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

Lib. J. R.
& U. S.

or not, and when. I am with the greatest Respect your most
obed^t humble Servant.
January 18: 1758: Richard Lloyd.

Sir
On Tuesday last I received the Honour of your Excel-
lency's verbal Commands by Lieutenant Forty, to enquire of
Captain Peregrine Browne whether himself and the Company
of Militia under his Command would march pursuant to your
Instructions given to him, and that I should transmit to your
Excellency his Answer by an Express, 1 immediately wrote
to him and therein signified your Pleasure this Morning he
came here, said he should have wrote before but yesterday
was appointed for him to meet his Company and receive their
final Resolution, which he says is that they will not march
(8: or 10: excepted) he complains much that the Influence
of those, whose particular Duty it ought to have been to have
excited the People to a due Obedience to the Law was want-
ing, and that they were practised on by others not to march
of which he says he. hath acquainted your Excellency by the
inclosed Letter, he begs of me to ask if you charged him with
any Letter for Col: Richard Lloyd he says he thinks you did,
but thro' some unknown Accident he cannot find it, and is
afraid some invidious Reflections may be cast on him for it's
being not delivered: by every Thing that I have heard, I
truly believe that Brown would very willingly have marched,
and that he did with becoming Spirit urge every Argument in
his power to persuade the People thereto: I am your Ex-
cellency's very humble Serv^t
Chester Jan^y 20^th 1758.. B: Hands.

p. 222

Annapolis 25.. of January 1758:
Sir
You will easily guess that I was surprised to learn from
your Letter of the 18: Instant that M^r Hands had wrote any
such Letter to Captain Brown as you mention when I assure
you that I had never desired him to do so, or to concern
himself after any manner whatever with the Militia of your
County. However I find by a Letter which I have received
also from M^r Hands as well as by yours that he did call on
Captain Browne to give him a positive Answer whether he
should march or not, but I find at the same time that his inter-
fereing so far was intirely owing to a Mistake of M^r Forty,
and not any Forwardness or Error of that Gentleman him-
self. I thank you for acquainting me so freely with what
had happened, and assure you that I should have wrote to