302 Journal and Correspondence

C. C.

119

[Council to Assembly.]

Gentlemen of the General Assembly.
The Resolutions of the late Convention for reinlisting the
old Battalion and the Independent Companies, directing one
Regiment to be formed of the first and another of the latter.
The Men of those Corps respectively who have gone into the
Continental Service have been incorporated into the first and
second Regiments, but many of the old Troops are yet scat-
tered about, and several of the Officers have represented that
they know of some of them who would chearfully engage in
the Service, if they were indulged with the Liberty of choos-
ing in which of our Regiments to serve; The Council and I
were inclined strongly, to have given the Indulgence requested,
if we had considered ourselves at Liberty to do so, and sub-
mit to your Consideration, whether the General Service would
not be promoted by allowing any of our Officers to inlist the
old Troops, who have not yet come in. The Resolutions for
raising the first of the Artillery Companies, ascertained their
Pay and Cloathing; The Resolution for raising the additional
Companies, allowed several further Articles of Cloathing;
The Resolution of the General Assembly of the fourteenth of
April last entitles them to the same Pay as the Continental
marching Regiments, without saying any Thing of their
Cloathing, and the Resolution of the eighteenth of April
allows the Marines the same Pay and Cloathing as the Artil-
lery Men, from whence there is no Doubt but that the Allow-
ance of Cloathing was presumed to be alike to every Company
and the Officers claim for their Men, the same Cloathing as
the Continental Troops are entitled to. It is desirable that
some explanatory Resolution might be passed that the Men
may have their Accounts fully settled.
28^th June 1777

120

[Council to Col. Hooe.]
In Council Annapolis 28^th June 1777
Sir.
We thought it best to send the Molly on a Cruise and
thought, from the Opinion several Gentlemen of the Assembly
expressed, we should have been at Liberty to do so, but the
Assembly think she may be much more advantageously
employed in a Voyage to import Salt and Medicines. We
have therefore to request of you to procure her a Load of
Tobacco as speedily as you can. We would yet have her
armed and not so deep but that she may avail herself of her
fast Sailing, for she is a favourite Vessel and we wish her by
no Means, to fall into the Enemy's Hands. We intend to
send Cap^t Conway Orders, by the Time he is ready to sail
Col^o Hooe We are &^ca