Henry Ludington’s commission as colonel from State of New York, 1778 72 Letter from Abraham B. Bancker to Colonel Ludington about militia 74 View of highroad and plains from site of Colonel Ludington’s house 90 Fac-simile of Colonel Ludington’s signature 102 Letter from Col. Nathaniel Sackett to Colonel Ludington on secret service 114 Home of the late George Ludington on site of Colonel Ludington’s house 132 Home of the late Frederick Ludington, son of Colonel Ludington, at Kent 134 Mahogany table used by Colonel Ludington, at which, according to family tradition, Washington and Rochambeau dined 165 Letter from Governor Clinton to Colonel Ludington about militia 170 Pay certificate of a member of Colonel Ludington’s regiment 188 Colonel Ludington’s tombstone at Patterson, formerly part of Fredericksburgh, N. Y. 208 Portrait of Frederick Ludington, son of Colonel Ludington 216 Portrait of Gov. Harrison Ludington, grandson of Col. Ludington 218 Old store at Kent, built by Frederick and Lewis Ludington about 1808 220 Home of the late Lewis Ludington, son of Colonel Ludington, at Carmel 222 Portrait of Lewis Ludington, son of Colonel Ludington 224 Portrait of Charles Henry Ludington, grandson of Colonel Ludington 226 PREFACE The part performed by the militia and militia officers in the War of the Revolution does not seem always to have received the historical recognition which it deserves. It was really of great importance, especially in southern New England and the Middle States, at times actually rivaling and often indispensably supplementing that of the regular Continental Army. It will not be invidious to say that of all the militia none was of more importance or rendered more valuable services than those regiments which occupied the disputed border country between the American and British lines, and which guarded the bases of supplies and the routes of communication. There was probably no region in which borderland friction was more severe and intrigues more sinister than that which lay between the British in New York City and the Americans at the Highlands of the Hudson, nor was there a highway of travel and communication more important than that which led from Hartford in Connecticut to Fishkill and West Point in New York.