Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1769-1770. 361

Sir
I received yours acquainting me that as the Bearer M^r
Joseph Waters is to appear before the Governor and Council
as an Evidence in behalf of your Son relative to the Com-
plaints of some of his Prisoners and as he is an entire Stranger
to the Governor and Council you are desirous I would write
you what I know of his Behaviour and whether he does not
Support the Character of an Honest Man. In Answer to
which request I am very ready Sir to declare what I know of
the young Man especially as I am of Opinion Justice done his
Character ought to gain ample Credit to his Evidence which I
hope will be of such a nature that the Complaints made against
your Son will appear to be the Fictions of a Peevish and
groundless Discontent. As to this young Man Joseph Waters

Lib. C. B.
No. 20

he is the Son of Joseph a parishioner of mine who I am well
satisfied has with dutiful pains brought up his Children in the
Principles of Piety and virtuous Industry and altho' it be too
apparent his son Joseph's present Circumstances are not the
natural fruits of such an Education yet I am far from thinking
he has ever acted intentionally upon different Principles but
know he has been partly reduced by Sickness and I am apt to
believe upon credible Information partly by the unsuspected
Injustice and Cunning of others who have made a Prey of his
honest Simplicity. His apparent orderly Behaviour from his
Childhood when I had every Sunday almost an opportunity of
observing at Church and at other times at his Father's House
and elsewhere long ago pre-engaged my Opinion in his favour
which induced me some few Years past and soon after he set
up as a House Carpenter to employ him to do me some Jobs, I
then became more intimately acquainted with him and found
he did not falsify my former opinion for I experienced him to
be not only a diligent and faithful Workman but a Sober
honest Lad and one that paid a strict Regard to Veracity and
I must say further I never heard any one worthy of Credit say
any thing of him inconsistent with this Character but a great
deal in support of it. As to William Wright's whom you
mention in a Postcript tho' I understand he has sometime lived
in my Parish yet it is in a distant Corner where I have seldom
had occasion to Visit and have no manner of Knowledge of
him but expecting the pleasure of hearing that your Son shall
make it appear that his and the Complaints of his Confederates
are mere Calumnies, I remain with great Respect Sir,
To Your most Obed^t & humble Serv^t
The Honble Richard Lee Esq^r Isaac Campbell
May 4^th 1770

p. 106