On this subject Colonel Huntington wrote to Governor Trumbull, June 6th, as follows: "Long Island has the greatest proportion of Tories, both of its own growth and of adventitious ones, of any part of this colony; from whence some conjecture that the attack is to be made by that way. It is more likely to be so than not. Notwithstanding the vigilance of our outposts, we are sure there is frequent intercourse between the Asia and the shore, and that they have been supplied with fresh meat. New guards have lately been set in suspected places, which I hope will prevent any further communication."--_Force_, 4th Series, vol. vi., p. 725.] By the 1st of June the works around Brooklyn appear to have so far progressed as to admit of the mounting of some of the cannon, and on the evening of that date the troops were ordered to parade with arms and man the lines. On the 17th the general assigned them to permanent positions as follows: "Colonel Varnum's regiment is to take Fort Box and the Oblong Redoubt for their alarm-posts--Fort Box, six companies; Oblong Redoubt, two companies. Captain Wolverton's Independent Company[53] to join those in the redoubt, and to receive orders from Colonel Varnum. Colonel Hitchcock's regiment to take Fort Putnam and the fort or redoubt on the left of it for their alarm-posts. Colonel Little's regiment to take Fort Greene for their alarm-posts." [Footnote 53: This was a company of New Jersey Minute-men from Essex County, which had been sent over to Long Island on May 17th.] To impress his soldiers with his own sense of the great importance of the Long Island front, Greene added the determined words: "In case of an attack, _all these posts are to be defended to the last extremity_." And Colonel Little, who had proved his fitness to command the post assigned him by his cool and soldierly conduct at Bunker Hill, quietly resolved that if the enemy assaulted Fort Greene it should never be surrendered while he was alive.[54] [Footnote 54: Colonel Little to his son. Doc. No. 9.]