By His Excellency George Washington, Esquire, general and commander in chief of the forces of the United States of America : By virtue of the power and direction to me especially given, I hereby enjoin and require all persons residing within seventy miles of my head quarters to thresh one half of their grain by the 1st day of February ... Given under my hand, at head quarters, near the Valley Forge, in Philadelphia County, this 20th day of December, 1777