New York, May 1, 1775

Mr. Jacob H Chabanel, Jr.

   We expect you have rec’d our Letters sent you the 22’d of 
Feb. & likewise the Remittance of Mr Moses Franks. please to 
send the Cloths order’d via St. Eustatia or any orther 
Conveniencery with orders to send them to me by the first 
Opportunity we have sold Mr Jacob Le Roy a Bill for £1000 
Sterling Desire you will get it accepted and paid we are 
here arming and preparing ourselves to Defend our Just 
Rights and Liberties wherein you can asist in perswading 
your Friends to Draw all their Money out of the English 
Funds. It will be your Interest as a House Divided against 
it self cannot stand: your example will be seconded by the 
Wealthy subjects in England to prevent their property from 
becoming precarious at a Juncture so truly critical, our 
unanimity on this side the Atlantick is so firm that a 
Wicked Administration must in the end find there Despotic 
Designs Abortive. Tho the procuration of our peace will be 
the price of Blood: the Butchery is already begun at Boston, 
where 1200 Regular Troops were Obliged to Retreat before 
Half that Number of our Americans with the loss of upward of 
300 on their side to 37 on ours, the whole would have been 
cut of by an Ambuscade had they not altered their Route & 
after a 12 miles retreat Secured themselves in Boston: this 
first Essay I hope will omen good to the Righteous cause in 
wich we are engaged. especially in its commencement in a 
Province where (by the Sanction of its former Charter) the 
Inhabitants were Trained to arms and on that account have 
the preemincence of their Height: we have from the greatest 
to the least entred & signed an Asociation whereby we bind 
ourselves by all the Ties of Honour Grattitude & Duty to 
support our Country in its Happy constitution, and at the 
Risque of our lives and Fortunes to preserve the Liberty 
thereof Inviolate to our Posterity. At present all the 
seaports are stopped and consequently we shall Have but 
little Intercourse with Europe under our present Interesting 
and Melancholy Situation. I Remain dear sir your very Humble 
Servant

		John Byvanck & Comp’y

(ed. note: Chabanel was Byvanck's agent in Amsterdam)