Gent

Agreeable to your requisition of Yesterday I now sit down to give you a faithful & true narrative of my proceedings in Point-judith. ー

On Saturday the fourth instant I went upon a Visit to Mr Stephen Hazard's at Point-judith & stayed at his House the Night following, on Sunday Morning I went from Mr. Hazard's with some Company to the House of Mr Stephen Champlin who is in the Neighbourhood of Mr Hazard's soon after I arrived at Mr Champlin's the Fleet from Newport was descried steering Southward from the Light-House, the Company I was in made many conjectures concerning their destination, most of the People imagining their destination was for Block-Island; none I believe thinking they were a going to Land in Point-judith, until We observed that one of the Ships wch I beleive was the Rose, stood in for the Land, upon wch the Women & Children, who were present were very much affrighted & began to screech & Cry, wch much affected me to see their distresses, and I proposed that it would be proper for some Person to go down upon the shores & see if Capt Wallace could not be prevented from spreading destruction & devastation through the Point, (as there were no Armed Men present to oppose him, & the distance of the People one from another are so great that it would take a very considerable time to collect any force to Repel the Enemy) I then not seeing any Person to go down to the shore, went myself, & got upon the Point of Land just as Capt Wallace was Landing, I called out & asked for Capt Wallace upon being told were he was, I Requested that he would not Land his Men, & frighten the defenceless Women & Children, ー and asked him his demands, he said he wanted two Loads of Hay, & then asked me for a Team, & said if he could have the Hay Carted down to the Shores he would pay for the Hay, & the use of the Team ー I told him the Hay belonged to Mr Niles who lived upon the Farm, upon wch he said he should be glad to see Mr Niles, & requested that I should desire Mr Niles to come down to him ー upon wch I told him that as soon as the alarm spread thousands would come down & prevent his taking the Hay he replied he would have the Hay at the risk of his Life I then left him & went to Mr Niles's in order to consult the People that might be assembled whether it would not be better to give the two Loads of Hay than to have the Neck ravaged; upon my going to the House I could see not any Person whoever & I then went to Mr Stepn Champlins in order to see if Mr Niles was there & not finding him I went to Mr St: Hazard's, & at Mr Hazard's I saw not any Person saving Mr. Hazard & some part of his famely. Mr Hazard had then got a Horse saddled with a Pillion on in order to go as he said for a Midwife, the fright Mrs Hazard had received he said he apprehended would be attended with bad consequences, as she was not in a state to be moved, upon wch seeing my Brother Joseph Aplin's Horse there I mounted him & rode down to were Capt Wallace was in order to let him know that I could not see Mr Niles, upon my coming up to Capt Wallace I told him I could not see Mr Niles he said he is here upon wch I then replyed I am dismissed he said No you are to stay one Quarter of an Hour ー I then discovered Mr. Jos. Aplin Doct Gleeson, Mr. Silas Niles & Mr Robert Hazard but did not hear any Conversation that passed.

I can assure you Gent that I acted from [mo]tives of compassion for the defenceless Women & Children & did not intentionally mean to give the least offence to any Person, whatever, & If my conduct has been Wrong, the Error was undesigned ー for I have at almost every Alarm shouldered my Musket & Marched with my Neighbours in defence of my Country & when I found that there was no person to oppose Wallace I thought I was acting for the Public good if I could be any ways instrumental in saving my Neighbours Houses goods &c ー Upon the whole Gent I beg you will pass this matter over & think, as I really did act from principles wch I thought was then best. I am very sorry that my Conduct has given the least offence, & the whole was done through my not thinking it would be construed into a Wrong. I am Gent [&c.]

[Endorsed]

Questions asked Wm Aplin by the Committee

Question was you asked by any Person or Persons to go to Capt Wallace, when he was Landing at Point Judith, & by whom?

Ansr I am not certain, as to that,

Question was you there before Capt Wallace Landed or not,

Answer, before he, or any of his men Landed

Question Did you inform your brother Joseph Aplin that you had been at the Point with Wallace, before your sd brother had been down, & when did you inform him

Ansr Yes & the same Evening that Wallace Landed being with my brother at Stephen Hazard's ー

William Aplin

The aforesaid William Aplin, being before sd Committee, this 13th day of February A D. 1776 Declared that the aforegoing Declaration by him given, & the aforegoing Answers by him made, to the aforegoing Questions, are the Truth.

Witness J Peckham Clerk of sd Committee

To the Committee of Corrispondence in Southkingstown