To the Honorable the United States of America in Congress assembledー

The Memorial of Jacobus Wynkoop

Shewethー

That your Memorialist has been employed, and served in the continental Service, and in the service of the United States of America, from the 28th Day of June 1775, until the 18th Day of August Instantー

That your Memorialist by his first appointment, was a Captain of the 8th Company and 4th Regt of continental forces raised in the Province of New York.

That his Honor M Genl Schuyler, Commander in Chief in the Northern Department, did sometime after the appointment of your Memorialist to the Captaincy aforesaid, offer to your memorialist the Command of the Vessels on Lake Champlain, and signified to your memorialist, that his honor would recommend your Memorialist to the Honorable the Continental Congress as a person fit for the said Station.

That your Memorialist being at Fort George, did in the month of January in the present year receive a Letter from his Honor M. Genl Schuyler, informing Your Memorialist that his Honor expected momently to hear from Congress, on the Subject of his appointmentー

That in the month of April last Your Memorialist, at the City of New York, did receive from the Honorable the Provincial Congress, for the Province of New York, a certified copy of a Letter, written by his Honor M Genl: Schuyler, to the President of the said Provincial Congress, which is in the words following

Sir

Albany March 8th 1776

I am Honored with yours of the 4th Inst ー The Continental Congress have resolved, that Capt Wynkoop should be employed upon the Lakes, under Commodore Douglass. Whether the latter Gentleman means to engage in that service, I do not know ー Of this Congress can very speedily inform itself, as he resides near New York; Should he not engage, there is no person I would more willingly have to command the Vessels than Capt Wynkoop. At any rate, I wish You to send him up the soonest possible, with a sufficient number of Sailors for the two Schooners and Sloop ー I am Sir [&c.]

Ph. Schuyler

To Nathaniel Woodhull Esqr.

The foregoing is a true copy of the Original examined and compared by Robt Benson

Your Memorialist received, at the same time, an extract from the minutes of the Committee of Safety for N York aforesaid; A Copy of which followsー

In Committee of Safety ー New York April
the thirteenth 1776

Ordered that Captain Jacobus Wynkoop do inlist the number of mariners desired by M Genl Schuyler, for the Service at the Lakes, with all possible dispatch; That Capt: Wynkoop proceed to Albany with the said Mariners, to Genl Schuyler, and take his directions as to the Vessels on the Lakes until the Honorable the Continental Congress shall have appointed him to that Command, or some other Gentleman shall arrive at the Lakes authorized to take the Command.

Extract from the Minutes
John McKesson Secy

That in Consequence of the aforesaid Letter and Order, your Memorialist, immediately inlisted a number of Sailors and proceeded up to Fort-George where he received from the Honorable M Genl Schuyler, an Order in the Words followingー

Sir

Fort-George May 7th 1776

You are immediately to repair to Tyonderoga, and take the Command of all the Vessels on Lake Champlain, which You will, with the greatest expedition, put in the best condition possible, for immediate Service.

I am Sir [&c.]
Ph: Schuyler

That your memorialist expecting the appointment of Commodore of the Lakes, and not being willing to act in a subordinate capacity did agreeable to the said Order take upon him the Command of the Vessels on the Lakes aforesaid, & has since continued in that department, in the Service of the said Continental Congress, and of these United States, acting and exerting his abilities for the public advantageー

That on the 17th Day of August Inst Your Memorialist, being on his Station, was alarmed, by the Report of a Swivel from one of the Schooners under his Command, which was succeeded by a similar signal from another of the said Schooners.ー

That Your Memorialist observing that the Said Schooner was making ready to get under Sail, and conceiving that they ought not to move without his immediate Orders, (unless in case of alarm when a Boat should be instantly dispatched to inform him of the Occasion) and fearing that some design had been formed by the Captain of the said Schooner, or their Crews to go over to the Enemy; by the Command of your Memorialist a Swivel was fired to bring too the said Schooners.

