" Philipse's Manor, Augt. 31, 1776 ; " the Committee of Safety to General Washington, "Augt. 31, 1776."

» Journal of the Committee of Safety, "Monday morning, Octor. 14th, "1776."

WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

" ing into the hands of the enemy, be empowered " either to remove it or them, therefrom, or, if that " should not be practicable, to destroy the same ; " " that the Commissary or Commissaries hereby ap- " pointed be empowered to appoint Agents under " them, and to call upon any officer commanding any '" part of the Militia, for such detachments of the men "under his command as will be necessary to carry " the same into execution ; " " that Mr. Stephen Ward " apply to the Commissary-general for such sums of " money as will, from time to time, be necessary to " carry the above Resolves into execution ; " and " that a copy of the above Resolutions be sent to His " Excellency General Washington and to the Com- " missary-general, requesting their assistance in carrying the same into execution." 1 In the absence of General Lewis Morris, whose hankerings were evidently for something else than for active service in the field, at the head of his Brigade, 2 Colonel Joseph, Drake, of New Rochelle, the senior Colonel, was placed in command of the Westchester-county Militia, with instructions to " call out as many of the Militia, ''with five days provisions, as he shall think suffi- " cient to watch the motions of the enemy's ships, 3 " now in the Sound, and to prevent all communica- " tion with the disaffected inhabitants in said County ; " and that he send notice, from time to time, to the " Convention, of every remarkable occurrence ; and, " for that purpose, that he is hereby empowered to " press horses, when he shall think it necessary." i In faithful compliance with the Order thus sent to him, enough of the Militia were ordered out to guard from Rye-neck to Rodman's-neck, Colonel Graham's Regiment being at Throgg's-neck ; and Colonel Budd was to send a hundred men and to guard from the Snuff- ! mills to Rye-neck. 5 Two days after the disastrous engagement on Long Island, the Convention adjourned from Harlem to Fiskill ; 6 and its Committee