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Ammunition sufficient for our number of Arms. This State has no
County in it which has manifested a more uniform & earnest Zeal
in the present just & necessary opposition than Dorset, but Invasion
without the power of Resistance, however strong the Inclination
will and really has sap'd the Whigism of our common People: few
even of the Vulgar are so ignorant as not to know that allegiance &
Protection are reciprocal they have frequently in the Course of the
summer been at the mercy of a cruel Enemy without any other
weapons to defend themselves but those which nature gave them.
When the Enemy landed at Vienna (a town not 20 miles distant
from this place) with two Barges & 30 men there were not a dozen
effective Arms in the Town.
The Lieutenant of this County will inform your Excellency of the
number of Arms & quantity of Ammunition necessary for his mili-
tia we flatter ourselves your Excellency will use every means in your
Power to supply our Militia with 500 effective Musketts 2 field Peices
& Powder and Ball sufficient for that number of Arms. And also
that the Commissary of Purchases may be supplied with a sufficient
sum of money to purchase Provisions for the use of the militia in
Case they shou'd be ordered into actual service: as Provisions of no
kind can be bought here on the Credit of the State & the Commis-
sary has not one Shilling of public money in his Hands
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January 16
Red Book
No. 28
Letter 66
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[Henry Hooper, Dorchester County, to His Excellency, the
Governor in Council.]
I had the Honour of receiving your Excellency's Commands of
the 11th Instant by Express. The necessary Orders shall be given to
the militia of this County to hold themselves in readiness to march
at a Minutes warning to such place as they may be directed, and
shall endeavour to have every necessary prepared for that purpose as
soon as possible. I must beg leave to inform your Honourable Board
that we are at this Time in a most defenceless State with respect to
Fire Arms the whole Amount of which both public and private doth
not exceed two hundred effective ones, which bears a very small pro-
portion to the Militia of this County amounting nearly to seventeen
Hundred Men. Permit me to entreat your Excellency to give your
Orders for sending over to Cambridge as soon as conveniently can
be done Five Hundred Stand of Arms with Cartridge Boxes, Two
Hundred Weight of Gun Powder, five Hundred Weight of Ball and
Buck Shot one Thousand Gun Flints, some Cartridge Paper, and
two small Field peices with Ball, Grape Shot &c.
As I would willingly provide some Beef and Pork for the Militia
in Case of their being ordered upon Duty and there being none in
the Hands of the County Commissary and probably he may have no
money to purchase it with I should be glad your Excellency would
be pleased to give some Order about procuring a Supply.
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January 16
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