That upon firing of the said Swivel, they came to an Anchor again, and your memorialist ordered the mate to go in the boat, and bring the Captains on Board the Commodore Schooner; All preparations for sailing were stopped, and Capt: Premer Commander of one of the said Schooners (The other Capt being on shore) came on board the royal savage, then under your Memorialists immediate Commandー

That your Memorialist then desired to know from the said Captain, for what reason those Guns were fired, and preparations made for sailing, who informed your Memorialist, that he had received from his Honor Brigadier Genl Arnold Orders to get his Schooner immediately under way and beat down the Lakes, 8 or 10 miles and if he made any discovery of the Enemy to send a boat, and acquaint him of the particularsー

That Your Memorialist not having received any Intimation of being superceded in the Command aforesaid, and conceiving that any Orders even from the Commander in chief of the Army in the Northern department, or the Commanding Officer at Lake George or Tyonderoga, respecting the Vessels on the Lakes, should be directed and first communicated to your memorialist, and be given out by him to the respective Captains under his Command, your Memorialist being also best acquainted with the State and Condition of the said Vessels, Your Memorialist did transmit to his Honor the said Brigadier General Arnold, a Letter in the words following

On Board the Royal Savage Augt 17th 1776

Sir

I find by an Order You have given out that the Schooners are to go down the Lakes; I know no Orders, but what shall be given out by me, except sailing Orders from the Commander in chief; If an enemy is approaching I am to be acquainted with it, and know how to act in my Station I am Sir Yours

Jacobus Wynkoop Commander
of Lake Champlain

That Your memorialist soon after received a Letter from his Honor the said Brigadier Genl Arnold, informing Your Memorialist of the Approach of the Enemy, and intimating that the Commander in chief had appointed him to take the Command of the Navy on the Lake and threatening Your Memorialist with an Arrestー

That your Memorialist having thus received information of the approach of the Enemy, that the Service might not suffer, by the dispute of the Officers, issued out an Order to the Captains of the said Schooners in the words followingー

On Board the Royal Savage Augt 17th 1776

To Capt Seamons
Capt Premer

Gent

You will immediately get under way, and go down the Lake about 8, or ten miles ー If You make any discovery of the Enemy, Send a Boat to acquaint me of the Particulars; If none of the Enemy appear, You are directly to return.

Yours Jacobus Wynkoop Comd

That immediately after your Memorialist had received the Letter aforesaid from his Honor the said Brigadier Genl Arnold His Honor the said Brigadier Genl Arnold came on board the Royal Savage, and asked your memorialist, how he dared to countermand his Orders, and acquainted your memorialist that he had power to take the command of the fleet, and shewed a paper containing writing Orders from his Honor M Genl Gates to that purportー

That your Memorialist conceiving that no Officer could be placed over him in the Naval Department, unless by appointment from the United States in Congress assembled, or the Provincial Congress for the Province of New York, except in cases of Misbehaviour, and your Memorialist being conscious of having done his duty, did acquaint the said Brigadier Genl Arnold that he would receive no Orders from him as naval Officer under his present appointment, and that all orders from the Commanders at the several posts on the Lakes ought regularly to be first communicated to your Memorialist.ー

That his Honor the said Brigadier Genl Arnold, then dispatched a Letter to his Honor M Genl Gates, acquainting him with the above particulars, and on the 18th Day of Augt Inst Your Memorialist received a Letter from the said Brigadier Genl Arnold, in the words following.ー

Sir

Crown Point Augt 18. 1776

The following is a paragraph of a Lettr Orders I have just received from the Honorable M Genl Gates Vizー

It is my Orders You immediately put Commodore Wynkoop in Arrest ー and send him Prisoner to Head Quarters at Tyonderoga

Sign'd Horatio Gates

In Compliance of the above Order, I do hereby put you in Arrest, of which You will take notice and govern yourself accordingly ー A Boat and Hands shall be ordered this Evening or to morrow morning to attend You to Tyonderoga ー Please to let me know what time will be most agreeable.ー

I am Sir [&c.]
B:Arnold: B:Genl

That agreable to the above order Your memorialist immediately repaired to Tyonderoga and was ordered from thence by his Honor M Genl Gates, to the Honorable M Gen Philip Schuyler at Albany and was informed by his Honor the said M Genl Gates that he had sent his Crime forward.ー

That your Memorialist humbly conceives that if he had suffered the said Schooners to go off unmolested, and design of the Captains or Crews of the said Schooners had been to go over to the Enemy, and such decision carried into execution ー that your memorialist would not have been suffered to escape with impunity, and that therefore it was his duty when signals and preparations were made by them for sailing, to know their destination and issue out the Necessary Orders.

Your Memorialist therefore humbly Requests these United States, in Congress assembled; to take this Memorial into their wise Consideration and grant him such Relief as he is in Justice entitled toー

Albany August 27th 1776

[Endorsed] Copy Richd Varick.