of the Council of Maryland, 1778-1779. 271

Wednesday 23^d December 1778

Present as on Yesterday
Ordered that the western Treasurer pay to Lieut William
Judah One hundred Pounds to be delivered over to Samuel
Sadler to be expended in the State Hospital in Baltimore &
to be Accounted for
That the said Treasurer pay to William Judah, six hundred
& thirty Pounds, ninteen Shillings and ten Pence on Account
and also the further Sum of One hundred and fifty Pounds on
Account
That the said Treasurer pay to Abraham Faw, two thousand
two hundred and fifty Pounds on Account

C. B.

[Delegates in Congress to Gov. Johnson.]

Philadel' Decem^r 23^d 1778
Dear Sir
The necessity of making some inquiry on the Subjects con-
tained in your Letter of the 10^th Decem^r and the Reference of
the Resolutions of the General Assembly to the Marine Com-
mittee, upon which no Report has yet been made, has deprived
us of the Honour of answering your Letter so soon as we
intended
The Expedition against Florida, always was, and still is,
in our opinion a dangerous and ruinous project, attended with
a certain considerable Loss and Expense, without the smallest
Hope of Success or advantage; And altho' Congress have not
re-considered or in any way countermanded their former orders
and recommendations; yet we think it not improper privately
and in Confidence to inform you, that there does not appear
to us any hope of Success in prosecuting this Expedition.
The re-enforcement that we have reason to expect have been
sent into that Country from the City of New York; the Dist-
ance and nature of the Country through which the Troops are
to pass, before they reach S^t Augustine, the place of action,
joined to the Resistance they will probably meet with in
Georgia, and the length of the Blockade (three months at
least,) which it is said will be absolutely necessary to reduce
the Garrison, fortify us in the opinion we have formed. By
this we do not mean to throw impediments in the way to stop
the Expedition, but simply to express our own apprehensions
of the Extreme Danger, if not, total Loss of the men and ves-
sels destined for this Expedition.
No Measures are as yet taken in this quarter for the supply
of provisions and other necessaries, they seem to be left to the
Chapter of Accident and the Commander in chief in the
Southern Department.

Original.