178 Journal and Correspondence

may get. Steel Ramrods can be had here. We cannot as
yet find that there are any more than three or four public arms
in this County and we have not received any Guns worth any
thing from the non associators or non enrollers. We beg
leave first to inform you that the Companies here are
compleated and that the men from being thrown out of all
kind of employ express great uneasiness at their situation
especially as many of them are daily at expence for their
support and are to receive no pay untill they march. To
mitigate their uneasiness and prevent their deserting the
service We have advised the Captains to call all their men
together and then Quarter them at the expence of the Conti-
nent until we can have your advice how to proceed and for
their support we have been obliged to advance part of the
money sent us by your Board to the officers. We have been
very sorry to take this step without your orders but in our
opinion the public service must greatly have suffered unless
something of the kind had been done, indeed the men think
they out to be under immediate pay. We request Gentⁿ
that you will as soon as possible inform us whether it is
agreable to you to keep these troops in Quarters, and whether
we may assure them that they shall be under pay from the
time they entered into them. Should this be refused we fear
the service will be discouraged and that it will be very difficult
to recruit men here in future. We have procured thirty
camp kettles made of Iron. The money we have will not be
sufficient to answer all the purposes, if you think proper to
send us any more we shall take care to dispose of it to the
best advantage for the public service. As Cartouch boxes,
Belts and slings, Knapsacks with Haversacks, priming wires
and brushes are not to be had here, the sending them up by
the first opportunity will expedite the Companys marching.
I am in behalf of the Committee Gentⁿ
Your mo: obed^t Hble Serv^t
John Veazey Jr. Chairman

Original

[Secretary of War to Council.]

War office 6^th Augs^t 1776. Philad^a
Gentlemen.
By a Resolve of Congress on the subject of Prisoners it is
determined " that a List of the Prisoners in each Colony be
"made out by the Comittees of the Counties, Towns or
"Districts where they reside and transmitted to the Assembly,
"Convention or Council or Comittee of Safety of such Colony
" respectively, who shall send a copy thereof to Congress."
The Board of War who have by Direction of Congress, the