440 Journal and Correspondence.

Brown
Book No. 8

consequence of my application to them of the 27^th Sep^r to purchase
4000 barrels, which were to be delivered to said M^r Smith, on
account of the Royal Marine: this additional order formed my pre-
tentions for 12000 Barrels & they have been acknowledged by the
same Hon^l Committee, when they applied some time since to your
Excellency & Council for all the flour purchased by my Agents over
& above that quantity.
At the same time that the above mentioned purchases were
directed to be made 12000 barrels of flour were demanded from
the State of Pensilvania, who entered upon measures to obtain
them forthwith, these however had not the desired effect, were soon
after annuled & have not Supplied me yet with 1500 barrels of
flour in the whole. Some time after the Steps were taken I perceived
that the Continental Commissaries on the eastern shore of Mary-
land could not furnish any of the flour demanded from them be-
cause the wants & urgent necessity of the Army were so great that
I was repeatedly applied to for the flour stored by my agents in
this city: & in the beginning of November I was apprised that my
conjectures were but too true, for instead of Supplying the 4000
barrels, Colonel Blame applied for & obtained unknown to me, from
M^r Smith 500 barrels of flour for the immediate relief of the Army,
and under the most Solemn promise that he should replace them
without delay, promise which he has not fulfilled to this moment.
Influenced by the apprehension of the fatal Consequences of these
my Conjectures, I determined in the run of October to press M^r
Smith more & more: I told him that I expected the fleet on the
Coast forth with, that all my resources were almost frustrated in
every quarter but his: I reminded him of the engagement of the
Commissaries & Concluded that all my expectations for assistance
and relief lay with him: it was on this ground that he pushed for-
ward, that he exerted all the influence he was master of; had he
obtained 20000 barrels I should have claimed the whole for the
Royal Marine, as it would have been paid for by the remittance I
should have directed to be made in behalf of the King's service &
for the use of his fleet which was hourly expected, but this I knew
was not the case. I knew it by the sums of money paid to M^r Smith,
or by his demands on M^r Rob^t Morris, & therefore I willingly con-
sented that the Scrutiney should be made under the idea that he was
only authorized to purchase 12000 barrels & that the overplus should
be applied for the relief of the American Army. How far I have
been grounded in my Conjectures your Excellency can but inform,
by the return I have demanded of the flour seized by the State Com-
missaries and redelivered to my Agents.
With respect to the letter of a Committee of Congress of the 12^th
July 1779 I shall observe that 3000 barrels only were accepted of by
M^r Smith in Consequence of my directions instead of 8000, though