of the Council of Safety, 1775-76. 363

Committee on the Subject, but that he had given the said
Instructions himself, that he exculpated the Committee from
all Censure on that Account, and that he would give his
Answer in Writing to that effect on Monday morning

Monday 22 April 1776. The Committee met.

Present, William Lux Chairman

J.Moale W. Buchanan C. Ridgely (of W^m) J. Calhoun

J. Smith T. Harrison J. E. Howard J. Cradock

J. Boyd J. Merryman J. Gittings G. Risteau

D. Lux W. Wilkinson W. Tolly Jun^r T. Sollers

T. Gist And^w Buchanan W. Asquith J. Sterrett

A. Britton Js. Griest

M^r Sam^l Purviance appeared and delivered in the following
Answer in Writing agreeable to his Promise on Saturday

April 22, 1776
Gentlemen

Agreeable to my Declaration to the Committee at last
Meeting the 20^th Ins^t that I exculpated all the Members of the
Committee from any Concern in the Orders, which I gave as
Chairman of the Committee to Cap^t Sam^l Smith the 14^{th I}ns^t
I am now to inform you the Circumstances of that Affair, &
the Reasons on which I ventured to give those orders

The Dispatches reced from the Council of Virginia, with a
Letter written by General Lee & directed to me as Chairman
of this Committee, I considered as sufficient Reasons to justify
the Committee in using their best Endeavours to sieze Gov-
ernor Eden, his Secretary and M^r Alexander Ross, should
they or either of them be found attempting to escape from
Annapolis; a Suspicion founded on the certain Knowledge,
that M^r Ross had gone from this to Annapolis a few days
before, and that it was highly probable, he would alarm the
Governor with the Account of the Secretary of States Letters
to Gov^r Eden being siezed & taken from him on his way up
from Lord Dunmore. On considering those Papers at my
House on Sunday Evening, it seemed to be the general
opinion of the Gentlemen there assembled, that if Cap^t Nich-
olson's Tender was here, it would be proper to dispatch her
with some Men to Annapolis to wait the orders of the Council
of Safety. On Monday morning I was informed, that Cap^t
James Nicholson was returned in his Tender from Chester:
on which I sent for him and communicated to him the Purport
of the Dispatches received from the Council of Virg^a and Gen^l
Lee's Letter, and told him the Sentiments of the Gentlemen
who met at my House the Evening before, that it would be