THE TOWN OF WHITE PLAINS. 565 



ised at the risk of their lives and fortunes to join with the other colo- 

 nies in supporting it. The letter of John Hancock, enclosing to them 

 that declaration, after acknowledging their dependence for success upon 

 the Ruler of the Universe, with almost a prophet's vision announced the 

 important consequences which would flow from that declaration."* The 

 old Court House, honored by this fearless step in the cause of independ- 

 ence, and so intimately associated with the wisdom and virtue of such 

 men as Jay, Morris, Clinton, Woodhidl, Hobart, Van Cortlandt, Liv- 

 ingston and Rutgers, was burnt on the night of the 5th of November, by 

 a New England major, without orders, together with every dwelling at 

 White Plains.'" 6 



"About 12 o'clock, this night, (Nov. 5th, 1776, says General Heath) 

 a party of Americans wantonly set fire to the Court House, and several 

 other private houses, which stood between the two armies. This gave 

 great disgust to the whole American army, and drew from the comman- 

 der-in-chief, the following paragraph, in his orders of the 6th: 'It is 

 with the utmost astonishment and abhorrence, the general is informed, 

 that some base and cowardly wretches have, last night, set fire to the 

 Court House and other buildings which the enemy left. The army may 

 rely upon it, that they shall be brought to justice, and meet with the 

 punishment they deserve. " c 



Pierre van Cortlandt, vice-president of the committee of public safety, 

 under date of 28th November, thus feelingly alludes to the event: — 



" Unhappy am I to add that amidst all our sufferings, the army employed for 

 the protection of America, have not refrained from embittering the calamities of 

 war, at a time when the utmost resources of this State were laid open to their 

 wants, and the members of Convention personally submitted to the labour and 

 fatigue which were necessary on a sudden emergency, and after frequent losses 

 of provisions and barracks, to supply two numerous armies, augmented by the 

 militia, with every article which they required, the Court-house and the remains 

 of the village at the White Plains, which had been spared on the retreat of our 

 forces, were, even after the enemy had in their turn retired, wantonly destroyed, 

 without the orders and to the infinite regret of our worthy general, besides, in 

 spite of all his Excellency's efforts, wherever our troops have marched, or been 

 stationed, they have done infinite damage to the property of the people. 



"I am directed, sir, to submit it to the Hon'ble Congress, whether some effect- 

 ual remedy ought not to be provided against such disorderly and disgraceful 

 proceedings. The soldier, who plunders the country he is employed to protect, is no 

 better than a robber, and ought to be treated accordingly ; and a severe example, 

 in the opinion of the committee, ought to be made of the officer who, without 

 any necessity, or his general's permission, set fire to the Court House and other 



a Extract from address of J. W. Tompkins, Esq. 



6 Ibid. 



c Heath's Mem, 83. 



