154 Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1753-1761.

Lib. J. R.

& U. S.

To all Officers as well Civil as Military, in and of the
Province of Maryland and particularly those of Frederick
and Baltimore Counties.
It having been signified to me by one of his Majesty's
principal Secretaries of State that our most gracious Sov-
ereign for the better Defence of these his American Do-
minions has been pleased to grant Commissions to a certain
number of English, German, Swiss, and Dutch Officers to
raise Men in these Colonies for the Royal American Regi-
ments commanded by the Right honourable the Earl of Lou-
doun, I have thought proper to give you, and all the Inhabit-
ants of this province Notice thereof, and I do hereby require
you, and recommend it to all persons within this Government
to promote his Majestys Service, and to contribute as much
as is in your Power towards compleating the aforesaid Regi-
ment by countenancing' and encouraging the recruiting Par-
ties that may be sent into this province, and at the same time
not doubting but that without this Order you would unani-
mously endeavour to answer his Majestys Expectations and
demonstrate your Loyalty on this important Occasion
Given at ffort ffrederick
the 16^th of July 1756:

S^r
I am enjoined by my Instructions upon any Difficulty that
arises in the recruiting Service to make my Application to
the Governour of the province or Colonv where I happen to
be.
I have met with Opposition from some people in these
quarters which I apprehend to be a just Matter of Com-
plaint, and I doubt not the persons concerned will be severally
•reprehended by your Excellency.
My recruiting Serjeant sometime in July last, was attacked
by M^r Cha^s Ridgley and a number of others his Accomplices,
and had six Recruits taken from him by fforce and Arms,
who had each received his Majesty's Bounty, on pretence that
these Recruits were indented Servants which turns out not to

p. 128

be the Truth as to all of them; besides threatning the ser-
geant and the Party to have them whipt out of Town.
About a Fortnight since M^r Joseph Watkins with a number
of Men armed with Clubs rescued another Recruit from my
Serjeant in his Way from Joppa to this Town.
I applied to M^r Bordley the Attorney General who I im-
agined I should find very ready to join with me in a public
Resentment of this Method of proceeding by prosecuting the
Parties concerned, but by what I could gather from my Con-