General Sullivan’s army was not well clothed, and certainly not prepared for a campaign that extended into the fall season. Only one in twelve men carried a blanket.
Joshua Moody of Buxton tells us he marched from "Ft. Stanwick in pursuit of the Indians ... [through the] Seneca Country" into Pennsylvania then "... through the Jerseys to West Point".
See the Map of New York showing the route of the Campaign hi-lited in green.
In 1781, Sergeant John Dain of Durham wrote "By request of Gen. Sullivan ... we agreed to draw only 1/2 allowance, to lengthen out our provisions."
Dain writes in another place " ... from the middle of June to Oct. with only one suit of clothes, in the wilderness without houses or tents, only the heavens to cover our heads, and this only a part of the hardships our soldiers met with. Numbers died on the march for want of food, and those who lived through it never received their retained rations, nor clothes … This was the way the soldiers were wronged." At another time, John simply says "was discharged ... Returned without money and on charity of the people." The Sullivan campaign seems to have been the final straw for John - he did not re-enlist!
Daniel Ridley of Harpswell tells us he "obtained a furlough ... for forty days with permission to return home on account of my want of clothing, having just returned from the Indian expedition under General Sullivan". Daniel was left to make his way home as best he could with little or no money and only rags to cover his body.