302 Letters to the Governor and Council

June 18
Red Book
No. 26
Letter 104

That the said Richard is an Orphan Child of your Petitioners Brother,
who left this State seven Years past Leaving his Children in a help-
less Condition. That your petitioners Husband who died on Wednes-
day the thirteenth Instant took the afs^d Richard and raised him to his
present State, being under Seventeen Years old. That your Peti-
tioners Husband altho a pensioner of this County maintained the
said Richard, and left your Petitioner and four Children without any
other Male in the family except the said Richard (and a disabled
son) in a very low and helpless Condition. That the said Richard
altho well grown, is very infirm and, as your Petitioner believes, very
unfit to perform military Duty. Your Petitioner therefore prays
your Excellency and Honor will take the premisses into Considera-
tion and that the said Richard may be discharged from the Service
and as in Duty bound she will Pray &c^a

June 19
Blue Book
No. 4
Letter 17

[Petition of Tho^s Price, Annapolis to His Excellency Gov. Sim Lee]

May it Please your
Excellency having taken the oppertunity of Troubling you

with these few Lines knowing that they will not Be Received any
ways amiss & further to Inform you that I am a Man that is very
far Stricken in Years & have a large family and my house Burnt &
My place laid waiste & not a Roof Left for my distressed family to
abide in tho Sir It was realy through a mistake for I am not Guilty
of the Crime alledged to me which is as it is Signifyed and laid Be-
fore your Exce^y a foe to My Country therefore I hope your Honour
will in your Breast Consider my unhappy situation & Endeavour by
some means to release me from this unhappy Prison so that I May
by some Means Endeavour to Retreave my Loss again By the Assis-
tance of the Almighty God.
And your Petitioner will Ever Pray

June 19

[Rich'd Dallam, Harford County, to Gov. Lee.]

M^r Patterson who was appointed to Procure or seize Horses under
the Law to Procure an Immediate supply Cloathing and a sufficient
number of Horses informd me this day that he was not willing to act
he has road several days on this Business & finds that the Law is
exceeding disagreeable to the people in Gen^l & hard to be executed,
but thinks that if he could be impowered to contract for the purchase
himself & any time assured for him to engage Payment that he could
procure the Carriage & a Great part of the Light Horse without
much difficulty & perhaps on full as reasonable terms to the Public,
many ways are at present contrived to evade the Law M^r Patterson is
a discreet man & w^ld do as much Justice to the Public as any Person
I know & therefore wish he could be prevail'd on to execute the Law —
but if he must follow the mode Point'd out directly he will not, there-
fore I mention it to your Excellency that if any other directions can
be given on the Subject It may