[Hawkins to Tilghman.]
Chas County Octob 7th 1776.
Sir. I am sorry to be under the necessity of informing you
of the misbehaviour of the 12th Batn and hope you will lay the
same before the Honble Convention. On the 23rd ult the said
Battalion was ordered to attend at the usual place of muster-
ing, and those that attended (tho' it was not a full meeting
were drawn up in a line to perform the manual, but immedi-
ately upon the adjutant's giving the word of command a great
number of the soldiers broke their ranks and collected together
in a crowd: upon which I instantly went amongst them to
inquire into the reason of such extraordinary behavior: &
some of them objected to their being mustered by a Scotch-
man, but the greater part declared that they would not be
mustered by any adjutant at all, alledging that the province was
run to a very great expence by employing adjutants and they
thought it the duty of the officers to muster the Battalion. I said
every thing I could (and so did many other of the officers) to
shew them the absurdity of such conduct but to no purpose. I
then ordered them to be dismissed untill I shou'd hear from
Convention and hope it will not be long before some step is
taken to reduce them to order.
I am with great esteem & regard
Sir Your most obedt Servt
Josias Hawkins
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