of the Council of Maryland, 1778-1779. 515

you can confide, to receive the Powder in Frederick, where
only, we have any considerable Quantity, letting him call on
Col^o Bruce with the inclosed, in his Way thither. We have
wrote to the Board of War that we purpose to deliver you 30
thousand Weight. If Casks can possibly be procured to Shift
a Part of the Powder into, we think it will be adviseable to
procure them, as many of the Casks are probably much injured
by frequent Removals in a hurry. We do not know which
way you'll send it, whether by Land or to Balt^o and from thence
by Water up the Bay, the first, we think would be best, if car-
riage can be procured and probably it might from Frederick,
as far as Lancaster.
We are &^ca
James Calhoun Esq^r

[Council to Board of War.]

In Council Annapolis 8^th Sept^r 1779
Gen^t
We last Night rec^d your Favor of the 3^d Ins^t; we shall
immediately write to M^r Calhoun desiring him to appoint some
Person to examine and receive the Powder which we can spare
at Frederick; the Quantities we have any where else, are
inconsiderable. We shall deliver to him there, thirty thousand
weight. A large Proportion of what we have is Cannon
Powder though, from its having been sent in a Hurry at divers
Times from different Places, we have no exact Account of the

C. C.

different Kinds, and we are apprehensive that from the same
Cause a good many of the Casks may not be sufficient to
remove it in. If tolerable Care has been taken of it, which
may have been done with great Ease from the Conveniences
where it is kept, we expect it is generally good. At the Time
of the Rec^t of your Letter of the 15^th June, the Gov^r was in
Frederick, we expected that in Consequence of our Letter to
our Delegates of the 18^th, Measures were then executing for
the Rec' of the Powder and have constantly expected that some
Person would have been commissioned to receive it. We are
not impowered to lend but sell it and we could have disposed
of it at a very high Price, but have refused to part from any
since our Conversation with M^r Plater about the 17^th Day of
June
We are &^ca
Board of War.

P. S. We inclose you Copies of the Letters wrote and re-
ceived on this Subject

591