An Act to Regulate the Militia, ch. 25, § 1, 1786 N.Y. Laws 38, 38–40 (Samuel & John Loudon).

CHAP. XXV.
An ACT to regulate the Militia. Passed the 4th April, 1786.

    I. BE it enacted by the People of the State of New-York, represented in Senate and Assembly, and it is hereby enacted by the Authority of the same, That every able bodied male Person being a Citizen of this State, or of any of the United States, and residing in this State (except such Persons as are herein after excepted) and who are of the Age of Sixteen, and under the Age of Forty-five Years, shall, by the Captain or commanding Officer of the Beat in which such Citizen shall reside, within four Months after the passing of this Act, be enrolled in the Company of such Beat.    That every Captain or commanding Officer of a Company shall also enroll^[1] every Citizen as aforesaid, who shall from Time to Time arrive at the Age of Sixteen Years, or come to reside within his Beat, and without Delay notify such Enrolment to such Citizen so enrolled,^[2] by some non-commissioned Officer of the Company, who shall be a competent Witness to prove such Notice.    That all Disputes which may happen with Respect to the Age or Ability of any Person to bear Arms, shall be determined by the Captain or commanding Officer of the Company, with a Right of Appeal by the Person who may conceive himself aggrieved, or by any other Person belonging to the Company, to the Colonel or commanding Officer of the Regiment.    That every Citizen so enrolled and notified shall, within three Months thereafter, provide himself, at his own Expense,^[3] with a good Musket or Firelock, a sufficient Bayonet and Belt, a Pouch with a Box therein to contain not less than twenty-four Cartridges suited to the Bore of his Musket or Firelock, each Cartridge containing a proper Quantity of Power and Ball, two spare Flints, a Blanket and Knapsack; and shall appear so armed, accoutred and provided, when called out to Exercise or Duty, as herein after directed, except that when called out to exercise only, he may appear without Blanket or Knapsack.    That the commissioned Officers shall be respectively armed with a Sword or Hanger, and an Espontoon...
    ...That each Troop of Horse shall consist of...
    ...Each Trooper to furnish himself with a serviceable Horse at least fourteen Hands high, a good Saddle, Bridle, Housing, Holsters, Breastplate and Crupper, a Pair of Boots and Spurs, a Pair of Pistols, a Sabre, a Cartouche-Box^[4] to contain twelve Cartridges for his Pistols; and that the commissioned Officers shall be armed with a Sword and Pair of Pistols , the Holsters of which to be covered with Bearskin Caps...
    ...That there shall be an Adjutant-General of the Militia, whose Duty shall be to distribute all Orders from the Commander in Chief to the several Corps, and once in every Year review the Brigades; to attend the respective Brigades on their respective Parades; and the Regiment of Infantry, and Companies of Artillery and Cavalry during the Time of their being under Arms, pursuant to this Act; and shall inspect their Arms, Ammunition, Accoutrements and Clothing...that within three Weeks after he shall have finished his annual Review, he shall deliver to the Commander in Chief a Return of all the Militia of the State, reporting the actual situation of the Arms, Accoutrements, and Ammunition of the several Corps, their Delinquencies, and every other Thing which in his Judgment may relate to their Police...    That to every Brigade there shall be an Inspector, to rank as Major, whose Duty it shall be to attend the regimental Parades, and shall then and there inspect their Arms, Ammunition, Accoutrements, and Clothing...