370 Journal and Correspondence.

November
19

in the State where you preside, so now I am incouraged from your
former condisention to acquaint your Excellency that the difficulty's
I now every day experience in procuring Forage for the Army
(which they are in the greatest want of) are truly alarming the
more so as 'tis in the midst of plenty, to give a more full Idea of
our situation I take the Liberty of inclosing a Copy of a letter
this day receiv^d from Col^o Owen Biddle A. C. G of Forage at
Philadelphia, by which you will be fully inform'd of the wants of
the army, and at the same time I shall take the Liberty of informing
you of the little prospect I have of supplying it, from which you
will be enabled to Judge what is best to be done, and as our General
Assembly is now Setting I flatter myself that some salutary meas-
ures may be fallen on for their relief; M^r Biddle, your Excellency
will observe requests ten thousand Bushels of Forage per week, I
have not been able with every Industry in my power to furnish Him
with five Hundred, nor even to supply this post sufficiently for their
common dailey consumption, not that 'tis scarce but the people wont
sell nor will the money buy produce long. I am now offering seven
pounds ten shillings for Corn per Bushell, and five pounds for Oats,
I can't think of giving more, as it appears to me that Corn and Oats
at these prices, and wheat at the present price, that the whole money
of the United States will not be Sufficient to purchase the produce
of Maryland and Virginia for one season were the people willing to
take it, but this is not the case they wont sell at all, and by holding
back their grain intend to raise the prices still higher, if this is
suffered to goe on, you may lay and welcome the planters and
Farmers will evaid all taxes, as they have these heretofore lay'd by
raising their produce in produce in proportion to the taxes, and we
the purchasers are oblig'd from necessatys of the Army to com-
ply with Exorbitant demands; I would not dare to say so much on
this subject which your Excellency is so much better acquainted with
than myself did I not recollect that the Squalling of a Goose once
saved a great City, and in fact I am so distressed that I know not
what next to do; could we once get a supply for a few months before
hand, so that we could be at liberty whether to give those prices or
not it would give me comfort, but that is not the case we must give
what they ask or Starve (I see no remedy) but that of laying a part
of the Tax in produce which I am informed has been done in Vir-
ginia, though this may seem hard at first, yet doubtless it would
be puting mony in the Peoples pocketts (on the whole) as it would
assist to fill our Magazines and relieve our emediate necessities, by
which we should be put to on a standing so as to deal on a square
footing with the Planters or Farmers, and in the end not only produce
of every kind, but wages and even imported articles must fall
Thus Sir I have taWn the liberty to make you acquainted with
our wants and given my thoughts on a remedy, a sthe wants they are