LANCASTER COUNTT. 417 



would adopt so salutary a measure, as it is- of the> first 

 consequence to have veterans, in place of raw raised 

 troops, which will always be the case if the recruiting 

 business is put off till the spring of the year ; and then 

 the time is so short that we can't hope either to complete 

 or maneuvre our corps before they take the field. I 

 wish your excellency to order the recruits to be clothed 

 and appointed before they leave Lancaster, as they can't 

 be supplied here, the sixteen additional regiments, and 

 tlie Carolina troops being ordered to be supplied previous 

 to any others, so that we have little prospect of receiving 

 any benefit from the Clothier general's store in this 

 quarter; and although tolerable with regard to shoes, 

 stockings and hats, we arc but wretchedly provided in 

 other respects, particularly as to shirts. I do assure your 

 excellency that there are near one-third of my men that 

 have no kind of shirts under heaven ; and scarcely a 

 man in the division with more than one, nor have I been 

 able to draw any during this whole winter. For God's 

 sake endeavor to do something for us ; the season has 

 now arrived that requires every attention to keep the 

 troops healthy, and nothing will be more conducive to it 

 than clean linen ; in this article we are in a worse con- 

 dition than any troops on the ground ; now worse than 

 Falstaff's recruits — they had a shirt and a half to a com- 

 pany. You will pardon me for dwelling so long on this, 

 subject, but upon my soul I cannot help it ; my feeUngs. 

 as a man are so much hurt by the complainings and 

 misery of the poor fellows, who have no shirts at ally 

 that I can have no peace of mind until they are provided^ 

 A quantity of superfine cloth, and about 12 or 1500 

 yards of linens and cloths were purchased by Colonel 

 Miller, and left in the hands of Mr. Jacob Eichelberger 

 at York, for the use of our troops \ will you be kind 



