of the Council of Safety, 1775-76. 281

[Council to Kent Committee.]

To the Committee of Observation for Kent County.
Gentⁿ
On the Receipt of your Letter of the 13^th Instant p^r M^r Hous-
ton, we took the Subject-Matter thereof into our Considera-
tion, and resolved to send Houston to Philadelphia with
Orders for all the Powder and Arms imported in the Wild
Duck, Capt Tibbitt, to be sent to Chester to your Care for the
Use of the Eastern Shore.
We are much pleased with the commendable Spirit which
the Militia of your County manifested on the late Alarm, but
are concerned to hear they are so ill provided with Arms.
The Council think it unnecessary to order the Minute-Com-
panies up from Virginia, as they will soon return from their
Station.
We are much obliged to you for the Assistance you have
given Captⁿ Veazey in accommodating his Company and wish
you to continue your good Offices to him. We expected our
Commissary would have furnished Cap^tn Veazey's Company
with their Rations of Provisions before the Date of your
Letter; since then he has assured us he would immediately
send a sufficient Quantity of Provisions to Chester for the
Company.
As soon as the Arms and Powder which we have ordered
by Mr. Houston from Philadelphia to your Care, arrives at
Chester, we request you would send immediately to us an
Account of the Number of Arms; that we may order a proper
Distribution to be made among the Troops Stationed on the
Eastern-Shore — inclosed we transmit you our Order request-
ing you to send the Powder therein mentioned to Queen
Ann's, Talbot and Dorchester Counties, and also an Order on
the Treasurer of the Eastern-Shore for the Payment of the
Carriage of the Arms and Powder from Philadelphia to Chester
as well as for the Expence of sending the Powder ordered to
Queen Ann's, Talbott and Dorchester and what Arms we may
also order to those Counties, tho' we desire you would not
send the Powder untill we have given Directions how the
Arms are to be distributed, that they may also be sent by the
same Conveyance
24^th March 1776

C. S. C.

No. 83.

[Council to West]

To Mr. Stephen West.
Sir:
We have been informed that you have a Quantity of coarse
Blankets that are very suitable for the Soldiery who are in

No. 84.