furnish its Quota of said Detachment according to the Numbers they respectively consist of, & in order that Inhabitants in this Busy season of the Year may be distressed as little as possible, direct your Capts. that in making their Drafts they avoid taking more than one Man out of a Familly unless where there are three or more Men subject to Military duty in a Familly. You are not to have more Officers in this Detachment than the same Number of Men have in the Army of the united States of America. This Detachment is to draw Rations equal to the Forces of said Army, and as it will be inconvenient to do this at Fort Montgomery, I woud advise that you appoint a proper Person to supply them here at the cheapest Rate until the Commissaries can do it. This Detachment is to be under the Command of Capt. Moffat and you must order a second Detachment of equal Number to relieve them on Sunday next Ten o'Clock unless you can make up the first Detachment of Men willing to continue while necessary. The Party on Duty is not however upon any Account to leave the Ground until so releived. The Second Detachment you are to relieve in like Manner, in such Time as you shall judge most Advantageous to the Inhabitants on Account of their Harvest, allways keeping up the above Number until otherwise ordered unless the safety of the Country requires a stronger Guard in which Case you will augment it even with your whole Regiment rather than suffer the Enemy to Land & get any Footing on Shore. This Detachment will be entitled also to the same pay that other Militia called out upon extraordinary Occasions are to receive & as 700 Men of my Brigade are now called out by his Excellency Genl. Washington's Order* to me of the 13th Instant, of which this Detachment will be part, they are of Course to be subject to the Rules & Regulations of the

*Not found.

Army of which you will apprize them that they may govern themselves accordingly. I am your

Most Obed't Serv't

Geo. Clinton, Brig. Genl.

[No. 108.]

Colonel Hay writes George Clinton in Regard to the Protection of Haverstraw and the Hudson.

Sir,

Yesterday I had the Honor to receive General Washington's Letter of the 17th Inst. directed to our Committee; he informs me that it is out of his Power to send me any Relief from the Continental Army at New York, and urges the absolute Necessity that all communication should be cut off from the ministerial Ravagers on the River, and for that end he entreats the strictest vigilance to prevent their getting any supplies of fresh meats or Vigitables and begs that this matter may be properly attended too; and further adds the following paragraph, "What number of Men Col: Clinton may have with him in the Forts at the High Lands I am unable to say, but if any to spare I have not the least objection to his sending them to your assistance; of this you'll be please to inform him."

The Enemy have stationed their Ships and Tenders so as to make it Necessary to divide our Force, and as it appears to be their design to direct their opperations to this shore and not to attempt the Forts, untill they receive a reinforcement, I submitt it to you, whether it would not be proper to augment the Force now here, which consist [of] one Hundred & Eighty Men, that we may be enabled to give them a warm reception, shou'd they attempt the shore again. If we could have commanded two

Field Pieces, when the Cutter grounded at Stony Point we could with Ease have dispatched her.

I have sent to New York for Powder, but the difficulty that will attend the transportation of it in time, obliges me to repeat the request for a small supply, which will add to the many obligations we are already under to you for your Care and attention to us. We are happy in having Col. Nicoll and Capt. Moffat with us, and if the Public Service will admit of their continuance with us, it will give great satisfaction to,

Your Affectionate Hum. Serv't,

July 20th 1776.

A. Hawkes Hay.

P. S. Paper being scarce I hope will be an Apoligy for this Scrawl. Since writing the above I have rec'd y'r supply of Powder. Col: Nicol says that the Forces here are sufficient to guard this place, but think it would be proper to have a Detatchm't at Halstead's place where they burnt the House, as we have reason to suspect they intend to make it their watering Place, and a perryaugar & Tender is going now up on that design as he imagines.

To Gen. Geo. Clinton.

[No. 109.]

Orders to Captain Moffat to remove Provisions, Cattle, Sloops &c. on the Haverstraw Shore, beyond Reach of the Enemy.

Capt. Moffat,

[July 20, 1776.]

In Adition to the Orders given you Yesterday, you are to see that all the Cattle Hoggs & Sheep on Ellison's Neck, or any other Part of the Haverstraw Shore, where they are in immediate Danger of falling into the Hands of the Enemy be removed to

Places of safety. I observe several Sloops & Boats lying in or near Haverstraw Creek which the Enemy may with ease destroy or possess themselves of. You are therefore to order the Owners to remove them to Places of Security without Delay. I need not tell you that it is highly imprudent to suffer Men to assemble in view & within Shot of the Enemy's Shipping while they reach them with small arms, as such Conduct woud Endanger as well your Men as the Inhabitants & occasion frequent Alarums by provoking the Ships of War to fire without answering any one good Purpose. You'l order the Inhabitants living near the River not to discharge their Guns (except at the Enemy) as by fireing they may also occasion false Alarums & prevent Notice being taken of true ones.

[No. 110.]

Dissatisfaction Among the Militia.

Haverstraw July 20th 1776.

S'r,

I have Just time to inform you that the Enemy have made Several Movements to-day which have occasioned us to be much upon our guard; however they have not made any attempt to Land. The detachment that came down under the Command of Capt. Moffat are very uneasey that they are not relieved by this time, as they expected to be home by tomorrow Night, and it is with great difficulty that they have been detained to-day. I am affraid that many, if not all of them, will go off tomorrow Morning unless they are very certain of being relieved by the Middle of the Day, and as this Station will not be Sufficiently guarded in Case they should, would therefore advise that you send a detachment of the standing troops equal to their Num

ber as early as possible tomorrow as a Relief to them, least some bad consequence might follow, unless the Militia arrive time enough to answer the purpose which is not very probable. I am in haste, Yours &c.

Isaac Nicoll, Com. Of'cr.

N. B. There is little dependance on the People that belong here.

(Gen. George Clinton.)

[No. 111.]

Theodore Sedgwick, Brigade Major, makes a Requisition for Cartridges, or Powder and Ball, to be sent to Peekskill.

Sir,

Peeks kill, 20 July 1776.

I am directed by the Commissioners of Convention to earnestly entreat you to send 1000 or 1500 Musquetry Cartridges, as Many of the Troops here are almost destitute and are not in a Condition to defend the Property of our Friends or annoy the Enemy; it will be unnecessary to inform you that it is necessary that the Cartridges should be differently sized.

If you have not Cartridges you will be pleased to send Powder & Ball if they are to be spared.

The Commissioners have forwarded your Letters to Genl. Washington & to the Superintendants of the Salisbury Ferrnance, The Phenix we are informed has again come to Anchor in the wide River, a little below Verplank's Point.

I am Sir with much Esteem

Your most Obed't & hum'e Serv't

Theodore Sedgwick, M. Brig.

N. B. The Commissioners will make the best possible Disposition of the Troops on this side the River & expect General