shall be permitted to pass; whether Mrs. Graham & Children are to pass on the order of the Justice that she go in, or that your permission is also necessary, & what is to be done with Mrs. Ball. Your pleasure when signifyed will be most strictly attended to. The women had a large number of letters some seald and others open. I inclose one to your Exellency for the following reasons: first, as it is possible; you may not know that the family are in the State while the man is in the actual service of the Enemy, and, Secondly, as it points out the safest way, as it is expressed of sending things out.

I request your Excellency would order the report of the Officer to be returned, as it is the original. If there is no objection, Mrs. Wray's Letter if returned shall be handed to Mrs. Sniffin.

Our grand Forrage is to take place this afternoon & will be compleated tomorrow morning. The covering Party consists of about 1500 regular Troops & some of the Militia. It is expected near 200 Teams will be emploued; hope the consequences will be advantageous both to the State & army.

The inclosed from Major Platt to Colonel Tupper was handed to me the last evening. I hope the news is true. We have a report that another embarkation is takeing place at New York. I have the honor to be with the greatest respect your Excellency's most Obedient Servant.

His Excellency Governor Clinton.

W. Heath.

THE GOVERNOR'S REPLY.

Pokeepsie 24th Nov'r 1780.

Dear Sir, I am this Moment favoured with yours of yesterday inclosing the Report of Lieut. Colo. Conway [?] and am much oblidged to you for your attention. It was represented to me

that there was a Flagg from the Enemy in the River near your Post when Mrs. Sniffin &c. had my Permission to go within the Enemy's Lines & as I expected, they woud had this been the Case have been taken on Board in an open Boat, I did not conceive it necessary to use my Precautions ag't their taking an Excess of Provission with them. It is my Oppinion that they be indulged with sufficiency only for their Passage or Journey. Their Husbands or Friends who are with the Enemy may provide for them when they arive at New York. It is extreamly wrong in Bogardus to attempt to take any Inhabitant of the state to New York without having my Permission, and I am sorry to believe that the Error did not proceed from Ignorance. I thought I discovered some Time since a strong Desire to get a Flagg to conduct the Women who have my Permission to New York by Water from Fishkill & I am induced to believe that other Purposes were to be answered by it. For this Reason I wish Bogardus may not be permitted to proceed even to Tarry Town, unless a Trusty Officer is put on Board his Sloop & the Hands changed. All the Women mentioned in your Letter as they are so far on their Way may be permitted to proceed. They are an Incumbrance and I wish to get rid of them. I de tain Mrs. Wray's Letter because she has attempted to run it. It is known that her Husband is in the Enemy's Service. Her Relations are all within & Whigs & this I presume has procured the Indulgence of continuing in Albany.

I sincerely hope your Forrage may be attended with Success & advantages equal to your wishes & that the Southern news

may soon be confirmed. The Report is inclosed. Yours with

much Respect & Regard.

[To General Health.]

[G. C.]

[No. 3388.]

Arthur Jarvis Permitted to Send His Family to New York.

Woodbury, 25th Nov'r 1780.

S'r, By Mrs. Albony I understand that your Excellency (to whom she Mention'd her Mother's Intentions of Retur'g to New York) approv'd of it, and was Kind Enough to promice her your kind protection, for w'ch your Excell'y has the kind Thanks of the Family; in Consequence of your Excell'y Incouraging promice, I have made aplication to the Gov'r & Council of this State for a permit and obtain'd one for my whole Family, and shall, as soon as I can conveniently get ready, return to the City. Mrs. Blaau, whose greatest Happiness depends upon the Company of her Sister, begs your Excell'y (whose Friendship was never wanting when Requested) to grant a permit for her when sent for, which she Intends when arriv'd at New York. Mrs. Blaau & Family join in Love to you and Family. I am your Excell'ys Most Obd. Humble Serv't

His Exc'y, Geo. Clinton, Esqr.

[No. 3389.]

Arthur Jarvis.

GENERAL IMPRESS WARRANTS SUGGESTED.

Colonel Hay's Radical Proposition to Insure Provisions for the

Army.

Head Quarters Passaic Falls 27" Novem. 1780.

Dear Sir, I take the liberty of inclosing your Excellency an extract of a letter which I have just received from Colo. Hay, and of assuring you at the same time that the prospects of the army, especially of that part of it which is to winter in the Highlands, were never so alarming in respect to the want of Bread, as at this time. We carry with us, from this ground, tomorrow, every pound which the Comm'y General is possessed of, and 1

cannot learn from him, that he has a single Barrel in magazine in Pennsylvania or Jersey. I shall leave the Pennsylvania and Jersey Troops in Jersey, to depend upon precarious supplies from that State, and what may, in the course of the Winter, be brought from Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland.

The mode proposed by Col. Hay is, I confess, disagreeable, and what ought not to be practiced, but in extremity. We seem to have arrived at that point; and if your Excellency views the thing in the same light that I do, I cannot but hope that you will give a sanction to the measure, upon the footing which Colo. Hay has placed it, or upon some other which will as effectually answer the end.

Did the season admit of waiting till we saw whether a supply of Flour could not possibly be obtained from the Southward, I should not be so sollicitous about the matter, but when it is considered that the first spell of bad weather may render both the Rivers and mountains impassable, I think not a moment ought to be lost in adopting and carrying into execution such measures as seen most likely to afford support to the army in their intended Cantonments. The difficulty which we had to keep it together last Winter, makes me dread a repetition of the same trial, this-if, to the want of Cloathing and every comfort, that of provisions is added. I have the honor to be, with the warmest Sentiments of Respect and Esteem, Dear Sir, your most obt. Serv't

His Excellency Gov. Clinton.

Go. Washington.

Poughkeepsie, 23d Novem'r 1780.

Sir, The still distressed situation the garrison of West Point is in for want of provisions, especially Flour, which it has be

come my province to furnish, alarms me greatly: nor can I rest satisfied, 'till I relate to your Excellency some of the many causes, which I may venture to affirm has prevented me from collecting before this time, the greatest part of the quota of that article demanded from this State, and to propose at same time the only remedy, which to me, now appears to remain.

As to the causes, the want of the money to pay contingent Expences (though the Legislature has taken large strides to procure me some) has not been one of the smallest. It is unnecessary to trouble your Excellency with a detail of the many disadvantages which arose from the disappointments I met with in that way. I shall only beg leave to assure you that two thousand dollars of the new Emission is all the money I have yet been furnished with; nor did I receive even that, 'till about three Weeks ago. The excessive scarcity of money in the State is another cause; for as we purchase totally upon Certificates, it will be easily believed that those who have for years past, had nothing else for all the services they have performed for the public, without being able to receive any Value for them, will not voluntarily part with more of their property on the same terms, especially when they want some of the necessary Articles of Life, which, by being shut out from all their own ports, they must obtain by the medium of Cash or Barter, from other States. But what gave the fatal stab to all my hopes was the law passed last Session for taking off the Embargo, ever since which time, there have been a swarm of Speculators, from the Eastern States, purchasing with hard money, or exchanging for articles the people of this State were excessively in want of.

Previous to the Embargo being taken off, I took the liberty of memorialising the Legislature on the subject, imagining I fore