Letters to the Council. 363

to furnish the Supply that would be probably wanted for our own
Army and the Count, M^r Holkers Agents, in Concurrence with the
Governor of Maryland took measures to procure 8000 Barrels of
flour in your State of which the Comm^ier of Congress was informed
& did aprove as being necessary at that time, but being since told
there is a great reason to Suspect that Certain persons being actually
or pretendidly Agents for M^r Kolker have made large purchases of
flour beyond the quantity afores^d and by creating a Competition &
out biding our Commissaries, have greatly inhanced the price of
flour, and retarded those Supplies which are necessary for the Sub-
sistance of our Army, we request your Excellencys attention to this
affair, and that proper enquiry be made and that all the flour pur-
chased by any person whatever except the Complement of Eight
thousand barrels afores^d & of 4000 before in M^r Smiths hands for
M^r Kolker be turned over to the Commissary Gen^l of purchases, as
the only Channel through which Supplies for our army & our allys
Can in future be regularly obtained and desire that hereafter no
purchases of flour on public account be allowed in your State but
by the Commissary General & his Deputies and we refer you to Col
Blain for more particular Information on this head.
p^r order of the Com^tee of Congress on the Coms^y & Qu^r Ms^tr Gen-
erals departments Your Excellencys Most Obed^t humb^l servant
p. S. the flour purchased to Carry to Virginia agreable to the
resolve of Congress for that purpose, is not to be affected by any
thing in the above letter

November 9

[Sam Huntington, President, Philadelphia to Governor of
Maryland]

Sir You will receive herewith enclos'd two Acts of Congress of
the 12^th & 16^th instant for reforming the eleven companies of
artificers raised by the Quartermaster General, making provision
for and granting certain benefits to that Corps in particular that
they be considered as part of the Quotas of the Eighty Battalions
apportioned on the several States to which they respectively belong.
Also another Act of the 16^th instant requesting the aid of the several
States for obtaining wittnesses & depositions in the trial of cases
before courts martial.
I have the honour to be with great Respect Your Ex^ys hum^ble
Servant

November
10
Red Book
No. 8
Letter
No. 134

[Sam'l Sadler Art'y Park, Chester to His Excellency The
Governor of Md]

Sir I am sorry to Inform you of the death of Cap: Gale who
departed this life in about four weeks after his arrival at Camp.
He Informed me that he was Indebted to the State of Maryland.

November
ii