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and your Commission making it, in a Particular Manner your
Duty to afford the Subjects of this State Protection against all
Violence or Injury within your County, to their Persons or
Properties. I have the utmost Confidence that you will give
Mr Goddard every Protection, warranted by Law, in your
Power. I am Gent.
Worshipfull Justices Yr most obedt Servt
of Baltimore County
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C. C.
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[Gov. Johnson to Hancock.]
Annapolis 23d Apl 1777.
Sir
I had prepared the inclosed Letters and intended to have
sent them off this Evening or in the Morning by Express.
Our Assembly broke up on Sunday; your Letter of the 2
Ins( and its Inclosure makes the Consideration of that Part of
mine relative to a Battalion being stationed in Somerset
County, unnecessary, though it must give the Gentlemen of
the Congress Pleasure to see that they have anticipated the
Request of the General Assembly and made a Provision fully
adequate, as we judge, for the Occasion. A good many who
were in the late daring Practices, did not take the Benefit of
the Proclamation; 50 or 60 have been sent up hither as such,
most of them ignorant miserable People, and some who
seemed rather to have been Spectators than concurring; those
of any Influence are kept in Confinement, but the wretched
we have discharged, on taking the Oath of Fidelity, and, in all
Instances where required by the Field Officers, delivering up
their Arms. There is still a small Force of Militia kept up
and we have lately had Letters from the Officers, from whence
it seems they are not apprehensive, but on the Event of a
Force being sent by our Enemies. The Governor and
Council are intrusted by the Legislature with a Power of
seizing, imprisoning or ordering to any Part of the State, those
who they may suspect to be inimically disposed. The Legis-
lature have also passed a Tory Bill, giving the Magistrates
pretty extensive Powers. I make no Doubt but that every
Thing recommended in the Resolution will be executed by
the executive Power, except inventorying the Estates of the
Disaffected and taking the Profits of their Lands, that, as the
Resolution supposes, being only to be done by the Assembly,
who will, I expect, defray the Expences of Imprisonment out
of the Delinquents' Estates. Several Circumstances, amongst
others the Small Pox being rife here, makes an immediate
Meeting of the Assembly almost impracticable, but if the Bat-
talions should not fill up, under the Provision made, id est,
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