of the Council of Maryland. 23

few or none of the farmers have Gott their from the straw but
such of them as I have seen promise to have itt out as Quick as possi-
ble they Can and seem inclinable to take the price I offer which is
60 dollars p bu^s and I think I shall be able to procure four or five
thousand bushels at that price provid^ed the Speculators does not
Start the markett to take the advantage of the publick as they have
heretofore done in all most Ever article of Supplying our Army.
Whatever Can be had I will ingage as Quick as possible and beg
you will send me twenty or thirty thousand pounds to be on with
my purchase as none will be Delivered till I have Cash to pay for
itt as the people seem determined not to trust the public Therefore
nothing Can be done by tobacco nor Certificates, if you incline I
should have the wheat I purchase manufactured into flow^r by our
mills please to advise me on that head as I may procure a Sufficient
Quantity of barrells and must beg you to procure me Eight or ten
thousand 4^d nails for securing the barrells in the best manner to
Go through the Different Channels of water & Land Carriage, if you
Can procure me the nails at Anop^s please to inform me and I will
Gitt some boat to Call on you for them.
I will advise you by Every Opertunity of my success in purchas-
ing and as soon as I Can Gitt what bacon and pork is to be had,
Collected together will Gitt a small Boat to take itt to Annapolis.
I have had no Cattle nor wheat offered in Discharge of the Tob^o
Tax. The spiritt of Methodism Reigns so much amongst us that few
or no men will be Raisd for the War. tho vast sums have been offerd
itt is a General practice amongst us when there is any Call for Rais-
ing men for their preachers to be Continually attending their differ-
ent posts day and night which I am fully perswaded is the Greatest
Stroke the Brittish ministry Ever struck amongst us for the instant
a man becomes a Classick he Lays down his Arms and in that way
declares himself an Enemy to his Country. Through that Channell
I fear we have more internal than External Enemies doing Every
Thing that lies in their power to diswade men for Going into the
Service if the Legislator do not do something in this matter very
soon some of us must Be Ruined I am Satisfied as soon as they find
themselves sufficiently Strong they will oppose with force. Through
their preaching and Exhortations I Judge the militia will be Called
by Classes, if they should I Expect to stand my Chance on the Draft
if that should happen Beg you to advise me in Respect of the Com-
missarys department and Especially on my late purchase on the Con-
tinental accompte as there is very large sums due the people on that
purchase for which I am Responsible to amount of and Cannot Gett
any money from M^r Wedderstrandt who imploy'd me as his Deputy
and Cannot Gitt a Settlement with him as I Cannot Gett Recp^ts from
the people till they are paid, and am Dayly Call'd on by them and
Expect suits to be brought against me as the Contracting person

July 23