Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1753-1761. 155

ver sation with him he makes light not to say justifies At-
tempts of this Sort — he put a Case not very much to the
Honour of the Recruiting Service; suppose a Man steals a
Horse..

If through Mistake, or in a disputable point as this seems
to be among the Inhabitants, whether the King has not a
prior Right to the Service of his Subjects to any after Obli-
gation they may lay themselves under; especially in Cases
of great Necessity, any Man's legal Property is invaded, are
not the steps of the Law to be pursued without Violence that
Justice may be done? besides I cannot possibly know who
are, or are not Servants 'till their Indentures are produced.
Pardon my suggesting these Things which is with no other
View than to apologize for my own Conduct.

I hope your Excellency will give such Directions and order
a prosecution against the parties whom have been culpable,
against whom I am ready to furnish the necessary Proofs,
as may deterr others from such a barefaced Opposition to his
Majesty's Service

I am with great Respect your Excellency's most
Obedient humble Serv^t
Sam. Gardner
Captain in his Majesty's 47^th Regim^t:

Baltimore Aug^t 15^th 1756..

S^r
Since the above by the Instigation as I am credibly in-
formed of some of the better Sort at the Church in the
Forrest last Sunday there was an Agreement made to raise
a Body of about 200.. Men, and take all my Recruits from
me, this Town to be their Rendezvous on Monday; Captain
Orrick who commands a Company of Militia in the County
came on Sunday Evening with about twenty Horse the Men

Lib. J. R.

& U S.

armed with Clubs, and gave me to understand they expected
the whole Body the next Day; the Captain was deputed by
the rest to be their spokesman who told me they were come in
a peaceable manner to demand their Servants, and that if
they could not have them by fair Means, they would have
them by foul:
It seems some of their Convict Servants were run away,
notwithstanding my posting up Avertisements that I would
not take any Convicts, they would not believe me, I gave
them Liberty to examine my Recruits, they found none of

p. 129