MEMOIR OF THE REV. JOHN STUART, D. D.

317

“ May it please your Excellency—

Having been a prisoner on Parole to the Commissioners of Conspiracy for these two Years past, and confined to the Townof Schenectady , not being allowed to reside on my Farm—my Property not protected—These, with other Reasons, induceme to wish for Permission to remove to Canada with my Family:—I have therefore presumed to apply to your Excellency forPermission to be exchanged for Some Citizen of this State now a Prisoner in Canada , and that I may be allowed to gounder the Protection of the first public Flagg.—1 will do myself the Honor to wait personally upon your Excellency at anyHour that may be convenient.—An Answer from your Excellency will much oblige

“ Your most obedient & very humble servt

“ Albany March 30th 1781. John Stuart.”

The permission here prayed for ivas granted on the same day.' The conditions on which it wasobtained are expiained by M r Stuart in a letter to M r White, dated, Schenectady , 17 th April, 1781,of which the following is an extract :—

“ Being considered as a prisoner of war and having forfeited my real estate, I have given £400 security to return in exchangefor myself one prisoner out of four nominated by the Governor, viz one Colonel, two Captains, and one Lieutenant, eitherof which will be accepted in my stead Or if neither of the prisoners aforesaid can be obtained I am to return as a pris-oner of war to Albany when required. My personal property X am permitted to sell or carry with me according to my ownconvenience; and am to proceed under the protection of a public flag as soon as it will be safe and convenient for womenand children to travel that course. We are to proceed from hence to Fort Ann in waggons and from thence in Batteans.Believe me, Dear Sir, I have had occasion to exert all my resolution before I could venture on the difficulties that presentedthemselves as the probable concomitants of this journey; But tVom a variety of circumstances, peculiar to my personal and localsituation, I had no alternative; therefore, let the event be as it will, I shall not think myself accountable for consequences; themore especially as Mrs. Stuart is perfectly reconciled to the expediency and necessity of the measure. ’Tis probable that, if Ireach Canada , I may obtain a chaplaincy in Sir John Johnson’s 2d Battalion of Royal Yorkers which is nearly complete, andon the establishment. * * * I 'mean to leave nothing behind me here that may impose any necessity upon me of

returning to this place (provided, such a thing possible) when the war is at an end. I can dispose of all my effects eitherfor cash or good bills on Canada , my negroes being personal property I take with me, one of which being a young man andcapable of bearing arms I have given £100 security, to send back a white prisoner in his stead.”2

Before proceeding farther with this narrative it is necessary to notice, for the purpose of correct-ing, some errors into which the Society for propagating the Gospel lias fallen in its account of thecircumstances attendant on M r Stuart’s emigration.

“At length in May last (it says) his little farm, though belonging to the Society , became forfeited to the State, andwas taken away from him. As a last resource, he then proposed to open a Latin School for the support of his family, but hewas not permitted, nor to follow any lucrative occupation whatever. Upon this he applied, and with much difficultyobtained leave to remove into Canada , on giving a bond of four hundred pounds with security, either to send a Rebel Colonelin exchange, or to return to Albany, and surrender himself a prisoner whenever required.”a

Now, in the first place, the “little farm belonging to the Society”—or in other words, theGlebe at Fort Hunter—never became forfeited. There is no instance of tlie State having confiscatedchurch lands, because the occupants—who were mere Trustees —happened to be its enemies. Allthe clergy of Trinity church, New York , adhered to the crown, and even one of them was attainted.Yet Trinity church still holds its vast property. The chapel farm at Fort Hunter was disposedof only some years ago, and part of the proceeds, nearly fifteen hundred dollars were laid out inerecting the Episcopal church at Port Jackson in the same town ; and the residue, an equal sum,invested in the Episcopal church at Johnstown. 4

In the second place, there is no evidence, as far as I have been able to investigate, of M r

1 For these Doc’s, see N: Y: Col. MSS. Yol. CIL

2 Sims’ Hist, of Schoharie, 135, says, Mr. Stuart sold one of these negroes in Montreal for $275 to one Conyn who broughthim back to the Mohawk Yallev.

3 Abstract for 1782. pp. 45, 46.

4 Sims’ Hist, of Schoharie county, 135