122 Journal and Correspondence

C. S. C.

parts taking care to apprehend and secure as many of the
Leaders of that party as you possibly can. We are, &c.
Col^o Mordecai Gist

No. 145.

[Council to Hancock.]

February 6, 1777.
Sir. The enclosed deposition of Captain Patterson will
inform the Honble. Congress of an alarming and dangerous
Insurrection in Somerset County. And the Council of Safety,
apprehending the force of this State which can be immedi-
ately collected together insufficient to quell it, beg that the
Honble. Congress will strengthen their hands by sending such
assistance into Somerset and Worcester Counties as will imme-
diately disperse those Insurgents. We have ordered thirty
Matrosses and two field peices to be ready at this place to
join the Troops that may be sent from Baltimore Town.
For and in behalf of the Council, &c.
John Hancock Esquire. Dan of S. Th. Jenifer.

Original.

[Samuel Chase to Council.]

Gentlemen. Baltimore Town Feb^y 6^th 1777.
Congress are very anxious that some immediate steps
should be taken by our State, not only as to the person of
Capt. Patterson, but as to the payment of the engagement
entered into by the Continental and your agent, Capt.
Patterson is viewed as a pirate and after examination, if the
facts should appear to you to be well founded, it may be well
to consider, if it would not be proper to send him to Martinico
for trial there, by the law of nations. If our State shall pay
the value of the vessel and goods seised by Patterson, would
it not be proper to inform the Governor of Martinique that
the whole would have been returned, but for the Risque. If
no remittance can be made but by produce, it will be an
equal risque to send back the vessel. Could not Mr. Morris
pay the money for our State ? An opportunity of writing will
present itself in a few days. Would it not be proper for our
State to write a letter, disavowing the conduct of Capt. Pat-
terson, and engaging payment as soon as possible and men-
tioning the men of war in our Bay, which may delay the

remittance.

M^r Zachariah Campbell in a letter from Vienna, of I^st Inst.
writes to his brother Capt. Campbell That the Tories in Sus-
sex, Somerset and Worcester Counties, have been assembling
for some days. They have 250 men collected at Parker's