1. This letter from Maxwell to GW of 30 Oct. has not been found.

2. GW inserted the previous eight words in his own writing.

3. GW inserted the previous six words in his own writing.

4. At this place on the draft, GW struck out “which I am informed is a better forage Country than sufferans” and wrote “till further orders” above the line.

5. GW is referring to an elevation in the Newark Mountains, now known as the Watchung Mountains (see GW to Sullivan, 31 Oct.).

6. After this word, GW wrote the draft until the postscript, which is in Meade’s writing.

7. Maxwell eventually located his command at Scotch Plains, New Jersey. Sgt. Maj. George Grant of the 3d New Jersey Regiment, one of Maxwell’s soldiers, recorded in his diary entry for 6 Nov.: “To Scotch Plains and encamped. Remained there in tents for six weeks during the most severe and cold weather” (Sullivan Expedition Journals, description begins Frederick Cook, ed., and George S. Conover, comp. Journals of the Military Expedition of Major General John Sullivan against the Six Nations of Indians in 1779 With Records of Centennial Celebrations. Auburn, N.Y., 1887. description ends 114).

8. Moore Furman, deputy quartermaster for New Jersey, had overseen this concentration of forage. Furman’s letter to Samuel Flanaghan (Flanningham), assistant quartermaster for Gloucester County, written at Pittstown on 13 Oct., reads: “I recd. yours of the 10th inst. I am amazed at the Prices you mention for the Articles of Forage wanted …

“There is very pressing orders lately from his Excellency Genl. Washington to have a good Quantity of Forage of all Sorts laid in to supply the Army if they should return into this State this Winter which may be the Case if not to send forward to them in York State. … You will correspond with Mr. Tagart & try to give one price for Forage” (Furman Letters, description begins Historical Research Committee of the New Jersey Society of the Colonial Dames of America, ed. The Letters of Moore Furman: Deputy Quarter-Master General of New Jersey in the Revolution. New York, 1912. description ends 18). Furman’s letter to Jacob Tagart, assistant quartermaster for Salem County, written at Pittstown on the same date, in part reads: “It requires the Spirit of Prophecy to give you Directions respecting the Purchasing Forage—

“His Excellency Genl. Washington has lately ordered that a good Stock be laid in. you will therefore proceed to purchase on the best Terms you can I have done all in my power to keep down the Price but in vain I therefore as Forage must be had must leave you at Liberty not Doubting but you will do the best you can for the Public in whose service you are engaged You will get good Intelligence from the Neighboring States & if Possible not exceed them. correspond with the Purchasers in the adjoining Counties so that you may not raise the Price on each other—The Price hitherto given & offer’d for forage in this end of the State has generally been about Forty Pounds for Hay Eight Dollars for Oats & Buckwheat Ten for Corn & Twelve Rye but are now rising” (Furman Letters, description begins Historical Research Committee of the New Jersey Society of the Colonial Dames of America, ed. The Letters of Moore Furman: Deputy Quarter-Master General of New Jersey in the Revolution. New York, 1912. description ends 23).

A worried Furman wrote Q.M. Gen. Nathanael Greene from Morristown, N.J., on 19 Oct.: “What is to be done about the price of Forage? The People now ask me more than until very lately was ever thought of and the Magistrates in whose hand the Law is Countenance them and adjudge the prices asked. Hay is now Ffty pounds in this County Rye 18 Dolr Corn 16 D. Oats & Buckwheat 12D & Cannot get money fast enough to pay for it nor time to count it if I could get it at these rates & Dollar Depreciated to 2 d unless Congress recommend & the Several States come into Some regulating Law to put a stop to these things it will be impossible to Supply the Army if ever so much money is made for the increase in Quantity keeps the Depreciation in constant motion” (Furman Letters, description begins Historical Research Committee of the New Jersey Society of the Colonial Dames of America, ed. The Letters of Moore Furman: Deputy Quarter-Master General of New Jersey in the Revolution. New York, 1912. description ends 26–28, and Greene Papers, description begins Richard K. Showman et al., eds. The Papers of General Nathanael Greene. 13 vols. Chapel Hill, N.C., 1976–2005. description ends 4:478–80).

Lt. Col. John Graves Simcoe’s raid into New Jersey during this month showed the vulnerability of the gathered forage, and Furman wrote Greene from Trenton on 27 Oct.: “I came here last Evening Soon after I heard of the Expedition from Staten Island … I was much afraid the Enemies object was the Forage but they have destroyed very little of that. What will be done to save it. Will there be some troops down to Scotch plains or near to keep off there small parties” (Furman Letters, description begins Historical Research Committee of the New Jersey Society of the Colonial Dames of America, ed. The Letters of Moore Furman: Deputy Quarter-Master General of New Jersey in the Revolution. New York, 1912. description ends 29–30, and Greene Papers, description begins Richard K. Showman et al., eds. The Papers of General Nathanael Greene. 13 vols. Chapel Hill, N.C., 1976–2005. description ends 4:505). For Simcoe’s raid, see GW to George Clinton, 29 Oct., and n.5 to that document.

In a letter to Greene written at Pittstown on 29 Oct., Furman renewed his concerns: “I am now very uneasy at the exposed Situation of the Forage which make no doubt will be thought of at Head Quarters. a Considerable Quantity of Hay at and near the Scotch Plains is then a few hours March of the Enemy and I fear for it” (Furman Letters, description begins Historical Research Committee of the New Jersey Society of the Colonial Dames of America, ed. The Letters of Moore Furman: Deputy Quarter-Master General of New Jersey in the Revolution. New York, 1912. description ends 30). Greene replied to Furman from West Point on 3 Nov.: “General Maxwells brigade is orderd down to the lower Country for the security of the forage. His Excellency [Washington] also talks of sending Col Baylors light Horse into the neighbourhood of Springfield. I am afraid the Horse will be more distressing than useful” (Greene Papers, description begins Richard K. Showman et al., eds. The Papers of General Nathanael Greene. 13 vols. Chapel Hill, N.C., 1976–2005. description ends 5:8–9; see also Furman to Greene, 8 Nov., in Greene Papers, description begins Richard K. Showman et al., eds. The Papers of General Nathanael Greene. 13 vols. Chapel Hill, N.C., 1976–2005. description ends 5:30–31, and Furman to Daniel Marsh, same date, in Furman Letters, description begins Historical Research Committee of the New Jersey Society of the Colonial Dames of America, ed. The Letters of Moore Furman: Deputy Quarter-Master General of New Jersey in the Revolution. New York, 1912. description ends 36–37).

A letter from GW’s aide-de-camp Tench Tilghman to Greene written at West Point on 3 Nov. reads: “As His Excellency would wish to have the several matters required by the Engineers prepared, notwithstanding we are under no certainty of an operation, he desires you will give orders to have one thousand or fifteen hundred sand Bags, of proper materials, put in hand. They are to be 15 or 18 Inches long and 12 Inches wide. Should any intelligence arrive, which will make the Bags unnecessary, you shall have immediate notice: His Excellency also desires you to enquire of Colo. Biddle, by the earliest opportunity, the propriety of ordering Baylors Dragoons to Westfeild, to give more perfect security to the forage than what it acquires from Infantry only. The principal consideration will be, whether they will not consume too great a quantity of the forage intended for consumption in our Winter cantonments” (PPAmP: Nathanael Greene Papers). For the sandbags, see Duportail and Alexander Hamilton to GW, 26 Oct., and GW to Duportail and Hamilton, 1 November.

9. Maxwell replied to GW on 3 November.