of the Council of Maryland, 1778-1779. 73

to recruit what Men may be wanting to fill up the same, within
the Limits of this State, without any special Licence from the
Governor & Council for so doing, any Law to the contrary
notwithstanding. I have only to add that it is not in my Power
to communicate any particular Instructions for assisting the
Officers in this Service farther than to recommend their
Attendance in the back Counties, where the greatest Numbers
of Germans reside.
I have the Honor to be
&^ca
General Washington. T. S. L.

C. C.

Monday 11 May 1778.

Present as on Saturday except James Hindman Esq^r James
Brice Esq^r Attended
Ordered That the western shore Treasurer
Pay to Jonathan Parker Twenty Pounds to be accounted for.
That the said Treasurer Pay to James Little Seventeen
Pounds ten shillings per Account passed by the Aud General.
That the said Treasurer Pay to Brittingham Dickinson Fifty
three Pounds ten shillings for the use of John Steel per Acc^t
passed by the A G
Commissions issued to Levin Spedding appointed Capt.
Edward Stevens first Lieut, John Brown second Lieut, William
Berry Ens. Richard Bruff Cap. William Milward first Lieut,
William McCallum second Lieut, Thomas Tibbie Ensign
belonging to the fourth Battalion of Militia in Talbot County

Extract of a Letter from Gen^l Washington dated Head
Quarters May 7^th 1779

" My intelligence from the Enemy is, that 4000 Troops
chiefly British are embarked for the West Indias, or Georgea,
though the latter is the most suspected. Generals Vaughan
& Leslie are supposed to take the Command, they were to
embark this day and the Fleet to Sail on their Voyage im-
mediately "
I also transmit an extract of a Letter of the same date
from L^t Col Ford on Command at Shrewsbury "Twenty
seven square rigged Vessels of the Enemys Fleet and twelve
or Fourteen sloops and schooners put to Sea this evening
they steered a South east Course till they got out of Sight.
By a person from N York who was a prisoner I am informed,
that the report there was, that between 6 & 7000 Troops were
embarked, he sailed in company with them from N York to

C. B.