Memoirs Of Aaron Burr, Volume 1, Matthew L. Davis [book club suggestions .txt] 📗

The First Of April. The Duty Is Hard, And Exercise

Increases The Appetite. Will It Not Advance The Service To Send You

Down Some Biscuit? Give Commissary Leake No Rest Without Vegetables.

His Guard Will Be Relieved By A Militia One. How Many Sergeants'

Parties Have You? Your Guard And That Of The Commissary Will Be Taken

From The Brigades, As 120 From Paterson'S Is To 60 From The Others. In

Returns, Designate The Strength From Each Brigade. The Regiments Whose

Men Have No Bayonets, Some Means Will Be Devised To Furnish Them.

Heavy Packs Should Not Be At The Stated Quarters. Fix A Day Beforehand

When You Will Hear The Complaints Of The Disaffected. If Any Come On

Other Days, Give Them Thirty-Nine Lashes First; Wait The Effects Of

This Discipline.

 

 

The Oath Of Allegiance Is No Criterion Of Characters, Nor The Want Of

A Certificate Thereof An Evidence Of A Person'S Being Disaffected.

Uniform Character Is The Best Rule To Judge. Send Up Under Guard All

Women Who Stroll To New-York Without Leave. But Cause Them To Be Well

Searched By Matrons For Papers _Immediately_ When They Are Taken;

Hair, Caps, Stays, And Its Lining, Should Be Well Examined. Do The

Like To Those Going Down. Send Up The Evidences Against Bettice. I

Approve Your Manner Of Treating Captain Williams. I Did Not Yet Intend

The Hard Money Taken By Him Should Be Distributed. But, If It Is Done,

Let It Remain So. In Future, No Hard Money Should Be Distributed. You

Will See The Use I Intend It For In A Few Days. I Am Sure It Will

Divert You. I Hope Soon To Make Up Another Party Of Sixty. If

Lieutenant Freeman Is Not Returned To You, I Shall Send For Him. Are

The Wagons You Mentioned Some Time Ago Returned? What Is Become Of The

Rifles? I Want Them Much For The Servants Who Go Out With Me On

Horseback. All Returning Parties Should March Together Till They

Arrive At The Cantonment Of The First Corps, Then With Their

Respective Officers. This Will Prevent Disorders.

 

 

After Rain Or Snow, I Wish You To Inspect The Arms, And Order Them, In

Your Presence, To Discharge Them At A Mark. The Few Cartridges Spent

In This Way Will Be Well Disposed Of. Colonel Putnam Is Marched To The

Mouth Of Croton. Greaton'S, In Two Or Three Days, Moves Near Pine'S

Bridge On That River. I Think The Present Scarcity Of Bread Will

Prevent A Movement Of The Enemy With Regular Troops. Major-General

Putnam Is Right In Having The Militia Of Fairfield Ready, If It Has

Not The Effect On Them, Like That Of The Boy And The Wolf In The

Fable. If Ensign Leeland Is Still On The Lines, Send Him Up As An

Evidence Against Captain Brown.

 

 

A Sea-Captain, Who, With Three Others, Made Their Escape From New-York

The Night Of The 4Th Instant, Says Fourteen Sail Of The Cork Fleet Had

Arrived Last Sunday.

 

 

I Am Your Affectionate

 

 

Alexander Mcdougall.

Chapter X Pg 147

From General Mcdougall.

 

 

Headquarters, Peekskill, 7Th February, 1779.

 

 

My Dear Sir,

 

 

I Directed Major Platt, Some Days Since, To Inform You, No Provision

Of Any Kind Should Be Suffered To Go Below You Till Further Orders.

Please To Announce This To The Justices. You Have Herewith A Flag;

Fill Up The Blank. On Its Return, Desire The Officer To Call At

Colonel Phillips'S For Any Papers Or Catalogues Of Books Which May Be

Left There For Me. The Letter To Mr. Delancey To Be Left With The

Enemy'S Officer On His Advanced Post. Cast Your Mind On The Best Means

Of Sweeping Westchester And West Farms Of The Tories When It Is Good

Sledding, Supposing Two Regiments To Cover You. But This Under The

Rose.

 

 

Gonsalez Manuel, The Bearer Of This, Brings With Him John Broughton, A

Prisoner Of War, Who Is Exchanged. You Will Please To Order Him Kept

At A Convenient Distance In The Rear Till The Flag Goes In, When He Is

To Be Sent And Delivered To The Commanding Officer Of The Advanced

Post. A Receipt Must Be Taken For Him And Transmitted To Me.

 

 

Affectionately,

 

 

Alexander Mcdougall.

Chapter X Pg 148

From Major Platt.

