of the Council of Maryland, 1777. 267

the Marine Committee, by which you will see that the Reso-
lution of the Congress for the Discharge of the Men, was not
furnished to us. Cap^t Nicholson is now down here, his Ship
is off Annapolis, he shewed us a Copy with which he was
served, the Resolution for the Discharge of the Men was
omitted and Nicholson says he had no Direction from the
Marine Committee to discharge any; we wish these Short
Copies & short Orders may have happened without Design.
We never had any Intercourse with M^r Lewis, since he took
Charge of our Letter to Nicholson, after his reading it before
we sealed it, nor with Nicholson, 'till this Day, after his Letter,
which we inclosed to the Marine Committee. Our Letter to
Nicholson and that to the Committee, contain our Sentiments
much better than M^r Lewis collected them. This has been a
very disagreeable Business. Nicholson alledges and M^r Lewis
seems to confirm that Nicholson advised with the Marine
Committee on the Subject of pressing before he did it, and
that the Committee rather approved it. Nicholson has prom-
ised now to discharge such of the impressed men (he has
upwards of 30) as are not willing to go with him and a Magis-
trate goes on board this Afternoon to see it done. We
received a Letter to day from Cap^t Teams, who has lately got
home much hurt; there is but one Officer of his Company a
Prisoner. We hope Col^o Gunby is mistaken about the Deser-
tion of the Company The latest Account we have of it is,
that 3 or 4 only had deserted and about as many dead: the
Company was full or nearly full when it marched. We have
appointed the 11^th of June, for the meeting of the Assembly
William Paca Esq^r We are &^ca

C. C.

[Council to Washington.]

In Council Annapolis 30^th May 1777.
Sir.
This, we expect will be delivered to you by Cap^t Alexander
Trueman of Col^o Williams's Battalion, of this State. M^r Paul
Parker was recommended as an Officer in the Proportion of
Troops of this State and accordingly had a Power to recruit
as such and eight hundred Dollars delivered to him by the
Commissioners He was appointed a Lieu^t in Cap^t Trueman's
Company and, as the Cap^t says, was successful, having, accord-
ing to the Accounts he gave his Captain, raised upwards of
thirty Men. M^r Parker afterwards refused to serve in the
Battⁿ in which he was appointed has accepted a Lieutenancy
in one of the sixteen Regiments and carried his Recruits with
him. From what we learn, this is one of several Instances of
such Conduct and that several of the Gentlemen who have

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