At the
moment of Colonel Burr's arrival, Colonel Littlefield [1] had returned
from a plundering expedition (for to plunder those called tories was
then deemed lawful), and had brought up horses, cattle, bedding,
clothing, and other articles of easy transportation, which he had
proposed to distribute among the party the next day. Colonel Burr's
first act of authority was to seize and secure all this plunder; and
he immediately took measures for restoring it to the owners. This gave
us much trouble, but it was abundantly repaid by the confidence it
inspired.
He then made known his determination to suppress plundering. The same
day he visited all the guards; changed their position; dismissed some
of the officers, whom he found totally incompetent; gave new
instructions. On the same day, also, he commenced a register of the
names and characters of all who resided near and below his guards.
Distinguished by secret marks the whig, the timid whig, the tory, the
horse-thief, and those concerned in, or suspected of, giving
information to the enemy. He also began a map of the country, in the
vicinity of the fort; of the roads, by-roads, paths, creeks, morasses,
&c., which might become hiding-places for the disaffected or for
marauding parties. This map was made by Colonel Burr himself, from
such materials as he could collect on the spot, but principally from
his own observation.
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