of the Council of Safety, 1775-76. 91

the ammunition & arms into their hands and distribute them
as wanted for Actual Service—that every man should be
obliged to provide a good firelock and keep it in repair at his
own expence and also the Accoutrements named by the Con-
vention—such as are poor to be provided by the County or
Publick & lodged with the Commissary—those who are able
& do not every day of Mustering appear with their Arms &c
in good order to be soundly fined, and the officers fined for
suffering such Neglect or degraded. The Commissarys to
make a report every field day to the field officers of such
Neglects. I am convinced that the Business of Commissarys
& Quarter masters are necessary and may very properly be
executed by the same persons and without them no Company,
Battalion or Detachment will ever be equipped or enabled to
March, the Captains & officers depend at present entirely
on the Adjutant and the Adjutant teaches only the Exercise,
so that the Arms & Ammunition, Accoutrements &c are totally
neglected, and if we were to be called out just now we are
9/10^ths of us totally unprepared. This is a melancholy situation
and surely requires a remedy immediately. The Council of
Safety I apprehend might cure the evil by Instructions to the
officers either in their Commissions or separate and by
appointing such officers as I have named to see to the Execu-
tion, viz^t the Commissarys of stores and Quarter masters,
these would be a Check and also Assistant to the officers,
all the old Arms shou^d be collected and repaired without delay
and new ones as fast as Possible provided, there are a great
many good Arms in the Province if all were Collected and
repaired &c put into proper hands & places, all which I appre-
hend would be the duty of the Commissarys & Quarter mas-
ters if properly authorized & Commissioned by the Council of
Safety. Upon the whole my Zeal for the Cause induces me
to offer my service as Commissary General of stores & Quarter
Master General for Prince Georges County, and if the Honor-
able Council of Safety thinks proper to grant me those Com-
missions with such Orders and Instructions as are absolutely
necessary to obtain the desired effect, viz^t to arm & discipline
the County for its safety and Defence, I will exert every Nerve
to put Matters on a regular and good footing. I will draw up
a sett of Orders & Instructions which I shall submit to the
Honorable Council with all Speed, we meet with daily
Alarms which freightens for the present & Immediately blows
over and we remain in the same defenceless and supine state
as if no danger was at hand or expected.
I am with all imaginable respect,

Honourable Gentlemen
Your obedient Servant
Stephen West.