Leake were appointed to purchase coarse woollen Cloth, Linsey-woolsey, Blankets, woollen Hose, Mittens, coarse Linen, felt Hats, and Shoes, for the soldiers, and to have the Linen made up into Shirts, all in Westchester county ; and throe hundred pounds-- seven hundred and fiity dollars-- were appropriated for that purpose. (Journal of the Committee of Safety, ''Die Mercurii, 9 ho., A.M., " Octr. 9, 1776.") Although there were supplies of Grain much nearer to the Army, and vastly more exposed to the enemy's foraging parties, no Grain was purchased elsewhere than in the Livingston Manor, from which three thousand bushels of Oats, at four shillings per bushel, and four thousand bushels of old Corn and one thousand bushels of Rye, the two latter at five shillings per bushel, were drawn, at one time; but Peter R. Livingston was President of the Convention, and Gilbert Livingston and James Livingston and Philip Livingston and Robert R. Livingston and James Duane and John Jay and Pierre Van Cortlandt-- the lust- named three having been Livingstons by their marriages -- were members of that Convention; and six of them were present when the order was given. (Journal of the Convention, " Monday morning, September 30, 1776.")

Need there be any Surprise that, with such an array of strong men in its favor, that he more distant and less exposed Manor of Livingston should be chosen, especially since the purchasing agent of the Quartermaster-general of the Continental Army was at Fishkill, with funds to meet the drafts of Dirck Jansen, who was selected by the Convention, to gather the grain from the farmers or from the manorial storehouses, and, also„ especially since no inspection of either the quantity or the quality of what was to be thus purchased, was provided for.