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July 3, 1776
Under date of July 3, 1776, he writes: "The night
before last, just after dark, there was an alarm that the fleet was under
way and coming up; the drums beat to Arms. I sat up till I found that the
Tide was spent, and wind would not permit them to come up; then I went to
bed. About ii o'clock I was awakened by Col. Remsen, who came with
an order to have our Regiment out by 4 o'clock in the morning. When I got
up was hurried to go round to the Captain's to warn them; before long the
alarm guns were fired, and the fleet appeared in the Narrows; the drums
beat to arms, and every one was ordered to his post. Mine was at the New
Brick Meeting House, where our regiment parades. There I stayed till it
was found that they were come to anchor under Staten Island. Capt. Randall
has just informed me that they had only landed on Staten Island and drove
the few Riflemen we had there to Elizabethtown point; shall be a little
easier, as two thousand men are going over to prevent their
marching into the country.
If they had landed here they must have met with a warm
reception, as I judge we had Monday by 12 o'clock, 15,000 Men in the City
and its neighborhood. Tomorrow 7,000 Troops are expected from New
England."
Col. Jay's regiment was soon after disbanded and the
men joined other regiments, and Major Abeel was called to attend to his
civil duties. On July 16 he writes from White Plains:
"I shall try next week to get permission to come and
see you, as the consideration of forming a new government is postponed to
the first of next month on account of the multiplicity of other necessary
business which has come before the house since they have been here. We
have only five New York members here at present, which is the exact number
required to represent the city and county in Congress; hope some more will
arrive in a few days."
The Convention of the Representatives of the State of
New York assembled at Fishkill, Sept. 7, 1776, enacted the following:
Resolved, That a Committee of Safety and Correspondence
for that part of the State which lies below the high Lands be immediately
formed. That Col. Remsen, Major Abeel and Major Peter P. Van Zant be that
Committee.
Resolved unanimously, That the Committee of Safety and
Correspondence at New York be appointed and authorized to cause to be
taken from the Doors of the Houses in the City of New York, all the Brass
Knockers, all they cause the same to be sent to some careful Person at New
Ark in New Jersey with all possible Dispatch-that the said Committee keep
as accurate an account as possible of the Weight and Value of them and of
the Houses whence taken, in order
that satisfaction may be hereafter made to the respective Owners. "Major
Abeel served his country in various positions throughout the war. He was
an active member of the Middle Dutch Church, in which he served as Deacon,
1764 and 1770, and an Elder in 1784.
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