Can Ulster send 300 men? I fear it cannot. Was it necessary to appoint Commissaries to supply Troops at Peekskill? Does not Mr. Paulding supply all Troops there? I am D'r Sir, Yours affectionately, John McKesson. Oct'r 11th past 2 o'Clock A. M. General Clinton. Dear Sir, [No. 201.] Patriotism versus Post Riding. Heights of Harlem Oct. 11th 1776. Case's Brother Absalom, has rode himself off his Horse; that is to say, he has rode till he has thrown himself into some Disorder or other by it which threatens his Life. In Consequence of this, Case wants another Rider, & has applied to his Brother in Law, the Bearer hereof, John Stevenson, for the Purpose; he was a Post Rider formerly. But it seems Stephenson belongs to the Army; he is a Serjeant or Corporal in Capt. Conklin's Company, Col. Paulding's Regt. in your Brigade, & cannot ride Post without a Discharge. I think, considering Circumstances, another Rider is necessary, but am too much a Friend to the Country to wish to make the Army even one Man less than it is. I mentioned this to Stephenson. He says he can get a younger man to supply his Place who can do the Duty of his Office as well as he can. Upon this Condition I wish you to discharge him, as it will be of Service to the Public. We have no news among us. (Gen. George Clinton.) I am Dear Sir, Yrs, Eben Hazard. [No. 202.] The Rev. John Close Discloses His Ideas of the War and Incidentally Alludes to a Lost Handkerchief. S'r, The Day I parted with you, I had an opportunity of seeing another little Scurmish, between two Tenders a row Gally in ye Enemies Service, & our Men, on ye west side of the River. Some Boats attempted to land, but our People gave them a warm Reception, & they retreatd to ye Men of War after firing about an Hour & a half. In Consequence of ye King's Ships coming up ye River, another Part of our Malitia is draughted off; this Part of ye Country is now prodigiously dreand of Men: the Pollicy of which, I must confess, I have not Penetration enough to discearn. While this State is ye Seate of War, & ye Masters of any considerable Part of ye N. River, Provision will be of much more Importance to the Continent, for ye Supply of ye Army, in these Parts, than where ye Conveyance will be any considerable Distance by Land, Men are much easier, & with much less Expence, conveyd by Land than Provision for their Support, for any length of Time; but if so many of our Farmers, continue to be calld off from their Business, we shall not long have much to Spare. And besides, I think, the most of our men in these Counties on ye River ought to be kept at Home as a Reserve, if ye Enemy should brake through our Armies, either to ye Northward or Southward. Should we not have men enough in ye internal Part of this Country, to check their Progress, (if that should happen) before men could be called from other States, they might perhaps Join their Armies, & make themselves masters of the Pass between N. York & Canada & we are also, on this Side ye River exposed constantly to ye Incursions of a Savage Enemy on our Backs. But I pray & hope that that Being who Superintends all human Affairs, will baffle all ye Scheems, & disappoint ye Attempts of our Enimies against us. Bethlehem October 16, 1776. yours affectionately, J. Close. P. S. I should be glad you would be good enough to ask your Servants, if they Saw a Spotted blew & white Hankerchief in ye Room where I lodged when with you last. Recommendations for Promotions. As there is a Vacancy in Capt'n James Teller's Company in Our Regiment by the Death of Lieut. William Tremper-We would Recommend James Betts who is at present a Serjeant Major in the Regiment and has always Done his Duty as such with alertness and behaved himself well and acceptable. Camp Kings Bridge October 17, 1776. Morris Graham Coll. King's Bridge 17th Octob'r 1776. I Certify that by Means of the Death of Lieut. Van Kleak of Capt. Swarthoudt's Company in my Regiment there is a vacancy for a 2d Lieut. in said Company which for the Good of the Service ought to be filled up And that Rudolphus Brewer eldest Serjant of said Company is a proper Person to be appointed to that Office. Jacobus Swartwout Col. [No. 204.] John Sloss Hobart Writes Patriotically. My dear General, Fairfield, October 17th 1776. Are we to be disapointed in our favourite Expidition? Are the good people of Suffolk to suffer without any hope of ridemption? Why are the Troops ordered from hence just as our Expedition is on the point of Execution? Surely the army is strong enough without them. I fancy somebody wants to see the Suffolk Regiments about him, that he may brag of the Boston folks, for I assure you they make a very respectable figure on the parade and I dare say will do well in the field; let me entreat you to interpose and prevent this plan from being blasted. Coll. McIntosh will inform you of the State of matters here; all of Smith's Regiment that are on this side are ordered to rendevouz at New Haven next Monday. The Convention will not sell the Montgomery but have ordered her to sea; my design at present is to send a vessel for a load of salt. If you can procure me a few of the 3 pounders in the neighbourhood of Kings Bridge shall be much obliged. I hear the Enemy are near you & that a general action is probably not far off. I sincerely wish you Life with Liberty or death with Glory and am with great Sincerity, Your most affectionate hum'le Serv't, (Gen. George Clinton). [No. 205.] Jno. Sloss Hobart. Adjutant-General Reed Tumbles Col. Thomas Out of His Quarters. Sir, The House you now Occupy is much wanted for the General Courts Martial to set at & also for a Guard House for the Provost ་ Marshall. You are Requested by the Adjutant General to let Mr. Bryan, the Provost Marshall, have Possesion of it for that purpose. To. Colo. Thomas. For the Adjt. Gen. Your Hble. Serv't, Chas. Knowles, Clk. Note on back by G. C. "18th October 1776: Adjud't Genl. Reed's currious Order to Colo. Thomas to deliver up his House to Provost Marshal." [No. 206.] CONCH SHELLS AS A DANGER SIGNAL. Methods of the Tories to Disconcert the Plans of the Colonists. Fishkill, October 18, 1776. D'r Sir, I gratefully acknowledge the receipt of your last Letter. I was at Windsor on Sunday last; All was as well there as can be expected. The naval Engagem't on Lake Champlain must be well known to you e'er this. I have been out the greater part of the two past nights, and Gansevoort has the Letter at present or I would yet enclose you a Copy of it. Captain Smith, of Dutches, is gone into the Mountain this night to secure some Recruits designed to go on board the Enemies ships; with his guides and the plan laid. There is prospect of success-but as soon as any discovery of a party of our Troops is made by any means, the sounding of Conck Shells immediately gives a general alarm to those diffected Rebels. A person now in New Marlborough who passed northward in May last, is suspected to be one of the Enemy's Recruiting Officers. In May last he said he had deserted from Dunmore in |