Instructions were also given, also without limitation, for the purchase of Horses and Oxen ; and if they could not be purchased, the lucky agent was authorized to hire them, " at the most rea- "sonable rates." ' It was for the purpose of making

1 Qii irtermaaler-gctieral Mijliii to Willuim Duer, "Mount Washington, " October 20, 1776."

such opportunities as these, that the dominant faction had revolted; and in such bauds as those of William Duer and the Livingstons, such opportunities never failed to be made useful, always to themselves and sometimes to the State and the Country.

There was ample reason, however, for the anxiety of General Washington, concerning Provisions for the supply of the Army, since, at the time when he ordered the establishment of a Magazine, in the upper part of Duchess-county, there were not more than fifteen hundred barrels of Flour and two hundred barrels of Pork, at Kingsbridge and on the Heights of Harlem; and there were very few live Cattle, of any kind, collected, at any place within the neighborhood of t he Army. As the enemy had the control of the navigation on the Hudson-river, as well as of that on the Sound, there could not be any transportation of the much-needed supplies, by water; and the great scarcity of teams, growing more and more evident, day by day, rendered the prospect of a transportation, by land-carriage, of what would become necessary for the maintenance of the Army, exceedingly discouraging, especially since the enemy had indicated his intention to cut oft" the lines of communication by land, as well as those by water. The General was necessarily led, therefore, to concentrate whatever of supplier he had, at the White Plains ; to request and entreat that every possible exertion should be made to have large quantities of Provisions carried to the interior parts of the country, out of the reach of the enemy, and with the utmost expedition ; and to inform the Commissary-general of the Army that a failure to effect these would, he feared, he was certain, be productive of the fatal consequences attending on mutiny and plunder, adding, significantly, " indeed, the latter " will be authorized by necessity."