fficient officer
was needed at that place. Greene was accordingly stationed there, with
a division of the army. He immediately proceeded to complete the
fortifications of that important post, and to make himself acquainted
with the topography and the defensive points of the surrounding
country.

The aggregate force distributed at several extensive posts in New York
and its environs, and on Long Island, Staten Island and elsewhere,
amounted to little more than ten thousand men; some of those were on
the sick list, others absent on command, or on furlough; there were
but about eight thousand available and fit for duty. These, too, were
without pay; those recently enlisted without arms, and no one could
say where arms were to be procured. Washington saw the inadequacy of
the force to the purposes required and was full of solicitude about
the security of a place, the central point of the Confederacy, and the
grand deposit of ordnance and military stores. The process of
fortifying the place had induced the ships of war to fall down into
the outer bay, within the Hook, upwards of twenty miles from the city;
but Governor Tryon was still on board of one of them, keeping up an
active correspondence with the tories on Staten and Long Islands, and
in other parts of the neighborhood.

In addition to his cares about the security of New York, Washington
had to provide for the perilous exigencies of the army in Canada.
Since his arrival in the city, four regiments of troops, a company of
riflemen and another of artificers had been detached under the command
of Brigadier-general Thompson, and a further corps of six regiments
under Brigadier-general Sullivan, with orders to join General Thomas
as soon as possible.

Still Congress inquired of him whether further reinforcements to the
army in Canada would not be necessary, and whether they could be
spared from the army in New York. His reply shows the peculiar
perplexities of his situation and the tormenting uncertainty in which
he was kept, as to where the next storm of war would break. "With
respect to sending more troops to that country, I am really at a loss
what to advise, as it is impossible, at present, to know the designs
of the enemy. Should they send the whole force under General Howe up
the river St. Lawrence, to relieve Quebec and recover Canada, the
troops gone and now going will be insufficient to stop their progress;
and, should they think proper to send that, or an equ