▁cro ps . ▁Sold iers ▁in ▁towns ▁could ▁also ▁buy ▁food ▁in ▁the ▁civil ian ▁market place , ▁but ▁at ▁border ▁for ts ▁or ▁in ▁the ▁field , ▁they ▁were ▁limited ▁to ▁what ▁the ▁s ut lers ▁sold . ▁The ▁margin ▁for ▁such ▁purch ases ▁was ▁limited , ▁however , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁many ▁sto pp ages ▁taken ▁from ▁the ▁soldiers ' ▁pay , ▁among ▁them ▁the ▁cost ▁for ▁the ▁issued ▁r ation . ▁While ▁march ing ▁through ▁populated ▁areas , ▁the ▁soldiers ▁frequently ▁res orted ▁to ▁for aging , ▁often ▁a ▁eu ph em ism ▁for ▁the ft ▁and ▁rob ber y ▁of ▁food ▁from ▁the ▁citiz en ry . ▁ ▁Col onial ▁r ations ▁Provin cial ▁troops ▁under ▁local ▁command ▁were ▁supplied ▁according ▁to ▁colonial ▁vict ual ing ▁reg ulations . ▁They ▁were ▁more ▁gener ous ▁than ▁the ▁Vict ual ing ▁Act . ▁The ▁Massachusetts ▁military ▁r ation ▁had ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁British ▁r ation ▁ ▁p ound ▁( 2 2 5 ▁gr ams ) ▁sugar , ▁ 1 ▁pint ▁( 4 7 ▁cent il it ers ) ▁mol ass es ▁and ▁ 7 ▁g ills ▁( 8 2 ▁cent il it ers ) ▁of ▁rum ▁per ▁week . ▁When ▁provincial ▁troops ▁formed ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁field ▁army ▁they ▁were ▁provision ed ▁through ▁the ▁regular ▁army ▁supply ▁chain ▁and ▁r ations ▁were ▁issued ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁Vict ual ing ▁Act . ▁According ▁to ▁Pennsylvania ' s ▁Milit ia ▁Supp ly ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 7 5 5 , ▁the ▁week