expected from a community in which the revolutionary party had scarcely "' a Corporal's Guard," except of those who were office-holders or office-seekers? -- but as soon as two Companies had been organized, the County Committee "took the liberty, with all •' submission, to recommend Samuel Drake, to be " Colonel ; * Lewis Graham, to be Lieutenant-Colonel ; 2 " Abraham Storm, to be First Major ; " Samuel Lyon, " of Northcastle, to be Second Major; Elijah Miller, to " be Adjutant ; * and Josiah Mills, to be Quarter-mas- " ter 5 ;" and thus the re-organization of the Militia of Westchester-county and the organization of her fighting population were completed.
There was one feature in the Provincial Congress's enactment for the reorganization of the Militia which was oppressive on the great body of the working classes, who were unable to bear the burden it imposed ; and it was made the subject of serious complaint to those of the well-born whom, in many instances, they had, unwittingly, placed in authority -- revolutionary authority^-over themselves. Beference is made to the requirement that every one, between the ages of sixteen and fifty years, should furnish himself with a good musket and bayonet, a sword or tomahawk, a cartridge-box and belts, twenty-three rounds of cartridges, twelve flints, and a knapsack ; in addition to which he was to keep, in reserve, a pound of gunpowder and three pounds of bullets, of proper size for his musket.
These he was required to have and to keep, continually ; and he was required, also, to parade, for drill, on the first Monday of each month. Heavy penalties were imposed on those who should fail to discharge all these requirements ; with levies on the properties of the delinquents, if they possessed property, or, in the absence of property, they were to be imprisoned " until such fine, together " with the charges, should be paid," which meant, at that time, an imprisonment in a cold Jail, without any other food than that which the prisoners' friends or the charitable could provide; without the slightest opportunity to earn anything, from which to support themselves or pay the fines; and the starvation of