Examination of Garret VANSANT, June 13, 1778

Examination of John VANSANT, June 13, 1778

Council to WYNKOOP, June 15, 1778

Examination of Garret VANSANT
13 Jun 1778

Examination of Garret Vansant, junr., of Middletown, in Bucks county, aged between 15 & 16 years who being duly sworn, doth declare and say, that about eight or nine o'Clock in the evening of the eighth instant, three men, whom he took to be English Officers, came to the House of the Widdow Brown, in Bristol township, upon which this Deponent opened a back door and went off home; that he found the afores^d three men there before him, who ordered this deponent to feed their Horses, and then compelled him to let them into the House, which he did; they then ordered him to kindle a fire and light a candle, they then directed him to deliver up the Meat and Chese belonging to the House, the gear up the Waggon, that not finding any Horses belonging to the House they made him assist them in putting their own Horses to the Waggon [sic], they then tyed [sic] him on the Waggon [sic] with the meat and Chese [sic], & drove them to Bristol, when they untied him and ordered him to go home, which he did, and going between twenty and thirty yards a Gun was fired at him from the Waggon [sic]; that when he left the Waggon [sic] it was begining [sic] to be light, and that he knew one of the men to be Edward Welstead, of Trenton, in Newjersey [sic]. This Deponent further sayeth, that in the evening of Wednesday, the tenth instant, as he was returning with his brother John Vansant, from Trenton, with the Waggon [sic] and some of the things which had been taken from them on Monday night, they were attacked by a party of armed men in the road, about a mile & a half from Trenton Ferry, who pulled him, this Deponent, out of the Waggon [sic], stripped off his Coat, Waistcoat, Hat and pinchback Watch, and silver shoebuckles, in the mean time beating him very much, but hearing a Brigade of Forage Waggons [sic] coming near, they ordered this Deponent to hold the Horses which they had taken from the Waggon [sic], untill [sic] they should return, otherwise they would shoot him, upon which they retired into the bushes, and the Deponent made his escape with the Horses.

Sworn and subscribed before me,
13^th June, 1778.

Henry Wynkoop.

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Examination of Ensign John VANSANT
13 Jun 1778

Examination of Ensign John Vansant, son of Garret Vansant, the elder, of Middletown, in Bucks county, who being duly sworn before me, the subscriber, one of the Justices of the Peace for s^d County, Doth declare and say, that in the night of Monday y^e 8th Instant, he thinks about midnight, he was wakened by noise of talking below stairs, upon which he got up, and looking out of a Window, saw three Horses with Holsters, and a man standing by them with a naked sword in his hand, he then taking them to be Refugees leaped out of a Window, ran to the stable, took the only Horse there, went into the feild [sic] and drove the rest of the Horses into a bye place, and then alarmed the Associators in the Neighborhood, and returned home, when he found his brother Garret missing, together with the Waggon [sic], Gears, about five hundred weight of Bacon and Beef, about fifty weight of Chese [sic], two bridles, and a womans [sic] Cap belonging to his mother; that he tracked the Waggon [sic] to Bristol, where he was informed that the men were Capt. Joseph Clon, Capt. ___ Pancas, and Edward Welstead, of Trenton in Newjersey [sic]; that he pursued them, and by the intercession of Gen. Dickenson and Col. Kirkbridge he procured the Waggon [sic], Gears, some of the meat & about ten pounds of the Chese, but was detained by s^d Clon, Pancas and Welstead, until after sunset; then crossing the Ferry, that at about a distance of a mile and a half he was attacked in the Road by a party of armed men, who pulled him out of the Waggon [sic] and struck him sundry times, and then stripped off his Coat, Waistcoat. Breeches, Shirt and Shoes, with a pair of silver Shoe buckles & knee buckles, and about three or four Dollars in paper money and his Certifficate [sic] of Allegiance; and about two yards of Ribbon, and then attempted to tye [sic] him when he ran; heard them say shoot him, and saw a light like the flash of Gun, and made his escape to some of the Militia in the Neighborhood, who went out with the Deponent, and seeing some men runing [sic] across a feild [sic] they pursued they to the River, where they came up with them and found his Brother's Hat in possession of one of them, this deponent then charged them with the Robbery, whereupon they gave him part of his money and his Certifficate [sic]; that the people who attended him told him they knew them, and went with him to the Tavern and give him their names in writing, as follows, viz: John Stilwel, Hugh Russel, Rese Peters, Elija Yard, George Beatty, Joseph Lankey and William Lattimore, he was likewise informed that all the afores^d persons, except one or two belonged to the aforesd Capt. Clon's Company of Militia Artillery in Trenton, of Newjersey [sic].

Taken and subscribed before me,
13^th June, 1778.

Henry Wynkoop.

Pennsylvania Archives, 1^st Series, Vol. IV.

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Council to Henry WYNKOOP
15 Jun 1778

Sir,

Your favour of the 13^th inst has been considered in Council. They concur with you in the necessity of demanding of Governor Livingston the persons accused of robbing M^r Vansant the elder, & also those who plundered & abused Ensign Vansant. such practices ought not to be winked at; their tendency is confusion & anarchy. I inclose [sic] you herewith a Letter to his Excellency for that purpose. For want of full information to support a proper charge against the offenders, it was necessary to refer to you. Young Vansant does not bring home the accusation to Welsted, as he did not know him. The affidavits of those who told the Lad should be taken, and also the oaths of persons who gave in the names of the men who Ensign Vansant overtook at the River. These, with every other that fixes the charge should be added. & transmitted to the authority of New Jersey. M^r Serjeant, our Attorney General, will, I believe, return from Easton towards friday [sic] or saturday [sic]. He will assist & direct you. M^r Hart, who left us yesterday, will exert himself on the occasion. Nothing should be left undone to drag to punishment such miscreants; a glorious cause is wounded by their enormities, & the Country, distracted by the villainy of out pretended friends, cannot otherwise be relieved or protected.

When these offenders can be had, it will be proper to send them for safe Custody to another Gaol [sic] than that of New Town. Easton is too near New Jersey, perhaps. It will be best to transmit them hither under strong Guard, for here they may be tried, in case the Enemy hold Philadelphia. If otherwise, they may in due time be sent back.

Directed,

To Henry Wynkoop, Esq^r

Pennsylvania Archives, 1^st Series, Vol. IV.

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