While this depletion was going on the town assigned additional duties to the field officers at a meeting held August 28. "Voted ye field officers of ye regiment of this town be appointed a committee to view the most suitable places to build forts for ye defense of sd town, and determine on some particular spot or place in each district for the purpose, and mark out the same."[23] Think for a moment of the work imposed on this Committee! Think of the large territory to be gone over, the consideration of reasons for or against any particular location. Think of the work imposed on the men who were to build the forts. [Illustration: STEWART'S BLOCK HOUSE.] There were some old forts like Forty Fort in Kingston, and Fort Brown in Pittston, that were repaired and enlarged, but in other districts there were no suitable works of the kind and accordingly new sites were selected, and the proposed works laid out on the ground. Such was the case in Wilkes-Barre, Plymouth and Exeter. In Lower Pittston and Hanover, block houses were recommended and built. The work of repairing and building the forts ran through the years 1776, 1777 and was not completed until 1778. Before closing the regimental history for 1776 I wish to mention the advent of the tenth company into its ranks, representing the train bands of the Districts of Huntington and Salem, of which Frethias Wall was elected Lieutenant and John Franklin, Jr., Ensign, at the October session of the legislature.[24] I have not seen this company assigned its proper place in the regiment in any of the histories. Of this company John Franklin, Jr., was ultimately to become the Captain and Stoddart Bowen the Lieutenant. In December, 1776, a supplement to the militia law was enacted by the Connecticut legislature, by which the age limit of those liable to serve was extended to persons from 50 to 60 years of age, and many theretofore exempt were brought into the service. These persons were to be formed into companies to be called the "Alarm List," to elect their own officers and to be attached to already existing regiments.[25] Under this act two companies were formed in Wyoming in 1777--one on the east side of the river, of which William Hooker Smith was elected Captain, one on the west side of the river of which James Bidlack, Sr., was elected Captain. These became attached to the Twenty-fourth regiment. In popular speech these old men and exempts were called "Reformadoes." Under this Act the Colonels of regiments were given authority "to assemble in martial array and put in warlike posture," the men under their command in case of invasion.