 

 

Peekskill, February 23D, 1779.

 

 

Dear Burr,

 

 

In Yours Of Yesterday You Requested Particular Care Of The Enclosed,

But There Was None. Malcolm Left This Yesterday For Haverstraw. He

Intends, With Major Pawling, To Pay You A Visit By Water, And Perhaps

It Will Be To-Day. I Think There Is Some Probability Of His Relieving

You. At Any Rate, You Will Be Relieved By The Time You Wish.

 

 

As The General Writes Fully By This Conveyance, I Shall Not Be So

Particular As I Otherwise Would. Cammell Will Be Down Shortly To Pay

Off Accounts. One Dollar Per Day Is Allowed For A Saddle-Horse. Your

Certificates To The Van Warts Will Entitle Them To Their Pay, Be It

What It May.

 

 

The General Has Ordered Williams And Wattles To Return The Hard Money

To Him. It Will Be Put In Your Hands. Love To Roger, When He Comes.

Compliments To Malcolm'S Lads And Benson.

 

 

With Singular Affection,

 

 

R. Platt.

Chapter X Pg 149

From General Mcdougall

 

 

Headquarters, 23D February, 1779.

 

 

My Dear Sir,

 

 

Your Several Favours Have Been Handed To Me. I Have Not Time Now To

Answer Them Fully. It Will, However, Be Done By Major Hull, Who Is

Ordered Down To Assist You. All Your Wishes Will Be Gratified. One

Hundred And Twenty Picked Men, With Bayonets, Will Reach You

To-Morrow. Send Your Commissary Up For Rum. Let Him Call On Me.

 

 

I Am Yours,

 

 

Alexander Mcdougall.

Chapter X Pg 150

From General Mcdougall.

 

 

Headquarters, 15Th February, 1779.

 

 

Sir,

 

 

Your Favour Of The 12Th Came To Hand With The Prisoners. I Have Long

Known Ackerly Was Up, And His Business, But Did Not Think His Present

Situation Of Sufficient Importance To Have Him Taken By K. Mr. Platt

Will Inform You How I Intend To Supply You With Bayonets. He Reached

You, I Suppose, Yesterday Evening. I Intend To Send Down The Remains

Of Colonel Poor'S Regiment For A Few Days, To Cover A Forage Making By

Mr. Hayes Near Mamaroneck; And Shall Send By Them Public Arms, With

Bayonets, To Be Exchanged For Yours Which Want Them. No Good Officer

Or Man Now Below With You Must Be Relieved Till Further Orders. Give

The Officers Of Poor'S All The Advice And Assistance You Can. The

Money Taken From Ketor Will Be Divided Among The Officers And Men In

Such Manner As You Think Proper. I Shall Send Them Down Six For One

When I Can Raise Cash.

 

 

Greaton'S Is At Pine Bridge. Nixon Moves In Two Days To Support

Putnam. The Stated Express Is On This Side Croton, At His Own House.

His Name Is John Cross, A Refugee From New-York. Give Me The Earliest

Advice Of Any Appearance Of A Movement Of The Enemy On The River. Mrs.

Pollock Was Detained With The Late Bad Weather Two Nights. She Left

This At Eight This Morning.

 

 

I Am, Sir, Yours, &C.,

 

 

Alexander Mcdougall.

Chapter X Pg 151

From Major Platt, Aid To General Mcdougall.

 

 

Headquarters, 25Th February, 1779.

 

 

Sir,

 

 

The General Wishes You To Detain The Best Officers And Men, For Five

Complete Parties Of Sixty: And, As Soon As Major Hull Can Be Made

Acquainted With Your Posts, And The Nature Of Your Command, He Desires

You Will Ride Up To Headquarters If There Is No Probability Of A

Movement From Below, And He Will Concert With You Such Measures As

Shall Be Thought Expedient.

 

 

The Combustible Balls Are Not Yet Come To Hand. Five Or Six Boxes Of

Ammunition Will Be Sent Down To Tarrytown By Water The First

Opportunity. 'Tis Necessary That Dr Eustis, If Not At The Plains,

Should Be Sent For.

 

 

I Am Your Obedient Servant,

 

 

Richard Platt, Aid-De-Camp.

 

 

P.S.--Please To Inform The General Whether Colonel Poor'S Men Have

Accomplished The Business They Were Sent Upon Or Not.

Chapter X Pg 152

From General Mcdougall.

 

 

Headquarters, Peekskill, 26Th February, 1779.

 

 

Sir,

 

 

I Received Your Letter Of This Day. Colonel Putnam Is Ordered To March

And Join You, And To Act As Circumstances Shall Cast Up. Five Boxes Of

Ammunition Are Ordered To Be Carried