Take care that your men have their knap- " sacks and Blankets with them & provisiens for their " march. -- The (.Quartermaster ought by all means to " come with the Regiment.

" It is not doubted but you will give orders that "your Troops observe the greatest regularity in their " march, and if you order the several Companies to " proceed " [jirecedc f] " each other a few miles in their ' march they will be more easily accommodated.

" Sulfer no Delay in bringing in your Regiment. " I am respectfully Sir your very humble serv' " R. Yates, Ch.

" P.S. -- It is expected that Col° Drake will leave a "sufticieut Guard of his Regiment at the cannon be- " youd Kings- bridge. -- He will be a proper judge how " many may be necessary for that small service." '

As Captain Varian and his eighteen companions, facetiously regarded as one of the Companies of Minule-men of which Colonel Drake's Regiment was subsequently composed, were, then, unknown as soldiers,'^ that Regiment could not have possibly mustered more than two Companies commanded, respectively, by Captains Slason and Seely ' -- that commanded by Captain Gray was not organized until six days after the Regiment had been ordered into the service;* and no record appears of any attempt having been made to organize the two Companies, in the Cortlandt's Manor, for which blank Commissions had been issued, in advance of any organization, in the preceding October ' -- although it is understood that those Companies which were commanded by Captains Gray and Steinrod subseiiueiitly joined it. There is no known Rdiu n of the actual strength of the Regiment, at any time; but within a few days after it had