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Orders for Jan Sol, major of the garrison at fort William Henrick

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Memorandum and Order for Ensign Jan Sol, Major of the garrison in Fort Willem Hendrick.

First. He shall take care that a corporal's guard from each company shall be put on duty each day, when the arms shall be inspected by the sergeants and corporals of the guard.
2. The guard shall be relieved at 1 o'clock in the afternoon, and at 12 o'clock on Sunday, at which time the gates shall be closed, when there shall always be present in rotation one Lieutenant or Ensign who shall command the guard, and during the watch shall wear his sash and be continually in the Fort, in order thus to be able to give an account of the watch, and in the morning to come and report to me what has occurred.
3. The reveillé shall be beaten at the break of day, and the gate shall be opened as soon as 'tis light and shut in the evening before dark; and furthermore, at 9 o'clock the drum shall beat the tattoo, when all soldiers and matrosses shall quietly repair to their quarters without making the least noise.
4. The corporals shall take good care that their men be continually at the guard, and that not more than three or four at the same time have leave to go and eat; pay particular attention that no strong drink be brought, much less drank, in the guard-house; constantly teach the men the use of arms, and punctually observe all orders to be from time to time issued, and take care that their men obey the same; and, above all things, pay attention that no Dutchman nor Englishman (the city Magistrates excepted) come here into the Fort without permission, much less be suffered to go on the batteries.
5. The Grand Rounds shall go before midnight and receive the word, but before that a Cadet at least, shall go around, and after the Grand Rounds the Cadet shall continually go the rounds, as well also on Sunday during Divine service, both in the fore and in the after noon, when he shall continually go around the walls.
6. He shall take care that the soldiers do weekly clean out their barracks and quarters and not permit any filth to be deposited in the Fort, but all their filth and water be thrown out of the Fort, on pain of being punished according to the circumstances of the case; the corporals shall relieve their sentinels every half hour during the night, and during the day according to circumstances; and shall also take care that the arms of the guard be loaded with a loose ball, and whenever it is necessary to discharge the muskets, in order to clean them, that shall be done on the Battery after drawing the ball; and he shall further pay attention that the ordered powder in the bandoleers[1] shall be preserved, to which end each corporal on his watch shall inspect the bandoleers, and also attend to all munitions of war.
Dated Fort Willem Hendrick, 1st October, 1673.

Notes

Bandoleers were little wooden cases covered with leather, of which every musketeer used to wear 12 hanging on a shoulder belt, each of them containing the charge of powder for a musket. They are no longer in use, having given place to the cartouch-box. — Ed.

References

Translation: O'Callaghan, E.B., trans./ed., Documents Relative to the Colonial History of the State of New-York, vol. 2 (Albany: Weed, Parsons: 1858), pp. 569-730 (vol. 23, pp. 1-270 only).A complete copy of this publication is available on the New Netherland Institute website.