Westchester County, New York, During the American Revolution
Duchess-county, also, asked for further protection from the aggressions of the " disaffected," as Westchester-county had done ; 3 and, notwithstanding two Companies had been already raised for that purpose and were then in service, 4 a third Company was ordered to be added to the local force. 5 Like the Militia of Westchester-county, that of Duchess-county was exceedingly " disaffected," and would not be drafted; 6 and with the rashness and haughtiness of the despotism which it wielded, James Duane and John Jay being present, the Committee of Duchess-county, with its local military force, was directed to assist in enforcing the Order, 7 as if one who was thus forcibly crowded into the Army, after the manner of the Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel and the other Old World despots, would ever become a useful and effective soldier. The lower portions of Albany-county and the Manor of Livingston, also, asked for the enlistment and establishment of a local military force, for the only purpose of protecting the very few friends of the Convention who lived there, from the far greater number of the "disaffected" who also lived there ; 8 and the measure of the anxiety of
1 Journal of the Committee of S.xfelij, "Tuesday, A.M., Fiskill, Sep. "tember the 3rd, 1776;" the Committee of Safety to the Chairman of the Committee of Westchester-county, " Fishkill, September 3, 1776." 'Journal of the Convention, '-Die Sabbati, 4 ho., P.M., Augt. 10, 1776." 8 John Field and Jonathan Paddock to the President of the Convention, " Dutchess, Southeast Precinct, 7th Oct., 1776 ; " Journal of the Committee of Safety, " Die Martis, 9 ho., A.M., Octr. 8, 1776." * Vide pages 172, 173, ante.