1777.] HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. 297 



Thouf;li relieved from the apprehension of an immediate at- 

 tack on J^hiladelphia, the C'ouiicil of Safety did not slacken their 

 efforts in providin<; for the defence of that city. Early in January 

 an order was issued to County Committees of the nine (counties 

 nearest the city, to furnish 8S,000 bushels of horse feed for the 

 army. The appoi-tionment of Chester County was 4000 bushels. 



The suspicion that Cen. Howe intended to attack Philadelphia 

 by water, was confirmed by the arrest of one James Molesworth,' 

 who had been sent on from New York to secure pilots to conduct 

 the British fleet up the Delaware. Subsequent movements of 

 Howe rendered it difficult to decide whether he would carry out 

 this intention, and made it necessary to embrace a wider scope 

 in providing for the defence of the city. 



On the 25th of April, at the request of Congress, a call was 

 made for 3000 militia, one-half of whom were to be encamped at 

 or near Chester. Each soldier was to be provided with a blanket, 

 but if blankets cannot be purcJiased, " they must be impreased.'' 

 At this time the number of men returned in Chester County ca- 

 pable of bearing arms, was 5000. 



It was required of tlie Committees of the Counties of Phila- 

 delphia, Chester and Bucks, " to take an inventory of all the 

 flour, wheat. Rye & Indian Corn, Oats, Beef, Pork, Horses, 

 Neat Cattle, Sheep, Hogs, &c., also wagons, carts, &c. in said 

 Counties." The ostensible object of this inventory was to have 

 the articles removed in case of any sudden alarm ; but it is pro- 

 bable that a desire to know what amount of provisions and means 

 of transportation could be made available for our army, was at 

 the bottom of this enumeration. 



The defences on the Delaware were submitted to the inspec- 

 tion of a French engineer named De Coudray. In his report he 

 utterly condemns the works at Billingsport and Fort Mifilin as 

 almost useless. Of the fort at Red Bank he says, '' This fort is 

 better conceived, directed and executed than either of those 

 above mentioned. It does the more honor to Col. Bull, [who 

 superintended its erection] as he had no other assistance than 

 natural good sense, unenlightened by theory." He, however, 

 also condemns this fort for the object for which it was construct- 

 ed, and recommends a radical change in the plan and construc- 

 tion of that at Billingsport. The fort at Red Bank, Fort Mifflin, 

 and all the gun-boats, floating batteries, fire-ships, andchevaux- 

 de-frize, were constructed wholly at the expense of Pennsylvania ; 

 the fort at Billingsport alone having been erected at the charge 

 of the United Colonies. A considerable amount of money was ex- 

 pended in remodeling this latter fort, but it appears never to 

 have answered any valuable purpose. 



1 Molesworth was executed on the 31st March, 1777. — Penna. Packet. 



