Letters to the Council. 391

which joined the Army at Valley Forge, have been attached & an-
nexed to Col^o Harrison's Battalion of ten companies from the State
of Virginia which completes that battalion according to the estab-
lishment of twelve companies. The principle of promotion in the
Artillery is to rise to Captains regimentally, and to b icld Umcers
in the line of the Corps. No promotion has yet taken place so as to
intermix the Officers of the above two companies from Maryland
with those from Virginia. The companies from Virginia will soon
be so weak as not to have more than sixty or seventy inlisted for
the war in the ten companies, whereas those three companies from
Maryland, viz. Brown's Dorsey's and late Gales (a company which
joined about three months ago, and whose Captain has died since
that period) amount to about two hundred non-commissioned officers
& Privates, most of whom are for the war.
From this State of facts perhaps it may appear, that as the ten
Virginia Companies are so weak it will be necessary to reduce them
to eight and to make four companies of the three from Maryland to
compose Col^o Harrison's Battalion, which will make a promotion
to Captaincies of Capt, Lieut⁸ Smith and Finley, the officers men-
tioned in the Governor's letter; and will be complying with his
request and wish, so far as to provide for those two officers, and
the making four companies from the State of Maryland; and will
entirely prevent the contusion which would attend making a young
Captain a Major.
The inconvenience that would result from this arrangement would
be, that some of the Captain Lieut⁹ of the Virginia companies, who
are senior to Capt. Lieut. Smith & Finley, would probably think
themselves injured by the promotion of those Gentlemen to com-
panies. Perhaps this is an evil which cannot be avoided, consider-
ing the political reasons which urge the measure.
If your Excellency should approve of this arrangement, which
is agreeable to Gen^l Smallwoods sentiments, it would perhaps be
necessary for a Resolve of Congress to incorporate the companies
of the State of Maryland into Col Harrison's Battalion.

Brown
Book No. i

[Jas Calhoun, Baltimore, to His Excellency Gov Lee]

Sir I yesterday received Your Excellencies Letter of the 23^d Ins^t
respecting the forwarding Cloathing to the Army. Capt Keeport
informs me there will be about six Waggon Load and that there is no
Troops here of the Maryland Line to Escort them except Serg^l
Neary — the Captⁿ intends waiting on you at Annapolis in a day or
two & believe might be persuaded to take charge of the Cloathing
to Camp if he can be spared from here.
The Purchasing Commissary has this day apply'd to me for
Waggons to Transport 370 Barrels of Flour from this place and the
Flour of 10500 Bushels of Wheat from Harford County to Camp.

December
28
See
Liber C C

No. 22

p. 48