Letters to the Council. 4^o7

and am Now offered more then I have Need for at Present. I have
been oblidged to Engage them at £35 p^r day and Two at £40 p^r Day
and find them the Men and Horses the Continental Allowance. I
Imagine it will Take Nine or Ten Waggons but Cannot be Certain
to a Waggon There is Three Spare Waggons to Attend Ready to
start with me if I have Loads for them and if not they Take Flour
to Susquehannah; I have ordered all the Waggons to be in on
Thursday morning Next at which Time Expect to start from Here.
There is several of the Waggoners to whom I must advance Money
before they Start Which Oblidges me to Request the Favour of
Your Excell^y to send me besides the Ballance of my Account Four
or Five Thousand pounds by the Barer of this Letter (Jeremiah
Swain) whom I have Hired on Purpose to go to Annapolis. Your
Excell^y will Please to Dispatch him as Quick as Possable so that
he may be Here by 2 o'clock Thursday. If there is any Further
Buissness for me to Transact Either at Camp or on the Road you
will Please to Inform me. The Care of the Cloth Bo^l of Col^o Dorsey
& Hammond and the other Stores I leave to a M^r William Banks
who is a Young Gentleman Very Attentive and Careful and will
Act for me in my Absence. Shou'd be Glad to know if the Soldiers
at the Fort are to be Discharged or what is to be done Concerning
them as they are Inlisted to Serve in that Place only and the Pro-
vision is Just out If they are not Discharged shall be oblidged to
Purchase more Provision for them. My Time is too Short to send
an Invoice of the Cloathing I take out with me by this oppertunity
as I am Just Receiving the Cloth from M^r Dorsey & Hammond, but
shall Leave it to be sent by the First Oppertunity
NB There is About 40 Dozen of Excellent Stockings to be had
here if Wanting @ £185 p^r Doz

Red Book
No. 30

[Ezek Forman, Chestertown, to Exy Governor Lee]

Sir From your Excellency's well known character, I esteem it
quite unnecessary to spend time, and take up your attention with
apologies for the liberty I take of presenting to you the within
Letter. As the pleasure of doing good has always been grateful
to your feelings in private life, those feelings must, and will I am
sure, be more indulged in your Public character, it may increase the
opportunities.
I would Just remark to your Excellency that I have had an inti-
mate acquaintance with M^r Voorhees for twenty years past, he has
done business as a Merchant in this County for near fifteen years
with intire reputation, and had acquired a very pretty fortune,
which lay out in Bonds and Book Debts. At the commencement of
the Present War this Gentleman declined business, he could not
reconcile the manner of doing it, with his Whig Principals, however,

January 26
Red Book
No. 26
Letter
No. 156