CITY AND COUNTY OF ALBANY, 30 MAY 1788

and I have the pleasure to inclose you a State of each poll taken from the Books of the
Board of Supervisors.-The Majority of the Assembly is much greater than we had reason
to expect-our antagonists are much Crest fallen and have very Little to say. communi-
cate the agreeable information to his Excellency and all our Friends-Letters will be
forwarded from our Committee on the Subject but they will probably not be in Time for
the Mail as it is to be closed immediately" (Yates Papers, NN).
4. MS, Board of Canvassers, Recorded Returns, Albany County Courthouse. The doc-
ument is in the handwriting of an amanuensis and signed by each of the supervisors.
Two election certificates with virtually the identical wording and the signatures of the
supervisors are in the McKesson Papers at the New-York Historical Society (Mfm:N.Y).
One is docketed "Robert Yates Esqr" and the other "John McKesson/Esqr Clerk to the
Assembly." Both are marked "read."
Henry K. Van Rensselaer to Nicholas Fish
Greenbush, 28 May 1788 (excerpt)'
I take this earliest opportunity of answering your letter of the 2nd.
April last, it was delivered to me two or three days ago in a tattered
situation-scarcely legible. It has been suppressed I suppose by some
zealous Federalist, who has feared that it came from his Excellency, the
Governor, & must not be given me till after the Election-
Be pleased therefore to send your Letters to me by the Mail, for fear
of future miscarriage....
1. RC, Fish Family Papers, NNC-RB. Van Rensselaer (d. 1815) had served in the New
York militia and was wounded severely in battle at Fort Ann inJuly 1777 sustaining lifelong
injuries. He was colonel (and then general) of the New York militia. He represented
Albany in the Assembly, 1788-90. Fish (1758-1833) attended the College of New Jersey
(Princeton) and read law with John Morin Scott. He was a militia officer rising to the
rank of brigade major in 1776 and was commissioned by Congress a major in the Con-
tinental Line in November of that year. At the end of the war he was brevetted lieutenant-
colonel. He served as adjutant general of the New York militia from 1784 to 1793. In
1793 President Washington appointed him supervisor of the revenue for the district of
New York. From 1806 to 1817 he was an alderman of New York City.
Matthew Visscher to Abraham Yates, Jr., John McKesson,
and Melancton Smith Albany, 30 May 17881
The Supervisors of this County finished canvassing the Votes taken
for Convention and upon such Canvass the Votes stood as follows vizt
Robert Yates                                   4670
John Lansing Jun                               4681
Henry Oothoudt                                 4678
Peter Vrooman                                  4671
Anthony Ten Eyck                               4657
Dirck Swart                                    4673

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