The City has been in danger of Conflagration as I find upon conversing with Mr. Seymour the Connecticut Atty General & Capt Hugh Ledlie of Hartford.

When General Lee reach'd that Town in his Route from Cambridge he published a Call upon the People of that Neighbourhood to join his Colours for a Month to suppress a dangerous Conspiracy ー These Gentlemen listed with 54 Light Horse in this unknown Service. ー At that Time a Report prevailed there that there was a Trade driven at New York by Goods from England to the Asia and Phoenix & Returns of Provisions for the Army at Boston ー That the Principal People in and out of Congress were privy to it, and only wore a Mask of Union with the other Colonies till Troops should arrive in the Spring And these Persons supposed this was what General Lee alluded to and that New York was to be burnt to cut off the Communication between us and the Army at Boston. ー As they advanced Westward they were confirmed in the Report and their own Conjectures concerning the Services they had ingaged in ー At Standford they were surprised to find from General Lee that the Continental Congress were uninformed of this Expedition ー At Rye [Andrew] Ward's regiment turned back on a Call from General Washington ー Lee halted at Standford ill of the Gout ー [David] Waterbury's Regiment with the Light Horse came to Kingsbridge ー Here he opened Dispatches from the Continental Congress to Lee in Answer to his Letter on that from our Committee of Safety diswading his Approach. Waterbury was so directed by General Lee and finding that the Congress approved of the Sentiments of the New York Committee he dismissed the Light Horse ー Now it was that Seymour and Ledlie thought that Govr. Trumbull and General Lee had been abused respecting New York: They resolved with four others of the Light Horse to visit the Town and make further Enquiries ー At their Entrance the 1 Feby they were confirmed in their Suspicions by the Election of three Continental Delegates ([Philip] Livingston [John] Jay & [John] Alsop) with Colo. McDougal [Alexander McDougall] for the City Representatives in Assembly without the least Opposition. ー If General Lee had entered the Town before the Continental Delegates arrived the Committee of Safety being deemed to be conspirators we should have been wrapped in Flames.

Sundry Persons in New England requested their Friends here to abandon the Town before the Troops arrived ー Mr.Tennent the Minister of Greenfield came to assist Doctor [John] Rodgers his Father in Law in the Flight of that Family ー Sloss Hobart on his Arrival from Fairfield averred that the Reports given by Seymour and Ledlie were true respecting the Propagation of the Scandal in Connecticut of New York and they were imputed to Capt. [Isaac] Sears Samuel Broome and one Woodward Citizens of our own who had removed their Effects to New England and were of that Party who some time since came down on Horseback and carried off [James] Rivington's Types manu forti at Noon Day and it was supposed they were prompted to it by Revenge  the New York Congress resenting the Incursion & Landing about 12 Decr penned a sharp Letter to Govr.Trumbull asserting their exclusive Right to punish their own Delinquents and demanding Restitution. Mr.Trumbul laid the Letter before his Assembly, and the Parties accused seemed to have no way of supporting their own Consequence but by calumniating the Accusers. Capt.Ledlie tells me that Seymour went Home highly inraged at the Cheat which had put their Colony to vast Expence & with a Resolution to prevent Sears from having the Command of a Frigate building for the Continental Service, believing him to be the Author of the Lie, for that when conversing at Stanford with Lee about burning the Town in his Presence he said he should not regard his own House tho' it was worth several thousand Pounds when he had learnt that he had none there nor an Ounce of any moveable Property. From this Moment Sears who was before in Esteem for his Zeal as a Patriot was neglected. He remained with Lee at Stanford in the Station of a Lt.Colo. with Mr.Trumbul's Promise of a Commission to be obtained as is said when he meets his Assembly.