500 Journal and Correspondence.

May 20

good Officer. He is particularly anxious to push to the Southward
that he may have an opportunity of signalizing himself. I trust Sir
you will excuse me troubling you on this business. Feeling for a
young Man in a strange Country destitute of Friends & Money is
the only excuse I can urge

May 22

To the Honourable the General Assembly of Maryland the Humble
Petitin of Martin Everhart of fredk: County most Humbly
Sheweth.

That your petitioner having neglected to take the Oath of fidelity
to this State as by Law he was Injoined to Do, is thereby Burthened
with a treeble tax on his property, A Continuation Whereof Will
Inevitably Reduce your petitioner to Beggary and the Greatest Dis-
tress that your petitioners Neglect in this Instance, Arose Wholly
From an Incapacity to Judge, of the nature and principles of Gov-
ernment, or the allegiance due thereto: And not from any Interested
Views or Inimical principles; held by your petitioner. That your
petitioner is a German, by birth. And did not understand the Nature
of the said Oath, But being led by the Example and Influence of
Designing men is now Grieviously Distressed With the said treeble
tax.

Your petitioner therefore most Humbly prays your Honourable
House to take his Case into Consideration And to Grant him Relief
from said treeble tax in such manner as you in your Wisdom and
Goodness shall think meet

May 22

[Jos'a Beall Lieut. D. G. C'y. P^s G⁸ Cty to His Excelly
Thomas Sim Lee Esqr]

S^r I shall be mutch Oblidged to you for your direction Concerning
the Ammunition in Bladensburgh, I had it removed sometime ago
from the Other Stores to M^r Robert Dicks store in Town where it
has remaind ever since; He is now about giving up the house; and
desires I would take it to some Other place, that he may have the
house clear, the moving it will be attended with some Expence, be-
sides the rent I Expect I shall be Obliged to pay for a house to put
it in, which I dont immagine can be had on any reasonable terms.
It would be a very sailable Article at this time, And if the State is
otherwise well provided with ammunition, Would it not be more
to the Advantage of the State to sell than be at the Expence of
removeing and paying storage for it, The Powder by this must be
very weak & not mutch to be depended on, the Lead is as good as
Ever, & there is a parcell of very Good flints; Pleas to let me have
your Orders concerning it as soon as Possible which shall be
Punctually complyed with