The Virginia Gazette

BOSTON, Aug. 11.

Since our last another express has come to town from the Westward, with a petition to his Excellency the Governor and Council, from a number of the inhabitants of Nobletown, who have been drove from their settlement there, complaining of the cruel treatment they have again lately met with from the Sheriff of Albany and others, and begging the interposition of this province, under whose encouragement they first settled there. The substance of their complaint we have in the following letter from Egremont, to which place many of the inhabitants were obliged to fly for protection, &c.

Extract of a letter from Egremont, in this province, dated July 30, 1766.

"On Saturday, the 26th of July instant, Hermanus Schuyler, Sheriff of the county of Albany, and Robert Van Rensselaer, of Claverack, attended with about 50 of General Gage's light infantry, armed with guns, swords, pistols, one field piece, and three swivels, came in a hostile manner to Nobletown, to the house of Andrew Stalker, which they broke down; from thence they proceeded to the house of William Beaver, broke down his house, and robbed him of three guns, and sundry other goods and tools; from thence they came to the house of Evert Conine Kahacker, where they pitched their camp; from thence said Schuyler and others, on Sabbath day the 27th, travelled three miles to the house of Joseph Clarke, and broke it open, and robbed him of all his books, arms, clothes, provisions, and every thing they could lay their hands on; from thence they went to the house of Robert Meeker, and broke down the house, flung out and destroyed, and carried away every thing that was therein; from whence they returned to their camp; from whence in the afternoon the said Schuyler and others came to the house of Robert Noble, which house and furniture they entirely destroyed, and set fire to the barns, &c. which were consumed; from thence they proceeded to the houses of said Clarke and Meeker, and carried off all they left in the morning; then returning to their camp, they took as prisoner Thomas Millard, killing and destroying swine, fowls, &c. as they returned.

On Monday the 28th the said Schuyler and others came to the house of Robert Warren, which they broke open and plundered, and rifled of every thing therein, killed four sheep, three hogs, one calf, and abused the children, &c. thence they proceeded to the house of William Kellogg, and a man who was in the house upon their approach fled, but was pursued, and had two guns fired at him, but he escaped; they then returned to the house, which they robbed of every thing, and much abused a child there, killed two hogs, ten geese, &c. thence said Schuyler and others came to the house of Eb. Smith, of Egremont, and rifled it of every thing valuable and light to carry away, and then returned to the camp; and on Tuesday they drew off, threatening they would come again in a few days, and lay the whole town in rubbish, plant three forts there, and tarry to keep off the inhabitants.

Thus are the inhabitants of Nobletown drove away to the neighbouring towns, as sheep by wolves, to Egremont, Sheffield, and Barrington, with their wives and families, and are in the most distressed circumstances, having nothing to support them but the charity of the people."