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No. 63.
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[Council to Maryland Deputies.]
To the Deputies for Maryland in Congress
Gentlemen.
Inclosed we send you Copies of some Letters we have
Received from Colonel Barnes and Colonel Jordan, giving us
an Account of Lord Dunmores Squadron having appeared
near the Mouth of Saint Marys River in a hostile manner and
that some of them had landed on Saint Georges Island — in
consequence of these advices we have countermanded the
orders to Captain Thomas and Captain Hindman, whom we
wish to keep in the Province to assist in repelling the inva-
sion. We do not expect Dunmore will stay long at Saint
Georges Island — expect he will move up Potowmack, or to
the Eastern Shore — perhaps up the Bay to Annapolis, or Bal-
timore Town. We shall send you further intelligence as soon
as we receive it. Our Flying Camp are coming in almost
every Day but many of them without Arms, Blankets, or any
other necessarys ;— a question has arrisen as to their subsist-
ence, neither Congress nor Convention have made any pro-
vision for Rations during the time the Men are drawing
together, nor whilst they remain unarmed, and unprovided
with necessarys which will amount to something considerable.
We intend finding Rations for the Battalion that are to supply
the place of our own Regulars. We wish you to apply to the
Congress and let us know what is to be done about subsist-
ance for the other Battalions, they are all coming to us to be
supplied with almost every necessary, and you may Judge our
Situation is very disagreeable, not having it in our power to
answer their Demands. Our Militia in a general way during
this time of Invasion cannot be pursuaded to lend their Arms,
most of those who enlist have none of their own. We take it
for granted it would answer very little purpose to send you a
Number of Men unarmed and unprovided with necessaries,
and therefore do not order them forward. We congratulate
you on the Victory that hath been obtained in South Carolina
by the Americans over the British Fleet, some of Commodore
Parkers Squadron have met with a severe drubbing according
to the Particulars we have heard, of which we doubt not you
have more perfect information before this time. We send
you the Maryland Gazette, in which are inserted some particu-
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