War Office, Feby. 25. 1778 Sir, Your favor of the 18th instant came to hand yesterday. The board thank and applaud you for your ready exertions to relieve the pressing wants of the Army. Since the orders sent you to purchase provisions, Congress have altered the plan there proposed, & referred the forming of magazines on the east side of Susquehannah to the Governor & Council of this State by their Commissioners in the Several counties. The measures they will take we should hope would be adequate to the necessary supply of flour. The board therefore wish you for the present to forbear purchasing or contracting for wheat & flour, and confine yourself to procuring corn, rye, oats & spelts [?] for forage, & beef & pork, these to be got & sent on to camp with the utmost dispatch. Should you contract for large quantities of wheat & flour they most probably cannot be removed in season & consequently will be in danger of falling into the enemy's hands. For the same reason we would not wish you [insert: to] engage or collect more forage than you can in a reasonable time either transport to the army, or remove to the western side of Susquehanna or other place of safety. But the [2] board are anxious to have you purchase, and if that should not avail, they authorize you to Seize all cattle & swine fit for slaughter, & all salted beef and pork, not necessary for the subsistence of the families to which they belong, within your reach; but first of all the peninsula should be drained, and of the peninsula the parts on the [insert: sea] coasts claim your earliest attention. The Board have ordered 20,000 dollars to be delivered to the Bearer of your letter, when you send again, [strikeout] a full supply we hope will be furnished to you. Inclosed you have another letter from the board respecting the putting up a large quantity of herrings. We wish to receive your answer on the subject as soon as you make up your judgment of the matter. You will at the same time be pleased to furnish us with some estimate of the forage & provisions probably in your power to obtain, their prices, what quantities you can transport to camp, what form into magazines, and your opinion of the most eligible place or places at which to fix the magazines. Every aid you shall need in these matters, the board will gladly afford you. I am sir, your most Able Servant Horatio Gates, President. Col H. Hollingsworth