B Lieutenant-colonel Hammond to the Convention, "Tarrytown, July "16,1776;" General Clinton to General Washington, "Fort Montgom- "ery, July 23, 1776."

• Journal of the Convention, " Friday morning, July 16, 1776."

WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

of the river; and those who were already in the service, from Orange and Ulster-counties, were ordered to be posted in the Highlands, to guard the defiles, therein, which were westward from the Hudson-river, as General Clinton should direct. The provisions of these enactments were completed by the appointment of Colonel Thomas Thomas as the Colonel-commanding and Ebenezer Purdy as the Major, of the troops which were to be drawn from Westchester-county 1 -- an appointment of Colonel which was made in the hurry of the moment and under a misapprehension, the Convention having erroneously supposed Colonel Thomas was the senior Colonel of the Westchestercounty Militia, whereas the seniority rested on Colonel Drake ; and which Election, subsequently, produced a serious rupture in the military circles of the County, and between the two rivals and their respective friends, 2 since Colonel Thomas resolutely retained the authority which he had thus received by mistake. 3 A guard of fifty men was also provided for the protection of the public stores of Provisions, at or near Peekskill ; i and the Commissioners for building the Continental Ships, at Poughkeepsie, were requested to exert their utmost abilities and attention to defend those Ships from the hostile attempts of the enemy, and, if nothing else, to preserve the Oak-plank, Rigging, and other Stores from falling into his hands. 5