during the War of the American Revolution, 1775-83.	367

forty-five years old, to serve for three years, if not sooner discharged,
and the same recruit deliver to the lieutenant of the county, to be by
him passed.
	And be it enacted, That any able bodied slave, between sixteen
and forty years of age, who voluntarily enters into the service, and is
passed by the lieutenant, in the presence and with the consent, and
agreement of his master, may be accepted as a recruit.
	And be it enacted, That the lieutenants aforesaid, and the field and
commissioned officers of the militia in each county, shall, within five days
after the expiration of the said twenty days, meet . . . . and shall
proceed to examine whether each class hath found a proper effective
recruit according to this act, and if any class hath not found such
recruit,....they shall cause lots to be cast . . . . and the person to
whose lot it shall fall shall be from thenceforth, to every intent and pur
pose, considered as an enlisted soldier, to serve until the tenth day of
December seventeen hundred and eighty-one, in the quota of this state
of the continental troops,....but if such person shall, within twenty
days thereafter, provide a good and sufficient recruit, to serve until the
said tenth day of December in his stead, he shall be discharged; or if
he shall at any time afterwards find a good and sufficient recruit in his
stead, to serve for three years unless sooner discharged, he shall be
discharged.
	And be it enacted, That all recruits raised in virtue of this act
shall be carried before the lieutenant of the county in which the recruits
are or shall be raised, to pass muster,....but no imported convict
who hath not served his full term of seven years, or British deserter,
shall be passed as a recruit within this act.
	And, for the discovery of deserters, and the punishment of those
who entertain, harbour, or conceal them,
	Be it enacted, That if, after the first day of March next, any free
male person shall entertain, harbour, or conceal, any deserter, knowing
him to be such, such person shall, upon such conviction, be considered as
an enlisted regular soldier for the term of three years, and may be taken
as such by any officer of the Maryland line; and if any free male person,
convicted as aforesaid, shall be the father of such deserter, or of or above
forty-five years of age, or unfit for the service, he shall furnish an able
bodied recruit for the war, and deliver him to the lieutenant of his
county within ten days after conviction, and in case of neglect shall be
liable to pay thirty-five pounds in specie, or the value thereof, to the
lieutenant of his county,....and if any female, the mistress of any