of £48. 1.2 for repairing Arms, which the Auditor-General described as " moderately charged ", but Howell was not paid till June 4, 1792. The Auditor-General made this statement, relative to another claim:-" Danl Delavan's Claim 1140 for payment of Arms. By his own acct of the matter they were deposited in the Contin'l Store at Kings Ferry, therefore the U. S. must pay him ".

In 1776 and 1777, the Committee of Rumbout Precinct, in Dutchess County, delivered 431 Guns to the State. The Guns were afterward delivered to Colonels Harper, Willett, Van Cortlandt, and others. In March, 1777, these items were paid:-Jacob Hunt, £6.l0.0 for conveying Arms to Peekskill, Samuel Niely, £ 1.4.0, for repairing Arms; Robert Merrit, £1.7.0, for making Arm-Chests; William Jeffery, 16, for repairing Arms. William Ellsworth had a charge for cleaning 101 Muskets. The Provincial Congress, June 9, 1777, offered a Bounty of £20 for every 100 Muskets delivered to the County Committees.

Reed of Brig'r Genl James Clinton Fifty One Guns & barrels. Forty two Gun Ramrods & Ten Gun Stocks, without barrels, which was hid by Peter Cortenis at Hackinsack to prevent their falling into the Enemies hands - and taken up by Capt Daniel Tier, agreeable to Genl Clinton's Orders &c pr me John Varick Ramapough Clove, 6 July 1777 Expenses paid Daniel Tier A. Qr. Mr. G. for the hire of Waggon, Men's Expences &c in bringing up the within mentioned Guns &c £3.12.0. I certify that I employed Danl Tier to fetch the Guns. P. T. Curtenius Late Commiss'y to purchase Armes & Cloathing

1777 State of New York to Dan' Tier................Dr.
July 6 To Expences by me for the hire of Waggon & Men's Expences & bringing up 51 Gun barrels & 52 Ramrods from Hackinsack, where they were buried up to Mr. Sloots in the Clove, as pr Rect of John Varick who reed them from Gen. Clinton.............................. £3. 12. 0

Danl Tier, being duly sworn, deposeth & saith that the above account is just & True & that he has received no compensation from the State of New York or the United States.

Sworn before me this 11th Daniel Tier
Day of Febry 1786.
Bn Blagge, Alderman