150 Journal and Correspondence

Red Book
No. 7

The board have also directed that about 100 prisoners at Win-
chester in Virg^a be sent to Fort Frederick.
In consequence of these orders, the prisoners will accumulate on
Col Rawlings hands, & he probably will have occasion to call upon
your Excellency for an augmentation of his guard, & for Provisions,
in which case, the board take the liberty to require that the necessary
assistance may be afforded him.
The Commissions for the Maryland Line will be forwarded in a
few days.

October 17
Red Book
No. 7
Letter
No. 58

[Ephraim Blaine Philadelphia to Pres. Huntington]

Sir Permit me thro' your Excellency to remind Congress about
the Supplies of our Army which gives me much real concern and
uneasiness, they are not fed from day to day, and scarcely a week
has past this three months that they have not been one or two days
wanting either Bread or Beef.
Your Magazines are now destitute of Flour, Bread, Beef, Pork,
Fish, Salt, Rum and none upon the continent to my knowledge can
furnish one days Supply. The States of New hampshire and Massa-
chusetts bay are our principal dependence for Beef, the French
being stationed at Rhode island has deprived the Agent of that State
from giving any Assistance; indeed he is hard put to it, to find the
continental troops on that station & the State officers of Connecticut
told his Excellency Gen^l Washington at Hartford that lit [the] could
be expected from that State. I have no relief from the State of New
York for the main [army] they have not been able to furnish
their frontier [posts] with beef. I have had frequent applications
for supplies and they have actually had two or three hundred head
of Cattle from the Com^ee of Massachusetts bay. Jersey can furnish
but little Beef and not a large quantity of flour, their quota of sup-
plies must be furnished between this and the first of J[anuary?] I
believe there is not above one quarter of the[ir supply] of meat due.
Pensylvania as yet have delivered very little flour, no salt nor do I
know of their having any Cattle. Sickness prevented my going to the
State of Delaware & Maryland, therefore can't inform you what is
done in those places. The enclosed copies of Letters will shew you the
situation of the southern department. Major Forsyth my deputy I
expect him every moment who will give you further information
All the Garrisons and posts in the middle department are desti-
tute of provisions, and no means in my power of relieving them.
The season is now advanced and passing, in which quantities of beef
ought to be procured and laid in at those places, otherwise the troops
must disband for want of subsistance.
I arn distressed to think how the Army is to be kept together thro'
the winter, it will be impossible without large quantities of Beef