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

' UUtofieal Mnmucripls, etc. : Militui ij Cimiinillif, xxv., 658. - Viile pages 284, ante. Ibid,

* Helnriit nf iiii Elidii<ii <•/ Ojliins ,1/ IIkiI Cniuiiaiiii, "Bedfoup, 15 Fcby, " 177(i "-- 7/i«(«nc.i( MiiiiUK'-i ijilf, utc. : Mililtmj Hiliinm, x.\vii., 196.

^ Mnminiinlitni hit (lilbt-rt L>r<iA*<.', ChtlirmuH of Wfslrhenler-couittlj Commit- 0*'. "WuiTE Pi..\iNS, October 21, 177.'» Journal of Provincial Gongre^^y " Die McrcHiii, 10 bo., A.M., October 25, 177.')."

•2G

entered the Continental service, and after its reinforcement had joined it, it numbered not more than a 1 hundred and fifty men ; * and about two week.s subse- <iuently, little more than a month after it had been mustered in, it was made ridiculous and the propensity to ollice-holding among " the"friends of Liberty," in Westchester-county, was forcibly illustrated by the following paragraph, which appeared in the dciieral Orders of the commanding Officer of the Continental Army in New York :