of the Council of Safety, 1776. 419

[H. Hollingsworth to Council.]

C. S. C.

3^d Nov 1776.
Gentlemen.
On Wednesday last and not before I Rec^d your favor of
the 10^th of October. I observe the contents. As to the
eighty fore Bayonetts mentioned I had no expectation that
they would all do, but soposed some of them would, I have
not been able yet to finde out but one Smith that can forge a
Bayonett properly, but on receiving your letter of the 12^th of
July in which you request very pressingly that 400 Bayonetts
be made of different sises for the flying Camp Militia, I sett
several workmen to work at forging Bayonetts, who at first
made them very deficiant, some of the worst of which I kept
hear as not fit for use, at any rate, and sent many on which

were of the best with the flying camp militia, receipts for which

I have now with me, the remainder such as they are I sent to
M^r Winters desiering him at the same time to send those that
were not fit for use Back, as also all Barells that prooved not
good or unfit for use, to be sent back with his objection to
them in wrighting, by which I hoped in a short time to be
compleat in our Buisenis, but to my disappointment have
never rec^d one, though frequent opportunityes, had the Large
Barells mentioned been sent back they might have been long
since made small as they were sent to M^r Winters the 10^th
September, and were made as near as I could to his Directions,
as he wrote me some I had sent before, had not stood proof
for want of substance, and your Honnours will pleas to recol-
lect that I never had a pattern sent me, but I am of opinion
that M^r Winters hands did not long stand for want of work,
for I finde by my Books that on the 30^th of the same month,
he had 50 Barrells more, which I hear of no fault to, and had
the others been sent back, they could have been made smalle
in three days, tis said the Bayonetts are too soft which I doubt
not, as they are all steeld with American steel (or at least the
Smiths had steel of me for them) some of which I found after
to be raw Iron, not at all converted into steel, which at that
time I was a Strangure too, as it was sold me for good steel —
an imposition I hope to prevent in futar, as I have (now)
when Last in Philadelphia contracted with Mess^rs Shewmaker
& Humphris to take 2 Tun a year, and to have it in the flatt
Barr Blistered, in which order tis easily known, whither tis
Steel or not, as M^r Joseph Gilpin was good enough to acquaint
me that you had censured me, and I had Rec^d nothing from
your Honnours, I wrote him last week, partly to the same
effect of this scrawl, which together I flatter myselfe may
serve to satisfy your Honnours, that I am not altogether so