*magazines* of forage at Wright's Mills &c." - "Thro' this district an open communication is kept up betwixt the enemy & the disaffected in Dutchess County." & - - "Three of the enemy's armed vessels have come up as high as Tarrytown. there they have dropped anchor. They are either sent up to make a feint on the right, whilst an attempt is made to surprise our advanced post at Wards; or they are come up in order to carry down stock & grain. &c. &c. pp. 366-'7 [X] / Extract of a letter from Genl. Wooster to the Committee of Conventions dated "HeadQuarters, New Rochelle, 23d Feby 1777." - "On Thursday night last enemy landed 300 men on New City Island to attack us fr. the water, when a party of Rangers from the Fort (Independence) came up, attacked one of our advanced posts, fired a house but by the vigilance of my troops were detected &c. & retreated without executing their design." p. 375. / Letters of Col.
Duer, Col. Van Renesselaer. Jon G. Tompkins, Israel Honeywell & others - "The whole of the New York troops now stationed at Wards, (including Capt. Delavan's Company of Rangers) does not exceed 160 men, officers included; - a force scarcely sufficient to keep out proper guards & patrolling parties, in order to prevent a sur- -prise, & totally inadequate to the purpose of foraging, or cutting off supplies of men & pro- -visions from the enemy's army. (Cromwells, Febr. 25th 1777)." - "Wm. Duer & J.G.T. to Col. V. R. dated Feby 24th 1777." "We are of opinion that the men under yr [your] command with Capt. Delavan's Company of Rangers, whom we have ordered to join you, should post yourselves at Wards, & maintain that station till obliged to retreat before a superior force. - We are sensible that this situation since the retreat of Genl.