292 Journal and Correspondence

C. C.

112

[Council to Col. Richardson.]

In Council 17^th June 1777.
Sir.
In answer to yours of the 13^th by Cap^t Emory we expected
you would make Use of our Provisions, as we supposed you
could not be otherwise furnished. A Commissary will be
immediately wanted. Cap^t Emory tells us you had some
Thoughts of employing your Quarter Master in that Depart-
ment; we have no Objection to him or any Body you may
approve, but imagine the Congress will not approve both
Trusts being in the same Person. If you have not a Man
more to your Mind, John Draine has been mentioned as a
proper Person, he, last year, acted for Cummings on the
Eastern Shore and perhaps, some of your Officers may be able
to inform you how he acquitted himself. If you can go to
Philadelphia we think it the most likely Way of getting Arms

to your Satisfaction and other Articles you stand in Need of,

such as we can supply, we send by Cap^t Emory with a List ;
we have been disappointed in the Tents we are sorry they are
no better, they are all alike. We have reminded our Delegates
of the Arms from Time to Time but hitherto, without Success,
yet we think your personal Application would obtain them for
your Battalion and probably, as we wish, for the 300 Militia.
If they should be ordered, unless some Body is on the Spot to
receive and attend to them; they may be half the Summer in
getting down. We shall send you more Tents as we get
them; if you get better at Philadelphia, these may be returned.
There is Powder & Lead in the Magazine in Talbot, take
thence, what may be immediately necessary; perhaps you
may get the Cartridges you want in Philadelphia; we have
but few Cartridges and those of uncertain Sizes. We appre-
hend the £10 for Servants is to be discounted out of the
Bounty and first Month's Pay; if a Servant inlisted dies within
the month, this State ought to loose the 50/, or what of it is
not due from the Continent. As to the Manner of drawing
the Pay, we should have no Objection to its being done here,
if our Treasury could bear it, but it really will not, unless the
Congress will supply it. We do not know how the Money is
drawn where Troops are stationed without a Gen^l Officer
to sign the Warr^t or the Colonel's Abstract, but we imagine if
an Abstract was made of the Pay now due there might, well
enough, be an Advance of another Month's Pay, and at the
End of two Months an Abstract for that Time, the Money due
to be drawn and an Advance again of another Month's Pay
and so an Advance of a Month beforehand for the Supply of
Provisions, Quarter Master's Acc^t &^ca We think it would be
veil, if it cannot be done otherwise, to apply to Congress for