410 Journal and Correspondence

Original.

[Baltimore Committee to Council.]

In Committee of observation for Balt. County 6^th May 1776
Gentlemen: We received your Letter of the 1^st Ins^t M^r
Young had liberty to take the Schooner Ninety two at our last
meeting :
We have the pleasure to inform you that our Boom is now
laid down and so far secured, that we judge the Vessells that
are sunk at Whetstone may be removed, you will therefore
please to give orders for that purpose, as soon as you think
proper.
We are Gentⁿ Your most hum^l Serv^ts
p order. Sam^l Purviance Jun^r chair^m
Will™ Lux V Chⁿ Ja^s Calhoun
W^m Buchanan John Boyd
Jn^o Sterett Will^m Aisquith
B. Griffith

C. S. C.

[Charles Lee to Jenifer.]

Williamsburg May the 6^th 1776.
D^r Sir. I find that I am extremely censured not only by
your board but by a multitude of others for my letter to M^r
Purviance with respect to the seizure of M^r Edens person and
papers, but I really think when the circumstances are explained,
that the censure will appear unjust, and that I was neither
violent assuming nor precipitate. When the Secretary of
States letter to your Governor was put into my hands, I
naturally concluded that could we possess ourselves of all
M^r Edens papers, the whole machinations of the ministry
might be discovered, that this discovery might enable us to
prevent their effects, and perhaps defeat the whole plan, the
possession of these papers could not be hoped for without
previously securing his person and to accomplish this the
utmost secrecy and expedition were necessary, now sir, as I
imagined you had no troops at Annapolis to execute the pur-
pose (but in this I find I was mistaken) and as I knew there
were troops in readiness at Baltimore, and as there was no
continental General or other officer in Maryland, M^r Pur-
viance chairman of the committee on the spot where I had
conceived troops alone to be stationed, occured to me as the
only person to whom I could with propriety and effect make
application, had I known Sir, that a Regiment or any troops
were stationed at Annapolis, I should undoubtedly, Sir, have
addressed myself to you as President of the Council of Safety :
It is said Sir, that Maryland was out of the district of my
command that consequently to intrude myself into the busi-