Head Quarters, near Liberty Pole, August 24, 1780
Dear Sir:
You will be pleased immediately upon the receipt of this to commence the Forage of Barbadoes Neck and as far up as Polifly. The necessities of the Army require that it should be executed as extensively as possible in the Articles of Cattle, Hogs, and Sheep fit for slaughter. You will endeavour to gain a knowledge of the well and ill affected inhabitants and make distinctions accordingly, but your general Rule must be to leave only a sufficiency for the uses of the several families. You will observe the same Rule as to Horses, fit for service. If you can procure an intelligent inhabitant to attend you, he will be useful to you in the above respects. You will endeavour to load the Waggons which you have impressed and those which will be sent to you with Oats in preference to any other kind of Forage. Good Hay should next engage your attention and after that Wheat, or any other kind of Grain.
Persons from the Quarter Master Genl. and Commy. will attend you and take an account of and give Receipts for the articles belonging to their respective departments. The Horses, Cattle, Hogs and sheep are to be sent as they are collected to the Liberty pole where proper persons will be ready to receive them. If it is possible, send up forty or fifty Cattle this Evening. The Forage is to be sent to Bogart’s Mills, which is about half way between Tappan and Paramus.
I am &c.
1 Asa Worthington. He was inspector of cattle for the Commissary Department.
2 The draft is in the writing of Tench Tilghman.