1. See Heath’s first and second letters to GW on 14 April.

2. Brig. Gen. Henry Knox had written Heath from New Windsor on 9 April to inform him that his commissary for “the Park” of artillery had advised “that there is no beef in this vicinity except at West Point & that he cannot get any there except by your particular order. I take the liberty to request,” Knox continued, that Heath “give the orders necessary” (MHi: Heath Papers).

3. Heath wrote Lt. Col. Edward Antill from West Point on 17 April: “As both yourself and Major Keese seem to be of opinion that Pollipus [Pollepel] Island is a good Situation for the provost I consent to its being erected there, perhaps it may not be amiss for you and the Quarter Master to take a view of it together, probably the Obtaining water will be rather difficult, or there may be Springs. the Sooner it is done the better” (MHi: Heath Papers; see also Heath’s first letter to GW, 14 April, n.6).

Hugh Hughes, deputy quartermaster general for New York, wrote Heath from Fishkill, N.Y., on 4 May enclosing “a Sketch of a Provost, Barrack, Guard House, & Offi[c]ers Room (the Provost marshal to have a Room in the Entry, & over the Dungeon of Course) which, if you approve, shall be set about immediately. The Provost itself will contain the Number of Prisoners you were pleasd to mention, & the Barrack is calculatd for nearly as many, about fifteen of which are supposd to be on Guard, and the Officers Room to admit of a Court martial being held in it, as will, sometimes, be the Case, perhaps.

“Any Deficiency or Redundancy that you may please to point out, shall be attended to. It is intended to build the whole but one Story & that twelve Feet, which, in hot Weather, will be the healthier, & prevent, in some Degree, an Attempt aloft” (MHi: Heath Papers; see also Heath’s second letter to GW, 25 April, n.5, and Nathaniel Stevens to GW, 3 May, n.2). Heath replied to Hughes from West Point on 8 May: “Your favor of the 4th came duly to hand, indisposition for Several Days past has prevented my answering it. …

“I think the plan of the provost a very good one, but rather too large and too high, as under our present Circumstan[c]es it will be a pretty heavy Jobb, I think Six feet high will be fully Sufficient, I also think five or Six feet may be taken from the Length, so as to reduce the rooms to 18, by 20 feet, please let me know if proper Stone for building are to be found on the Island, if they are not, what distance they must be brought, I wish to have the work prosecuted as Soon as possible” (MHi: Heath Papers).