On the thirty-first of January, 1776, the Committee of Safety directed Jacamiah Allen to remove those of the guns which were near Kingsbridge, as well as those which were near John Williams's, " to the " larger parcel at Valentine's, so as to have them all "brought together, for the greater convenience of " guarding them and drilling out the spikes;" and, at the same time, the Committee agreed to give Allen twenty shillings a])iece for clearing and unspiking the whole of the guns and for removing those at Williams's; but those at Kingsbridge were to be removed at the expense of the Commitee."

'There are so many entries, in the Journal of the Committee of Safety, concerning the spiking of the guns and those who were supposed to have been interested in the transaction, that we cannot pretend to refer to them, separately. The reader is referred to the body of the Jourmd, during January and February, 1776.

See. also, the Journal of the Provincial Congress, during March, 177C;etc.

^Journal of the Committee of Safety, "Pie Merrurii, 10 ho., .\..M., " Jany. 31, 1775."

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

On the twenty-second of January, one of the Independent Companies of the City of New York,* probably "The Brown BrrFS," commanded by Captain Jonathan Blake,- was ordered into the service of the Colony, for the protection of the guns ; but a draft was subsequently made from the Minute-men of the County, to discharge that service,' a Captain, a Lieutenant, two Sergeants, a Corporal, fourteen privates, a Guardhouse, and all the surroundings of a permanent outpost having been provided for that easy purpose.* It might have been expected that that favored party of White Plains Minute-men would very soon excite feelings of envy among those, surrounding its position, who were not enjoying the feast of fat things which it had secured ; and it was so -- David Barclay, recommended by Stephen Ward, the latter a Tavern-keeper, near where Tuckahoe is, and a deputy in the Provincial Congress,' applied for the job of guarding the guns, offering to do so for thirteen pounds per week, which was less than one half the amount which had been expended on the skeleton Company of Minutemen who had previously discharged that duty ; * and the offer was promptly accepted.' Jacamiah Allen, who was drilling the spikes from the guns, appears, however, to have been unwilling that any others should poach on his manor; and, very promptly, he underbid Barclay, offering to do the same guard-duty which Varian and Barclay had successively done, the former at a cost of more than twentj'-six pounds and the latter at thirteen, for only six pounds, ten shill-