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[Colston to Chamberlaine.]
Sir. Decemr 30th 1776.
When I return' d home the other evening and found you had
ben waiting some time to talk over this dark afare which I
must confess has every apearance of rapin and voilance, but
worthy sir, when you consider that this was intirely an act of
neede and not choyce and that perhaps a man concearnd had
a Gill of salt in his famaly for a fornite you'l in som measure
excuse it for my own part I dont beleve a man on earth has a
greater avertion to mobs or voilance then my self and a few
months back thought nothing could have drove me into it and
I verily belave it to be the case with the whole and as to aply-
ing to you for the Salt I confess we ought but ware told by
many individuals which you had refused to sell to that for
seventeen persons to aply after this wold have pervented
our geting any and that we could no longer do without, and
that we pased Mr Hindman who thay say had a greater quan-
tity and went to that place it being defenceless I did not know
he had a bushel nor that any person on the Estern Shore had
such a quantity as you had. Whowever if the money we left
is not sattisfactory we think ourselves bound by everything to
give you your price and will when required and hope when
you consider colely on the matter youl not indeavour to drive
us to any further acts of rashness and am sorry it fell on you
who from my knowledge of your family I shall all ways treat
with esteem and respect.
I am Sir your very humble Servt
Jere Colston.
To The Honorble James Lloyd Chamberlaine
Brigdr General Talbot County
Tho I am considered as a princable in the afare I declare
myself not.
[Melward and Larey, Depositions.]
William Melward of Talbot County being duly sworn
deposeth and saith that,
he went to live at Plain Dealing in the Spring of the year
1774 and his wife was employed to take charge of the house
as housekeeper, at that time there was a quantity of salt in a
house the key of which was delivered into his wife's care, he
saw the salt himself and supposes it might be less than one
hundred bushels and that the whole family were supplyed with
salt from that heap and he believes they consumed about
twelve bushells pr annum.
William Milward the deponent further saith that in January
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