Home / Bolton, Robert Jr. A History of the County of Westchester, from its First Settlement to the Present Time, Vol. II. New York: Alexander S. Gould, 1848. / Passage

A History of the County of Westchester, Vol. II

Bolton, Robert Jr. A History of the County of Westchester, from its First Settlement to the Present Time, Vol. II. New York: Alexander S. Gould, 1848. 301 words

As to cannon, muskets and ammunition, I can find no one here who will exercise any authority over them, or deliver a single article upon my requisition, neither can I find any officer of the army who feels himself authorized to exercise any authority, or do any act which will aid me in the all important object of protecting the inhabitants of our extended frontier exposed to the cruelty of savages, and the depredations of the enemy. If I must rely upon the militia solely for such protection, I entreat you to give orders to your officers here, to furnish upon my order for the use of militia detachments, all needful weapons and articles with which the United States are furnished, and of which we are destitute.

" You may rely upon the assistance which my talents, influence and authority can furnish, in the active prosecution of the just and necessary war, which has been declared by the constituted authority of our beloved country." ' , ■

From the day of the declaration of the war, the governor entered heart and soul into the prosecution of it, and so continued until its close. Most of the frontier troops the first campaign, were militia, and many of them were marched several hundred

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miles. The quarter master general of that day, refused to make any advances to them ; the governor was therefore placed in the dilemma of providing as well as he could for them, expenses of every kind, or of permitting, them to return home for want of accommodation, disgusted both with the war and the government; lie issued orders for raising a brigade of volutiteers upon his own responsibility, which greatly distinguished itself on the Niagara frontier, and particularly at the memorable sortie from Fort Erie.