" Ordkred, That Colonel Gilbert Drake repair " immediately to Westchester-county and purchase "twelve hundred barrels of the best Pork, and " have the same safely stored, agreeable to the " Resolves of this Congress, of the ninth day of "March instant; that betake with him, from New- " York, a sworn Inspector and Repacker of Pork, to " inspect and re-pack the same ; and that he i)urchase " and store, at the cheapest rate in his power, Flour " sufiicient for the use of five thousand nu^ii for a " month."

Notwithstanding the adroitness of Colonel Gilbert Drake, in concentrating within his own ])erson the sole authority to purchase all the Pork and all the Flour which were considered necessary, when the lastnamed Resolution wa.s ado])teil by the Provincial Congress, his associates in the De|)Utation from Westchester-county were already in the field, bargaining for barrelled Pork, under the provisions of the former Resolution ; entering into comi)etition

^Slfjihen Muglun, A.D.C., lo the Commanding OJic<r of the Amerieim Forces in New York, " Cambriiige, 9tli Marcli, 1770."

'ijuiirmil of the Provincial Comjress, ** Die Mercurii, 10 ho., A.M., March " 13, 1776."

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, 1774-1783.

with him, iiinong the sellers of Pork, who were not slow to take iulviiiitage of that circuiiistaiice, in advancing the prices of the goods; and, to a corresponding extent, intercejiting, atlvantageously to themselves, the profits uC thosi; i)articular transactions which, bnt for their interference, wonld have fallen into his baski'l.

The Provincial Congress liad adjourned, leaving its Committee of Safety to discharge its ordinary duties;' and William Paulding was the only Deputy frotn Westchester-county who remained in the City of New York. Hut, on the afternoon ol' the first day of the existence of tliat Committee, [JZ-f/r/t IS, 1770,] Mr. Paulding, whose hand was evidently clean while those of all his fellow Deputies were seriously smirched, " informed the Committee tliat several of the