The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-10-01 00:00:00, page 1

To the PUBLIC.
Gentlemen, &
AS my character has been^greatly in— ed both in this
city and New-York, by malicious designing per
sons; and, as lam informed, was even carried to
the ears of his Excellency General Washington,
while I was there engaged in the public iervice under him, I
hope you will so far feel for the injured, as to think no far
ther apology is necessary to require your perusal of the fol
lowing narrative.
Benjamin Randolph, of the city of Philadelphia, cabinet
maker, now of the firft troop of light horse of this city, being
given as an author for part of the infamous report lately cir
culating against me, I had not an opportunity^ getting him
and the evidences together, after receiving the information,
until the zzd instant, when,! challenged him with reporting
to Mr. Edward Williams, in Philadelphia, ray being confined
in New-York, by order of his Excellency General Washing
ton, when he the said Randolph well knew, that no longer
ago than two days before spreading tne report, he had crofled
the ferry at Powles's Hook with me, in company with Messrs,
Samuel Caldwell, James Budden, James Wharton, John
Meafe, and William Bell. He positively denied feeing Mr.
Williams —I infilled on his going with me to him, who went
with us to Capt. James Smithers, who had been present at
Randolph's firft giving the information to Mr. Williams;
they both went with us to several magistrates, who refufed to
take their depositions, not thinking it proper to aft under
their former commissions. We then all agreed to have a hear
ing before Messrs. Reese Meredith, Samuel Howell, William
Allison, and John Boyle, and accordingly ail met in the af
ternoon at Mr. Reese Meredith's, where Mr. Francis Hopkin
fon and Mr. Samuel Caldwell were introduced as persons that
had some knowledge of the matter. Mr. Edward Williams
then gave information as follows :
“ On Saturday, the sixth of July, I met Benjamin Ran
dolph and Capt. James Smithers, at the corner of Fifth and
Market streets. Mr. Randolph, having arrived the evening
before from New-York, informed me, amongst other things,
that Arthur Donaldson had been sent for to New-York, by
his Excellency General Washington, under pretence of bufi
fiefs, but that it was in reality to confine him for being con
cerned in the late conspiracy discovered there, and that he
had furnifhed or attempted to furnish the enemy with draughts
of the chevaux de frife, &c. in the river Delaware, and that
he, the said Randolph, had left said Donaldson, in confine-
Mr. Towne, Philadelphia, Sept. 23, 1776.
As Benjamin Randolph has published his vindication in your
Evening Post, No. 257, in justice to the evidences he at
tempts to afperfe, I desire you will insert the narrative he
alluded to; and as I profefs myfelf a stranger to bis kind
of logic, common sense, and evidence, I would therefore
choose to let each rest on their own merit; and beg leave
to recommend such as desire more particular information
to apply to the referees, who will readily fatisfy them.
A. D.
The PENNSYLVANIA EVENING POST.
Vol. lI.J
Price Thrq Coppers, Published every TueJday, Tburfday, and Saturday Evenings.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER i, 1776.
487
* Mr. Hopkinfon might probably allude to a report propogated
by a certain fohn Reed of this city, which included ay name
with Doctor Smith, Edmund Phyfick, Isaac Hotwell, Richard
Humphreys, Richard Wells, and a number of other gentlemen,
being named by the said Reed, as parties in the aforefaid plot,
which was traced by the said Edmund Pbyfick, Richard Wells,
and several others of the parties named, and proved to be falfe,
in the preface ff Benjamin Davis, facob Barge and fames
Cannon, by^be-evidences of Benjamin Humphreys, William Thorn,
and others, l on the third of fuly, at which time I was in New
fa.
ment at New-York. I queried on the necessity of his Excel
lency's using such a stratagem, when undoubtedly hjs order
was fufficient to secure the firft character in any part of the
United States, and expressed the fuprife I was under t> find a
man of Arthur Donatdfon'schara&er, capable of such a vice,
but he continued to assert the truth of the relation."
Captain James Smithers informs, that “ he remembered
th^ aforefaid conversation, but did not attend to the name cf
the accused, as he had no knowledge of Arthur Donaldson at
that time." Benjamin Randolph then declared that Edward
Williams had told him the story, which, he said, he contra
dided, knowing it to be falfe, as being in Mr. Donaldson's
company several times in New-York, and that particularly
at crossing the ferry with him on their way to Philadelphia,
the Thursday preceding : James Smit,hers was asked, if he
was clear who gave the report, and was desired to be more
particular in relating what he knew of the matter: He related
as follows,
" I remember to have heard Mr. Williams querying with
surprise, refpeding the circumstances of the story, but on my
asking Mr. Randolph this day, whether he knew of any other
person under that or a similar predicament, whereby a mistake
of names might occasion the difference, he declared he nei
ther knew nor heard any such thing of any man, but that Mr.
Williams told him the story."
Mr. Randolph then declared he heard of the Mayor of
New-York being in confinement, and that might occasion the
mistake. To which Capt. Smithers replied, “ he was clear
the report was given by Mr. Randolph, and he believed against
an inhabitant of Philadelphia." It is necessary here to ob
serve, that on my way from New-York to Philadelphia, I met
Mr. Edward Williams at Bordentown, on Sunday morning,
the seventh of July, who informed me what he had heard,
with a promise to give up his author when called for. Mr.
Francis Hopkinfon was then in Bordentown, who, having con
versed with Mr. Williams on the fubjed, informed the refer
rees that he had heard a story of that import in Philadelphia,
on Friday evening the fifth.* Benjamin Randolph catched
at that with an air of triumph, as an opportunity to prove Mr.
Williams was mistaken, and that Mr. Williams must have
heard the story before from other hands, and after informing
me of the report on Sunday the seventh at Bordentown, had
told it to him the said Randolph in Philadelphia, on the ninth,
to confirm which he produced his receipt book, to shew the
[Num. 265.