of the Council of Safety, 1776. 43

[Hindman to Council.]
Oxford July 13^th 1776.

Gentlemen :
When I was in Somerset the Committee of Safety delivered
me three prisoners to bring up as far as Talbot there to be
delivered to the Militia to send over to Annapolis, when I
came to Cambridge I delivered them to a Guard of Militia
there who had some men to send over, the Committee there
thinking I had no right to leave them there, have sent them
over here to me with a prisoner they had in Custody in expec-
tation of my calling at Annapolis on my way to the Head of
Elk. as it may be a means of stopping us some time by call-
ing, have hired the Boat to carry the prisoners over, whom
you will please to pay and take charge of the prisoners. I
shall set off to morrow morning early for the head of Elk and
shall make the best of my way to Philadelphia as fast as pos-
sible. I am Gentlemen
Your hble Serv^t
James Hindman.

Original.

[Barnes to Council.]

St. Inigoes 13^th July 1776.
Gentⁿ I rec^d information on Friday the 12^th July that there
was arrived a considerable number of Ships and small Ves-
sells between Smiths Point & Point Lookout, on which I
ordered five Companys of Militia to repare there as fast as
possible and imediately set out to the Point myself in order to
git further information, On my arrival there I found about
forty Sail of Vessells, they were then about twenty five miles
off the Point in the Bay, where they continued till in the night.
In the morning about fifty eight Sail were discovered opposite
Smiths Creek in Potomack & eight in the Bay, on which I
gave orders to call the Companys of my Battalion immedi-
ately to march to Potomack in order to prevent their landing
in the District of the 21^st Battⁿ. We have had two small ves-
sells drove on shore from the Fleet, on board of one of them
was three whites & two Negroes, three of which now have the
Small Pox on them. On of the white men informed us the
Fleet was Dunmore's, and that Gov^r Eden was on board the
Foey, & that he heard it surmised that they intended to take
possession of St. George's Island, since which the Foey and her
Tender have come to in St. Mary's River, and I don't doubt but
the greatest part if not all of the Fleet will be there in the
morning. We have between two and three hundred of our
Militia Stationed in different places, and I have just sent off an
express to Col^o Jordan to supply me with one or two hundred

Original.