Am, Sir, with due Regard your Excellency’s Most Obed’t and verry Hum’e Serv’t
Henry Ludinton.
His Excelency George Clinton, Esqr.
The governor regarded Colonel Ludington’s request for more officers as reasonable, and promptly complied with it as follows:
Sir, In Answer to yours of the 1st Instant I have to inform you that Lieuts. Johnson, Duel & Becker of your Regt. are appointed Officers in the Levies. These will have orders to receive & march your Quota to the Place of Rendevouz. The last I received from you I answered a Day or two after it came to Hand. My Letter was forwarded by Judge Paine. If you apply to the Secry. I imagine you will find that the appointments for your Regt. agreable to your Return have long since been perfected. Agreable to a Notification in the public News Papers the Council mett at this Place on the 26th Instant. It would have been proper to have applied to them at that Time either to have had the vacancies in your Regt. filled up or to have made your Resignation as they only have the Power of doing the former or of accepting of the latter. I am &c.
(G. C.)
There may be some other gentlemen residing within your Regt. appointed officers for the Levies but of this I cant be certain as I am neither acquainted with its Limits or their Places of Residence. (To Colonel Ludinton.)
A fortnight later new orders as to the distribution of levies were issued. Colonel Ludington was to be retained on duty in Westchester County, where he was much needed. But a sharp controversy arose over his alleged dilatoriness in raising his quota of men. These letters indicate the general trend of affairs at that time:
Fishkeels 13th May 1781.
D’r Governor, I have just Returnd from three days fortague receving Colo. Vanderburgh Levies.